New Darkroom Build: But I forgot what a darkroom is! HELP!

[RodinalDuchamp]

Before the pandemic I had a wonderful darkroom in an outdoor shed. It has now been at least 4 years since I have been able to make any work, I have not been particularly inspired until now. I am now in a new home in a new state starting from scratch. I bet on myself when I moved knowing I wouldn't be able to be out of the darkroom forever. I kept all of my equipment. I have 3 or 4 enlargers, dozens of trays, clocks, safe lights, beakers and swizzle sticks, film reels, special equipment for processing sheet film etc.

I am a lover of all mediums 35, 6x6, 6x9, 4x5. So, now begins my new journey. I have identified a 10' x 5' space in my attic that would make an excellent darkroom area. It would at least be an excellent area for wet work. If I can't fit everything in that area, there is a seperate area in the same attic space that would make a good area for viewing prints, selecting negatives, and drying prints.

My appeal to this community is for help because I forgot what else I might need and for help in arranging a good layout.

I was hoping to be able to print up to 20x24 but that means I would need my sink to be about 26" wide to handle the trays, that and the astronomical cost of paper these days has brought me to the conclusion that 16x20 might be the maximum print limit for my space. I have attached a very rough drawing of the space in question.

In hindsight I think it would be best for my enlarger to go on the very leftmost end of my sink opposite from it space permitting. I don't know exactly how much space I would need for a 16 x 20 easel. I just looked at what a 16 x 20 easel is going for and I am shook as the kids say (any good diy easel plans out there?). 4 years ago everything I am looking at was at least 1/2 the cost that it seems to be going for today.

I also have a massive archival print washer that I need to stuff somewhere. I could potentially place it in the sink permanently but that would require serious bracing of the sink because dry it weighs like 75lbs. Maybe I need to ditch this one and get a smaller unit but I'd like to use what I already have.

The sink would have storage underneath for chemistry and trays. A shelf above for measurement vessels, tongs, clocks etc. I would be constructing this plywood on a frame made out of 2x4 studs.

The viewing and storage area will have a big light table that I already own.

Any help planning this space is greatly appreciated.

[Renato Tonelli]

A few cursory observations (suggestions, not diktats):

You may want to filter the water, depending on how much sediment/rust is coming through.
You don't have to have a big sink; it's a luxury. A sturdy diy table will do' - put a strip all around the edges to contain the spills; put three thin coats enamel or oil-based paint on it; put a sink at the end of it to wash trays and mix chemicals.
If your print washer can be used out of the sink, put it on its own stand near the sink; I put my large print washer on a rolling cart so it's out of the way when I will not be using it.
Mount the enlarger on the wall; this will give you space for the larger easels/larger prints.
Install shelves above the sink for easy reach of chemistry, etc.
Make wet/dry areas at a comfortable height for you.
Take your time building it - it's really annoying to discover that something needs to be redone.

[Doremus Scudder]

Some suggestions from me:

I like counter space next to the enlarger to store paper, tools, etc. Since you can't really have counter space directly behind the sink, find room for it elsewhere and have adequate space next to the enlarger for what you need as well as space for loading holders, etc., etc. Having cabinets with countertop on them is a good idea.

I built a cabinet for my enlarger with a drop bed (for larger prints) and storage underneath for paper, easels, dodging cards, etc.

Storage under the sink for trays, etc. is good, as are a couple of drawers mounted under the sink. I made vertical walled supports for my sink (10' x 40") that divides it into three wells. The center space has a floor like a cabinet and vertical slots for tray storage.

I like the idea of shelving or cabinets above the sink, but if you plan to have your print washer in the sink, as I do, don't block the area above it and make it difficult to get prints in and out of it. Give it plenty of headroom.

A cabinet for print-drying screens, with provision for the screens to simply slide in and out on rails worked well for me. My screens will take one 20x24 print, two 16x20s, etc. They fit nicely under a standard size countertop.

Make sure you have provision to mix and dump chemicals. I mounted a regular utility faucet higher on on the wall at one end of the sink. It's far enough from the sink bed to get a five-gallon bucket under it. My drain is a large utility drain, but that was still too small for dumping trays full of chemicals without making a mess and having to rinse down the entire 10-foot sink. A very large (12") funnel that fits in the drain was a good solution. If I had it to do over, I would install a deep well sink that sat below the level of the sink bed at one end of the sink.

