I'm an experienced color printer, but I've always rented a darkroom in a lab with either a large kreonite or colex processor. Now that I've moved to the suburbs the commute to the lab is long so I'm considering setting up a darkroom in an extra bedroom. I've been researching tabletop processors and it seems like the best, most consistent processors are the Fujimoto c51 and c31. I'm aware that the c51 requires a 220 plug, so would have to have the bedroom wired for that(I'd like to print 16x20), but do I need a water source and drain in the room? I'm wondering if there would be a way to rig the processor so that I could use a bucket or 5 gallon water container for the clean and waste water, and empty/refill the containers before/after a printing session. Also I know that the chemicals in the big machines are at their best when used often - is it the same with these? How long do the chemicals last when the machine is not in use? Should the water be filtered? Any other requirements besides ventilation?
Dealing with the processor and chemicals is new for me, so thanks for the help! It seems like a steep learning curve initially... but I'm excited about having more control over the paper development.
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