I have built myself a new darkroom at home now when I have retired from my studio. Two panoramas in opposite directions.
I have built myself a new darkroom at home now when I have retired from my studio. Two panoramas in opposite directions.
Mine's under development. (pun somewhat intended) It's in a detached building with water and power.
I got the space approved by the facilities manager and some funding approved by the office of budget and finance. (she wears a few hats)
There's a lot of inspiration in this thread. I may divide the room (first to isolate the window from the darkroom area and to use the rest as a work area to share with the aforementioned facilities manager) to keep the photo equipment separate from other activities. Room is approximately 12 ft by 16 ft. and is the original part of a 16x48 shop building. There's a nice workshop in the building for fabrication of tables, shelves, cabinets, etc.
Here are some drool-worthy images of the rest of the building with the darkroom space in the front.
I'm looking for a half-ton minisplit heat pump as it is HOT and HUMID in this part of the state of Georgia and I would like to work comfortably and try to prevent fungus on the optics, mold and corrosion on equipment.
I used to have a 6000 BTU window unit in my old darkroom. Worked like a charm. A whole lot cheaper than a minisplit heat pump. In the winter, you can use an electric "oil heater" and run just the fan on the window unit. I installed central air and heat in the garage that houses my present darkroom. I still use an electric oil heater for additional heat when it gets really cold, which is not very often.
Last edited by Luis-F-S; 14-May-2020 at 15:08.
A window unit is something else I've considered, but good old electric resistive heat costs can add up rather quickly and window units can be quite noisy. If we had gas service, then I'd be set as I could get a PTAC from work to cover my needs but I can see what else they're going to scrap on the A/C side. Right now A/C is my most immediate need to prevent any humidity problems with equipment as I know I can use resistive heat for the short periods I'd be in there.
I'm finally getting started on my home darkroom. Our pantry has gone unused for a while now. After much discussion, my wife agreed to let me expand the pantry and convert it into my darkroom. Electrical, HVAC, and water/sewer are existing in the pantry. A concrete pad to expand the pantry space will be poured this week. Below is the latest iteration of my floor plan. All comments and suggestions are appreciated.
"I have this feeling of walking around for days with the wind knocked out of me." - Jim Harrison
An Aristo VC head. A very fine tool but the Aristo company is no more an I had trouble when I needed a new tube. The ultimate id Heiland Led but it sets you back 5 grand.
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