DIY Bathroom/Darkroom Sink Question

[eli]

[QUOTE]They sell caps to cover the cut ends of the wire shelving./QUOTE]

Good to know; IMO these should be sealed in place with a good adhesive or silicon product.

[Ari]

I'm packing up my darkroom as we speak, and despite being a sizeable room (11'x11') I never had running water in there.
I took a square bucket, about 12"-15" high on the sides, and half-filled it with water before each printing session. Each acceptable print went straight from the fix to the bucket of water.
When I was done printing, I brought the bucket to the kitchen where I washed everything, either in a tray siphon or archival washer, depending on the number of prints I had made.
The darkroom before that was the same idea, except I had 3'x4' for my enlarger and trays; I did the washing in the kitchen.
Basically, you need a flat, strong surface for your enlarger, and another flat surface large enough to accommodate your trays; almost anywhere will do, doesn't need to be the bathroom.

[Wade D]

I use the spare bathroom as a semi permanent darkroom. I cut a sheet of 3/4" plywood to fit over the tub and sealed it with varnish. Short 2x4 legs brought it up to a comfortable working height with room to get underneath to the tub where I keep the wash tray. 3 11x14 trays fit comfortably on this setup. 16x20 is a bit of a squeeze but doable. The 4x5 enlarger lives on the sink vanity but hangs over a bit.

[J Ney]

Thanks all for the great ideas! It is nice not having to sit around and re-invent the wheel.

I think I'll use the 1x12s on top of a PVC framework (as I need access to the bathtub for washing) and coat the 1x12s with polymer to keep them water-resistant.

Once again, thank you all for the great advice!

-J

[Doremus Scudder]

Years ago I had a darkroom that fit into a medium-sized bathroom.

I built a sink out of a sheet of 3/4" marine plywood built to fit exactly in the space above of the tub. It had 1x4-inch sides screwed and glued to the sheet. I painted the whole thing with white epoxy paint and then caulked with silicone sealer. The drain was simply fit into a hole cut in one corner with a hole saw(the closest to the drain) and led with a hose into the tub.

Legs were made of galvanized 1" o.d. pipe. I screwed pipe fittings on to the bottom of the sink to screw the pipes into. "Feet" were constructed from pipe caps with holes drilled in them and standard rubber suction cups (the kind with a threaded bolt built in) attached with nuts and washers. I made the drain leg a bit shorter and the leg on the diagonal corner a bit longer to tip the sink slightly toward the drain.

I removed the shower head and pipe and made a galvanized set-up that consisted of a short 3" section, an elbow and then a longer length extending down to just above the sink. Onto this went a plastic thermometer well and a plastic splitter. Hoses led to the holding tray and the washer.

Voilá, a homemade sink complete with "plumbing," easy to set up and take down. The legs and plumbing unscrewed by hand and the whole thing went up/down in less than a minute and stored easily in the back of a closet. I've still got the thing in storage somewhere; I used it for years. It held four/five 11x14 trays plus my 11x14 washer. I even did 16x20s in it with a tray stacker (the 16x20 washer fit in the tub underneath).

The enlarger (Beseler 45MX) was mounted on a rolling cabinet that held paper, easels, etc. I rolled in and out easily as well. I could convert the bathroom for a printing session in 20 minutes or less. (I left two safelights permanently mounted.) When functioning, this darkroom was as comfortable and efficient (although a bit smaller) as anything I have used since.

Maybe some of my ideas will be of help to you.

Best,

Doremus Scudder

[J Ney]

Maybe some of my ideas will be of help to you.

Doremus... Thanks so much for the detailed specs! I'll definitely use some of your ideas.

Time for a trip to Home Depot!!

[Drew Wiley]

Just find a used darkroom "ladder rack" which stacks three trays above on another. Then put the whole thing in a bigger tray, either in the tub or on top of a board.

[Jim Noel]

Build a sink using plywood. Coat it with 3 or more coat of West Systems Epoxy. Mine is 20 years old and sows nos signs of leakage. It is plain exterior plywood,not marine.