Wet Plate Gear for Beginners

[lukec111]

Has anyone got any ideas 4 portable darkroom, not too expensive?

[axs810]

lukec111 - Look on amazon for an "ice fishing tent" I have one that works very well for as a portable darkroom. Very easy to set up and use...probably takes me less than 30 sec to set up. Another option is to find a Fujifilm dark box FDB12 and with a sewing mod + extra dark cloth turn it into a portable tent...not as safe as the fishing tent but still works. I ditched my fuji darkbox after buying the fishing tent because the fuji darkbox was so small my face was 5-7inches away when I was pouring dev on the plate etc. The only positive thing was it allowed me to work out of the back of my car and have everything locked up where no one can accidently get to my chemicals.

[lukec111]

Thank you great trip

[Ari]

Another question: the last item on my list is a drying rack.
I'll start off shooting 4x5 Alumitypes, then as (if) things progress, I'll move up a size to Whole Plate.
Would the dish rack below be suitable for drying Alumitypes?
It's made of galvanized steel, just a ho-hum Ikea dish rack.

Thank you.

Attachment 127744

[Ari]

Found my answer on the WP forum; thanks, Scott.
The rack is safe to use with WP chemicals, no contamination.

[ScottPhotoCo]

I use the old IKEA wood drying rack for WP drying. Never had an issue. The again I've never used it for drying kitchen plates after shooting WP.

Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

[Kathryn]

This plate holder changed my life...

http://www.firere.us/moon/3plate-4.jpg

[Ari]

I use the old IKEA wood drying rack for WP drying. Never had an issue. The again I've never used it for drying kitchen plates after shooting WP.

Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

Tim, I looked but they only have the metal rack now. Still, a lot cheaper than buying a rack from one of the WP suppliers.

This plate holder changed my life...

http://www.firere.us/moon/3plate-4.jpg

Nice! Looks eminently usable, in a good minimalist way. Where can we get one?

[Kathryn]

I never could use the dish drying style racks without scratching a plate or having it fall through the gaps. Not a budget to buy a custom wooden rack, so one day when walking through IKEA, I saw the plate holders and voila! it's a great fit. Now, to varnish all of the plates I have stacked up on them...I hate varnishing. :-)

[Ari]

I never could use the dish drying style racks without scratching a plate or having it fall through the gaps. Not a budget to buy a custom wooden rack, so one day when walking through IKEA, I saw the plate holders and voila! it's a great fit. Now, to varnish all of the plates I have stacked up on them...I hate varnishing. :-)

Thank you very much, Kathryn; I will look at that plate holder.