Best support for a portable Darkbox?

[Sylvester Graham]

Hello,

I'm making a Darkbox soon for wet plate. I've seen some great Darkbox designs, but I haven't been too keen on how they were supported. I'm tall with legs that are unusually long and out of proportion. Like, long as in once a physical therapist said he'd never seen anything like it. So, I think I'll need to be able to stand at the box, or sit with my legs going all the way underneath and out the other side, to avoid having to lean in uncomfortably.

What do you use for Darkbox support? I was thinking maybe a survey tripod?--but I'm worried it might be difficult to adapt.

Thanks,

Alex

[Joe Smigiel]

If you use a survey tripod it will have to balance precisely at the center of the darkbox. Given how large and heavy a darkbox is, I don't like the idea of something supporting it from a central point. I much prefer a table-type arrangement with 4 legs at the corners, or a tripod-like arrangement with legs at 2 corners of the box and the other in the middle of the opposite side.

My favorite darkbox has legs that simply slide into a channel and butt up against each other to lock in place. I got the idea from one of John Coffer's darkboxes, then modified it a bit. The legs form a wide triangle with the ground and that helps stabilize the box. You could make them any length you needed to give the height you require.

The legs also slide through the channels in a different configuration and are drilled so that fast pins can lock them in place. That way the legs become handles for pulling the wheeled box around rather than carrying it. Or, they don't have to be used at all and the box can sit on a picnic table or other tabular support if one is around. I plan to tweak this design further by adding thicker hardwood legs to increase the stability. Some pics:

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The last picture shows the shroud folded inside along with the silver tank which drops through a slot in the base of the darkbox for use. The shroud attaches to the three beams at the top of the door. The wheels are shown beside the darkbox but I modified it further after these pictures were taken. Now the wheels can remain attached when the darkbox is being used.

I'll continue in a later post because I believe the forum limits the number of pictures that can be referenced in any single message.

[Joe Smigiel]

Check out a model 425 Da-Lite Projecto Stand (http://www.francisav.com/projecto.htm). It has 4 angled, aluminum, telescoping legs that compactly snap into brackets underneath the plastic tabletop for transport. The table and legs can then be carried like an attache case. The height can be adjusted from 23" to 56" which I assume is what you may be looking for. Very light, portable and quick to set up. They can be purchased new or are frequently auctioned used at a considerable savings. An optional shelf could easily be suspended between the legs to hold equipment or chemicals and that extra weight and board would help stabilize the table. I think the telescoping legs on these units would give the height you needed and would help level the darkbox on uneven terrain.

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You might also consider purchasing 4 telescoping legs to be attached in the four corners of a regular darkbox. I would angle them slightly using table leg hardware meant for that purpose with regular tables. In addition to finding some at large home improvement stores, another source would be from camera tripods. I'm sure a manufacturer would sell a fourth leg as a part that would match the three on their tripods. The tripod legs could probably be easily adapted and mounted underneath the darkbox to swing into position for setup and the fold underneath for transport.

Some folks use simple X-folding tables. I think they might be OK in the city or even ground, but setting them up level in the woods would be tricky. And, I suspect such large tables would be a pain to carry any distance.

Here's a pic of my other darkbox with attached folding legs that double as handles for pulling this thing about. It sets up in about 30 seconds by simply lifting it up and letting the legs fall into the upright position, then drawing a cord or chain through the three legs to keep them from spreading and collapsing the darkbox. You can observe the folding mechanism in the legs in both pics. The lower single-limbed part folds into the double forked part. FWIW, that rear leg has a panel attached to it to act as a plate viewing area when the darkbox is set for use, and it doubles as a supporting back when in transport mode. The leg folds just behind the panel so it does not stick up very far when hauling it around. It has a small platform to bungee a tripod to. There is a lip around the top of the box so chemicals, tanks, trays, cameras, etc., can be packed and transported on the top of this rig once netted down. The legs are attached using 1/4-20 eyehooks and nuts and can be quickly removed so that this box fits on the front seat of my car.

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I can't seem to stop designing and tweaking these darkboxes looking for evermore portability and function. My next one will be cannibalized from a Fuji DB12 changing room added to the Da-Lite stand. The Fuji DB12 is basically an oversized 2'x2'x2' sleeved changing bag that is attached to a folding mdf board with a supporting frame for the bag and a handle for transport. I plan to remove the bag and frame and attach them directly to the Da-Lite stand. I've purchased a strip of red LEDs and a 12v battery pack along with a miniature spy camera to put inside the bag and a 7" LCD TV to act as an external monitor. Looks good on paper.

Well, I hope at least some of this rave has been helpful and given you some ideas.

[Sylvester Graham]

Now THAT is what I call a thorough post. Thank you very much for your thoughtful response.

I have to say though, that those pictures of your darkbox are hurting my mind. It's like a rubix cube. Or actually a giant rubix cube that looks like it belongs at a dapper croquet tournament or polo match. Im not sure i understand where the dark part is in that darkbox, it looks very thin.

Plus I don't think I could ever match the technical mastery there, but, I love your ideas, especially the projector table and the telescoping lids.

Thanks

[Joe Smigiel]

It's like a rubix cube.

More like a hexagonal prism than a cube.

Unfortunately, I no longer have it but plan to make a new improved version someday - basically lighterweight. The original was thin, relatively lightweight, and small. The angled sides made sticking arms in easier. The shaded and angled red viewport eliminated glare looking into it. The rear side panels were sliding doors. There was an inlet and drain hose for fresh and waste water respectively. I would put a jug of fresh water on the top with a hose and clamp valve inside for rinsing plates. The collection tray drained beneath the box via a black hose. A red window on the top provided ample safe illumination and the silver tank dropped through an opening in the base. I could do up to whole-plate in it . The angles and dimensions were designed to let me turn it sideways so that it fit on the front passenger seat of the car.

I had a lot of fun figuring it out.

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