setting up a dark room

nomav6 · Oct 27, 2004

I've been working some OT at work, so I think Im going to have some extra money to start setting up a darkroom at my house, can someone list the things that Im going to need? this is only going to be the most basic darkroom and I do have a pretty limited budget

nomav6 · Oct 27, 2004

I forgot to add that Im mostly worried about developing right now, will start doing prints later once I can afford an enlarger.

ksmattfish · Oct 27, 2004

For developing film:

2+ 1 gallon jugs
developing tank with reels
thermometer
measuring cups or graduated cylinders
scissors
bottle cap opener (for 35mm film)
developer
stop bath
fixer
hypo-clear or wash aid
photo flo or dish washing detergent
a string and clothes pins to hang the film to dry
neg sheets for storage

I think that's everything. I probably forget something...

Edit: Some sort of timer

Artemis · Oct 27, 2004

I actually managed to get 90% if that in working order of ebay for about £60...including enlarger!

oriecat · Oct 27, 2004

You use stop bath for film?!

:roll:

sorry still holding a grudge...

ksmattfish · Oct 27, 2004

oriecat said:
You use stop bath for film?! :roll:

Keeps the fixer fresh! I use a much weaker mix than usually recommended. Mostly water with just a splash of stop.

Saeid · Nov 18, 2004

I would also suggest easy access to a sink (water and drain), since u need to wash ur film and paper!

Oh and umm... safety light...!!!

And a good spot to hang ur prints to dry (negatives), if ur not using a dry roller... which i dont recommend... since it can burn mat paper! Well that happened to me... but hey!

ksmattfish · Nov 18, 2004

Saeid said:
I would also suggest easy access to a sink (water and drain), since u need to wash ur film and paper!

Oh and umm... safety light...!!!

And a good spot to hang ur prints to dry (negatives), if ur not using a dry roller... which i dont recommend... since it can burn mat paper! Well that happened to me... but hey!

Oh yeah, you definately need a safe light. I knew I forgot something. :lol:

While easy access to a sink is nice, it's not absolutely necessary. I didn't have a sink in my darkroom for years. Once the film or prints are fixed, they are light safe, so I'd take them out to the kitchen to wash. I'd hold my prints in a water bath until I was ready to wash.

I hang my film from a clothes line in my darkroom. I use clothes pins to clip it and weight it. I dry my prints face down on a screen I made myself.

terri · Nov 18, 2004

I dry my prints face down on a screen I made myself.

That's why I call you "the Pilgrm", honey, cause you're an awesome little DIY'er.... :wink:

Can't wait to get my darkroom going too.

Hertz van Rental · Nov 19, 2004

ksmattfish said:
oriecat said:

You use stop bath for film?! :roll:

Click to expand...

Keeps the fixer fresh! I use a much weaker mix than usually recommended. Mostly water with just a splash of stop.

It also stops development (hence the name) and - more importantly - kills the developer so it doesn't carry over into the fix. This can cause dichroic fog - silver being put down on the surface of your print and degrading the image.

Saeid · Nov 19, 2004

I just wash my prints in water, between the developer and fixer! (also doesnt kill the fixer!)

But then again with most of the fixers on the market today, there really isnt a point to a stop bath! dont u agree?

ksmattfish · Nov 19, 2004

Saeid said:
But then again with most of the fixers on the market today, there really isnt a point to a stop bath! dont u agree?

I disagree. I regularly test my fixer, and it exhausts much more quickly with a water bath than a stop bath. I know that many folks don't use stop, but for me fixer is the most expensive of the chemistry I use; the stop pays for itself ten times over with fixer cost savings. I'm not really worried about immediately stopping the development process, but if I can make my fixer last longer I can save hundreds of dollars in a year. And then I can buy more camera gear

EDIT: I thought of something else. Since i take my fixer to the local pro lab to dump it through their filter, if my fixer has less capacity that means I've got to drag it over there more often. I go through a lot of chemistry, anywhere that I can extend the usefulness and lower the cost I'm on it.

Hertz van Rental · Nov 19, 2004

If you know about the chemistry of photography then you will understand why it is better to use stop bath than not. Stop is usually just acetic acid - common vinegar to you and me. And white vinegar works just fine.
At the end of the day, though, it's personal choice. If someone doesn't want to use stop then I won't force them or even argue about it. I have more important things to do ;-)

oriecat · Nov 19, 2004

Stop bath is so cheap, I don't see why not to use it. My comment above was a joke, referring back to when someone said that to me, in quite a rude way...