My own Wet/Darkroom

ndwgolf

ndwgolf

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Neil Williams
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I am going to build an Wet/Darkroom for developing and printing my own B&W and also wet printing my color negs.

My question is what do I need to buy to get myself started printing 20 x 24. When I say get started I mean, I know the basics of wet printing, I just would like to know recommendations for Enlargers, lenses, timers, etc etc.

The dark room will be approximately 200 sq/ft. Kind of L-shaped.

I want to put together one list and hopefully get everything from B&H so that I can ship it all together
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I don't want to buy top shelf if its not necessary, and I defiantly don't want to buy crap. If you have your own Darkroom and do your own printing please share your recommendations.



appreciate in advance.

Neil
 
Wow.... there must be Thousands of such darkrooms close for the duration since digital arrived
looking at your camera kit it seems you are only interested in 35mm equipment and you need to be a very careful worker to get constantly good 20x24, prints.
It strike me you will be able to afford the very best enlarger and processing kit second hand from a specialist dealer, and get them to pack and send it out to you.
While the very best process lenses rarely found them selves in to amateur darkrooms they are now no longer fetching a fraction of their original prices the Companon and rodagon ranges are both APO corrected with very flat fields.
I would tend to look at the top of the range multiformat Durst Enlargers rather than strictly 35mm examples.
The professional world has moved to scanning hybrid digital/analogue enlargers.
 
Terry
I am now shooting 6 x 6 Hasselblad and Leica M6 . I would rather buy new as I worry about buying someones else problems.
Thanks for the feedback
 
ndwgolf said:
Terry
I am now shooting 6 x 6 Hasselblad and Leica M6 . I would rather buy new as I worry about buying someones else problems.
Thanks for the feedback
Click to expand...

I'd pick up an enlarger from eBay if I were you. There are some fantastic bargains out there, especially as there's not a whole lot to go wrong with them apart from requiring a new bulb. I have a Durst AC707 which is suitable for B&W and colour prints up to 16"x12" and negatives up to 6x7. I'm sure they must have a taller one which would be suitable for the large prints you want to produce. I use Nova tanks, and find them much better than open trays for B&W, or tanks for colour work. They are simple and fast in operation and preserve the chemicals for weeks.

I've seen quite a few full darkroom clear-outs on eBay which would be perfect for you if you're starting from scratch and need almost everything. They often sell for very little money. Once you're set up and running, you could always buy better or newer equipment as and when required.
 
This was my old checklist.
DRY - - - - - - - - -
Enlarger
Enlarger lens
Focus finder
Paper easel
Blower brush
Seconds Timer
Enlarger Light meter
Safe light
WET - - - - - - - - - -
3 paper developing trays or a tank
Tray warmer
Thermometer
Paper tongs
Chemical measuring cylinders
Film developing tank
Film drying clips
Paper squeegee.
 
A vertical print washer is very useful.
A load of plastic bottles for storing powdered chemicals, working solutions etc.
Large bin ;-)
 
A couple of paper safes.
Guillotine
A shed load of old tea towels for clearing spills etc.
A lab timer with glow in the dark numbers
Syringes (2, 10 & 20ml)
Try and get an RR Beard easel. I've picked up a few through buying job lots on eBay and they are far and away the best.
 
If you're set on new, I don't think I can help. My favourite enlarger is a Durst, and Durst no longer make enlargers. My 5x4 enlarger is an LPL and B & H list LPL enlargers, but not my model which is the 7451. For what it's worth, I've had four enlargers (and still have three of them) and only two were bought new. The ones I use were secondhand.
 
Buying new restricts your choice to a quite massive degree. Far far better ones are available second hand. I have never known an enlarger to go wrong, but I suppose even the unlikely is possible.
Those that are still available are mostly old factory stock and perhaps the more unpopular ones that were hard to sell.
Almost nothing worth owning is still made, or stocked.

I have set up a number of professional darkrooms and know little about what was perhaps the more popular and affordable amateur kit.
 
I'd go with eBay or gumtree if I was stating up a darkroom but if you wanted a little security and guarantee then I'd go with secondhand darkroom supplies.
 
You could actually buy several enlargers from eBay, try them all out and pick your favourite. You'd still be better off. Then flog the others again, or keep them for spares.
 
You see complete darkroom kits going for a pittance, time and time again, on Gumtree/eBay because a) almost nobody wants them and b) almost nobody is willing to post them. I think for once, it's buying new that's a false economy. As Ian says, you can buy a LOT of duff ones (which probably won't happen) before you get to the price of an inferior new one.
 
