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Thread: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

  1. #21

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Tennessee
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    60

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    All electrical circuits in the darkroom must be GFI protected for your safety. Standard grounded won't save you. The GFI plugs do cost much more than regular ones but are much cheaper than a funeral. I would also suggest that each enlarger be on a separate circuit from your breaker box, some electronic timers can be tripped by the on/off pluse of an adjacient enlarger/timer on the same circuit.

    Quote Originally Posted by jeroldharter View Post
    Look at the Darkroom Portraits thread and carefully study the photos for ideas.
    Build the largest sink you can, in this case 10.1 feet, ideally 30 inches front to back, keeping in mind that it might be hard to reach the wall if you are short.
    As many grounded electrical outlets as you can must, above counter height, below counter height, and on the ceiling.
    Drywall the walls and ceiling (i.e. no exposed framing) and paint with glossy paint for low dust, easy cleanup.
    A dust free floor like sheet vinyl (no carpet).
    No flourescent lighting as it might maintain an afterglow when turned off. Use lots of lighting - I like a bright darkroom - but set it up so that you have a choice between bright light, modest light, safe light.
    A large dry erase board (grease board) on the wall is useful for notes.
    Plenty of shelf space for storage
    Build dust free negative drying space.
    I find that line drying prints works for me (better than screens) but they drip water so you need a place where print drying allows you to continue printing.
    Try to anticipate yourself. For example, if you get into masking you need more space. Alternative processes (I don't do those) are probably the same.
    Use another room for matting and framing. A dry mount press can really heat up a darkroom. Cutting mat board is dusty.

  2. #22
    Tin Can's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    22,319

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    i put a breaker box GFI breaker on the circuit that feeds my entire darkroom and grounded every piece of big metal, like sinks, exhaust ducting and enlargers. Yes most of it grounds through water, or pipes or power cords, but I like grounding, in case of...

    The single breaker box GFI is cheaper than 2 of the normal ones and installs quicker.

    Quote Originally Posted by RandyB View Post
    All electrical circuits in the darkroom must be GFI protected for your safety. Standard grounded won't save you. The GFI plugs do cost much more than regular ones but are much cheaper than a funeral. I would also suggest that each enlarger be on a separate circuit from your breaker box, some electronic timers can be tripped by the on/off pluse of an adjacient enlarger/timer on the same circuit.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Madisonville, LA
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    2,412

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    Randy, all the outlets are GFI protected, gang run off GFI outlets rather than breakers. Work pretty much the same way. There are 3 circuits feeding the darkroom, and since it's a single person darkroom, no more than one enlarger is used at one time. All the interior lighting is LED though I've had flourescent lights in other darkrooms and never noticed any effects.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    264

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    How has that chiller worked out for you? I'm thinking about getting one.

    Quote Originally Posted by Luis-F-S View Post
    I've completed the rough in of the electrical and plumbing. Attached are some shots of the sink and wet side with K250 Intellifaucet, 6' Elkay sink (bought it about 25 years ago) and a Delta commercial faucet. The second shot is an Elkay 32 GPM water cooled chiller which sits just outside the darkroom and the piping inside the wall (insulated). Then a shot is the Durst SM-183 frame (an 8x10 frame) where it's been for the past 7 years. The last shot of the water feed with filter just upstream of the water heater. I'll post some more shots as the work progresses!


    Luis

    Attachment 104446Attachment 104447Attachment 104448Attachment 104449

  5. #25

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    Jan 2013
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    Madisonville, LA
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    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    Couldn’t develop film without one! Pm me with your email if you want more information.

  6. #26

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    264

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    I was finally able to find a used ER301 and a decent price. Now that the temperature and tap water temperature have cooled I'll have to wait until next summer to see if it can successfully cool down my Jobo ATL to 68 degrees.

  7. #27

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    Jan 2013
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    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    The ER 301 is an air cooled chiller. I would install it where it is not too hot so as not to decrease the efficiency of the chiller. Also, if installed inside the darkroom, it will tend to make the room warm. The one I use is a ERW32 which is a water cooled chiller. Doesn't put out heat and doesn't matter where you install it as long as you can get water to it and drain water out. At least the ER301 produces around 30 GPH which is good. I use an Intellifaucet with mine to get the temp to 68 Deg yearround. Installation and use is explained in this thread:

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=intellifaucet

    I've also got a schematic of the piping diagram I used. Good Luck!

  8. #28
    Eric Woodbury
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    1,637

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    My first darkroom in this house was a bedroom. 9' x 9' with a low ceiling, 6' on one side and about 6'7" on the other. (I had a hole in the drywall on ceiling where the enlarger could rise to full height.) It was a fine space. I put a 2' H x 4' W sliding window in the room with a hinged piece of plywood to cover when needed. And I did most of the other stuff mentioned here. It was galley layout with a sink slightly longer than 8'. It was a fine space for about 13 years. Just outside the room, I built a finishing area with cabinets and such.

    When it came time to move to my present darkroom, I realized I had built a 'boat in a basement'. The plumbing was mounted to a separate piece with disconnects, so it left first. The sink detached from the stick legs. It was lifted up and removed on edge -- easy. The stick legs and shelves under the sink and the counter/shelves under the enlarger were narrow enough to fit through the door, but too long to turn the corner that I formed in the finishing room.

    Using a circular saw to cut the bottoms in two, I made two shorter lengths. Very crude. These I took to the new darkroom and stuck them back together with bandaids where they still are 20 years later.

    The moral of the story: consider your next move.

    NOTES:
    I know ventilation is a big deal and I did what I could. Mostly, I use Vit C based developers, citric acid stop, and rapid fix without the sulfuric acid. In the new darkroom, there is a light-tight vent in the door and a squirrel cage blower in the ceiling above and back of the developer. I bought mine at Grainger. It's kind of loud, so I have a rheostat on it. I don't need chilled water much, so I use a frozen plastic water bottle for those needs. There are four main circuits in the room. One for all things needed in the light, one for all things needed without light, a heater/AC circuit, and some standard outlets. When it comes time to be completely dark, one switch kills all the lights and lighted stuff.

    Have fun. -e-

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    264

    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    Quote Originally Posted by Luis-F-S View Post
    The ER 301 is an air cooled chiller. I would install it where it is not too hot so as not to decrease the efficiency of the chiller. Also, if installed inside the darkroom, it will tend to make the room warm. The one I use is a ERW32 which is a water cooled chiller. Doesn't put out heat and doesn't matter where you install it as long as you can get water to it and drain water out. At least the ER301 produces around 30 GPH which is good. I use an Intellifaucet with mine to get the temp to 68 Deg yearround. Installation and use is explained in this thread:

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=intellifaucet

    I've also got a schematic of the piping diagram I used. Good Luck!
    It’s in the garage where the Jobo is located. It does exhaust through the existing garage vent which should reduce some if the heat in the garage. It’s the only choice I had.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #30

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Madisonville, LA
    Posts
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    Re: Darkroom Design for a 9.8ft x 10.1ft room

    Does the Jobo mix temperatures or will you need a mixing valve? The water comes out of the chiller at 55 deg F.

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