A new darkroom springs forth... eventually

[John W]

I'll add that the drop table was constructed with no power tools on my part beyond a corded drill. I wrote up a cut order diagram for the 4'x8', 3/4" marine ply, and had that cut to spec at the lumber yard (Dunn Lumber, in Seattle -- they rock, btw). The rest of the cuts (sizing the 5/4 x 4 fir boards and the cutout for the enlarger column) were done with a modestly priced ($20) Japanese pull-cut saw ("Bear Saw" brand). I kept cuts square using a $1 basswood carving block, a square, and a few clamps. That saw is awesome -- the fresh cut face is so fine it's as if it were sanded. Yeah, this probably marks me as a woodworking newbie, but this was my first serious woodworking project, so color me impressed.

[lmn]

I'm really liking that red sink! Did you use plans from a specific source for that?

[Keith Pitman]

It is looking good. Thanks for sharing the images.

That picture of the enlarger head between the rafters is a little concerning. I suspect everyone that sees it will say you should lower the thing and cover up the ceiling. I would say that also.

In my case, the ceiling carries all the gas water and electrical to the whole house, so I was unable to cover it over. Dust falls down every time some one walks on the floor above.

I'm currently experimenting with rubberized spray on coatings to try and seal the wood between the rafters. I see that your rafters and ceiling are painted, so maybe you will be ok.

I had a similar problem in a previous darkroom; it wasn't practical to put in a fixed ceiling. I used a suspended ceiling like is used in office buildings. It was simple to install and inexpensive. The only problem was when I needed to move a tile to access something. Then I got a face full of dust.

[John W]

I'm really liking that red sink! Did you use plans from a specific source for that?

Thanks, I really like the red as well. As it turns out, I didn't end up building sinks after all. A pair (!!) of sinks precisely matching the dimensions I'd planned on appeared on eBay, so I seized them... that's saved me probably months of calendar time that it would have taken to get the sink building project completed. The second sink isn't installed yet, as I need room to maneuver while getting the plumbing installed.

[John W]

Wow, I had no idea how deep a prognostication that "eventually" would become in the thread's title. Life pulled me in other directions for a while. That's past now. Work has been ongoing but obviously sporadic:

• I've just finished and done preliminary testing of the drain plumbing this past weekend. Yessss!
• Installation of an additional dedicated electrical circuit, GFCI electrical outlets, and a Panasonic WhisperWall vent fan are also done.

The hot/cold/tempered plumbing planning and parts acquisition was completed ages ago and I'll be working on that next.

Light-proofing is the other task at-hand. Some of the light gaps are spaces above the framing and between the open rafters. These big holes admit light, dust, and cats, none of which belong in the darkroom. I'll be blocking them on the outside with open-cell foam cut to fit, and on the inside with blackout cloth as needed for additional light blocking. The door and its framing might as well be a LiteBrite for all the gaps; I'm working on a special solution for that. Related, the GFCI outlets have lovely bright green LED's which I'll need to mask out as well. Mark that down as another photographic use for gaff tape!

Anyhow, it's good to be back. I'll be posting again regularly here with pictures of the recent and ongoing work.

[fotch]

You can put the first GFI in an area that the LED won't be a problem and then daisy chain additional plug off of the first one and have the full protection. The instructions how to do this come with the GFI. Just a thought.

[John W]

Hi fotch,

For better or worse, the installation of the GFCI outlet inside the darkroom was completed before I realized the LED would be an issue. Not too worried, though. I'll just have to sacrifice a piece of gaff tape to The Cause. ;-)

[Sorry, I somehow missed your post when it first appeared. I'll check that I'm subscribed to this thread...]

[fotch]

Hi John, that will work.