Sorry been out shooting all day. I will look on eBay and see what I can see available. I've never heard of gumtree so will take a look there too. I'm now in the camp of looking for this stuff secondhand :)
 
I don't think Gumtree will work for you Neil as it is mainly a pick up only deal... might be a bit of a trek :D

I would second Nick's suggestion (blimey that's twice today I've agreed with him) Secondhand Darkroom Supplies have a wide range of very nice kit, lots of choice and I believe it is all checked out thoroughly for condition etc. Might be worth a quick gander.

Andy
 
My LPL came from Secondhand Darkroom Supplies - although I did make the trek to them to collect it. I've had a look at their site last night, and found that I could replace both the enlargers that I use from them. I can recommend the Durst M805 from experience.
 
Neil,

I fitted out a wet darkroom for a pittance from Ebay.

Kaiser B&W enlarger, Nova Film processor, Nova 10 by 8 and 16 by 12 vertical tanks, with washers.
The Nova tanks required spares easily obtained cheaply from Nova direct, and a few new parts from Kaiser allowed 35mm negatives (the previous owner only did 6 by 6).

The Ebay prices fluctuate depending on the time of year, so I was patient until the price was what I was prepared to pay.

I hope this helps you obtain a wet darkroom cheaply fit for your purposes.
 
Couple of other things I spotted in the darkroom...

Print drying rack. Not sure if they make them for very large prints, but mine hold five 16x12s or ten 8x10s.
A set of under lens B&W variable contrast filters. Much quicker and more convenient than using the built in filters in a colour head.
 
FujiLove said:
Couple of other things I spotted in the darkroom...

Print drying rack. Not sure if they make them for very large prints, but mine hold five 16x12s or ten 8x10s.
A set of under lens B&W variable contrast filters. Much quicker and more convenient than using the built in filters in a colour head.
Click to expand...
Surely dialing in a colour is quicker than swapping filters?
 
ianp5a said:
Surely dialing in a colour is quicker than swapping filters?
Click to expand...

Not for me. You have to look up the values for whatever paper you're using (usually in tiny writing on a scrap of paper that you can't find) then dial them in. Much easier and less error prone to pick up a filter and slot it into the holder. Takes about five seconds.
 
"Knowing" which filter, or which value to dial in, is exactly the same. And once you know, dialing in, on an illuminated display is easier than fumbling in the dark for a filter.
I mostly know favourite values anyway. And anything else is written clearly on a card next to the enlarger. And in-between values are not easy with filters yet a doddle with dials.
 
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It's been a couple of months since I was in the darkroom and I've forgotten the main reason I started using under lens filters: I split grade print and that means you are dialing in two values, they are at extremes where some colour heads don't reach (00) and there's more of a chance of knocking the enlarger out of alignment when you mess about with the dials on the head. Changing filters barely touches the head.
 
I don't know where I am with dial in values, its extra fannying about, its well documented that my LPL won't print G5.
You have to look up values of magenta for your particular machine, some even need mixing with yellow, you never know if the grade you dialed in is actually accurate, whether its calibrated, if there is a bit of play in the dials or anything.
I have 2 sets of multigrade under lens filters, from 00 to 5 and all the halves in between, its much easier to set the enlarger to no filtration and slip filters you know are correct, than it is faffin with unproven erroneous dials and values you found on the internet that vary according to where you read them..:)

My drying rack is a washing line......with pegs.:D

I always say this but hardly ever go there, but I'm gonna say it anyway, it has to be worth putting an ad in the wanted section for specific darkroom items, as someone who's spent a bit of time collecting crap I subsequently never use, I suspect I am not on my own.
 
Oh...since you went away, there's nothing goin' right !
I just can't sleep alone at night... I'm not ashamed to say
I badly need a friend, or it's the end.

Now, when I look at the cloud's across the moon.
Here in the night I just hope and pray that soon.
Oh baby, you'll hurry home to me.....:wacky:
 
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joxby said:
Oh...since you went away, there's nothing goin' right !
I just can't sleep alone at night... I'm not ashamed to say
I badly need a friend, or it's the end.

Now, when I look at the cloud's across the moon.
Here in the night I just hope and pray that soon.
Oh baby, you'll hurry home to me.....:wacky:
Click to expand...

Awww, you big sweetie. :hug:
 
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