Put electrical outlets everywhere. I have a set of outlets on a switch just for safelights. These outlets are mounted high on the wall just under ceiling level. Then I have two four-way GFI outlets mounted over the sink plus a switch for the exhaust fan. Outlets at each end of the darkroom by the floor (for vacuum cleaner, etc.) and a four-way outlet at each enlarger station plus another two at countertop level. It's just barely enough.

I second the suggestion for water filters. You may find you need a dedicated water heater too (could go under the sink). I plumbed in a temperature-control mixing valve (just a cheap one, not a Hass Intellifaucet, but with a thermometer), which feeds to a pvc-pipe line that runs the length of the sink. This line has four petcock-style water valves with fittings for tubing. There's also one more valve on the other side of the sink from the mixing valve plus the aforementioned utility faucet. Again, just barely adequate for running water trays, water hose when bleaching, print washer, etc. I'd add more if I were doing it again.

Safelights are always an issue. I had a Thomas sodium-vapor safelight for about 3 hours; that was enough. It was loud, too bright and hung to low from the low ceiling I have in my darkroom. I ended up with a cobbled-together combination of Kodak D safelights (10x12") bounced of the ceiling, a strip of filtered red LEDs above the shelf over the sink (the shelf shades the sink bed, but the strip illuminates the ceiling for indirect light) and Kodak bullet safelights at the enlarger workstations hanging from the ceiling with pull-chains to switch them off when not needed. These are all on the aforementioned switched outlets so I have a switch just for the safelights.

Equally important is lighting over the sink and for a print-viewing area. Track lighting solved my problems. I have three tracks, each on a separate switch. The switch for the over-the-sink track is close to one end of the sink, so I can easily activate it with my elbow (not my wet fingers) when needed. If you can't do something like that, a light over the fixer tray with a pull chain is really handy. Make the pull chain water and chemical resistant.

Lightproofing is important too. I have a simple interior swinging door, but have added weatherstripping, baffles, a threshold and a sweep. It's 100% lightproof and a lot less of a dust problem that curtains, plastic sheeting, etc.

Build your sink to that the sink bed is at a comfortable height for you to work and the front splash at a good height to rest your forearms on when working. Make allowances for cushioned floor mats and drain mats, duckboards, or whatever you might have in the sink bed to set your trays on.

My sink is marine plywood with pine splash boards. The inside corners are faired with marine epoxy and the whole thing primed with marine primer and painted with white marine topside paint. Easy to repaint and is going strong after almost 10 years.

That's all I can think of for now.

Hope this helps,

Doremus

[Graham Patterson]

Mark up the floor with masking tape for the sink/enlarger/furniture. Maybe put some boxes down to make sure you walk around the tape marks. Then mime your process cycle and getting to various things. It feels silly, but no one will see 8-). Do it under safelight, too. That should give you an idea of the layout and how it feels to move around in it.

I made a 3D model of mine and tried out different layouts, but my space is more rectangular.

[RodinalDuchamp]

A few cursory observations (suggestions, not diktats):

You may want to filter the water, depending on how much sediment/rust is coming through.
You don't have to have a big sink; it's a luxury. A sturdy diy table will do' - put a strip all around the edges to contain the spills; put three thin coats enamel or oil-based paint on it; put a sink at the end of it to wash trays and mix chemicals.
If your print washer can be used out of the sink, put it on its own stand near the sink; I put my large print washer on a rolling cart so it's out of the way when I will not be using it.
Mount the enlarger on the wall; this will give you space for the larger easels/larger prints.
Install shelves above the sink for easy reach of chemistry, etc.
Make wet/dry areas at a comfortable height for you.
Take your time building it - it's really annoying to discover that something needs to be redone.

Excellent points especially about wall mounting the enlarger! Right now all the studs are exposed so this would be a breeze. I am just not sure that I have the proper kit to pull it off. I have a massive column that would be awesome If I can find a way to mount it but I have smaller ones that may work well. A cart for the print washer is an excellent suggestion as well.

I'll share some pictures of the enlarger column, my massive print washer (box of 16x20 for scale), and a print just to share.