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Re: [OM] new to darkroom

Subject: Re: [OM] new to darkroom
From: Chris Barker <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 10:35:01 +0000
I think that you can buy most of those things secondhand now for a reasonable price Lama. I have seen many adverts by people who are apparently going into the "digital darkroom".

A few more points:
-What's a condenser?
- Any developing tank needs a lid and cap, not only the metal ones.
- I have managed to rinse films with really cold water without damage; however, I have invested in a mixer tap in our spare kitchen so that I can stop risking my films. - A buzzer is not absolutely necessary for timing; I have an ancient Paterson clockwork timer which is too big to ignore - for developing work. My enlarger is connected to a Czech timer switch (illuminated).

Chris

On 12 Nov 2003, at 19:45, Lama-Jim L'Hommedieu wrote:

Since no body has been maintaining the darkroom, I'll bet someone has "borrowed" key pieces of equipment on long term loan. Here
are some things that should still be in place.

Film developing:

a really great thermometer (without bubbles inside, since this is a club type of darkroom it will probably have a stainless steel frame marks within a single degree, so you can reliably read 68.2 F for example.)

reel and tank
(if it's stainless steel, you should have a lid and a cap for the lid)

timer with a working buzzer (for film processing, like a Graylab 300)

running water with a steady warm water supply (Many darkrooms have a special regulator to hold a constant temperature and the guts go bad with mineral buildup. Find out if you can trust it before your first roll is in play.)

Printing:
1. Enlarger
2. Condensor
3. 35mm negative carrier
4. 50mm lens to fit the lensboard
5. Easel (A thing to hold your paper, it looks like a picture frame)
6. Grain enlarger

If *ANY* of these things are missing, you'll have to assess whether you want to put your own money into someone else'es darkroom.
Everyone of these are non-trivial in function nor in cost.

You might have to mail-order the Illford materials. That's good news. If the darkroom hasn't been kept up, you'll want to clean
everything.

If no one has kept it up, there are dust balls everywhere and you can't print in a dusty darkroom. Printing from miniature negatives (which is what the f/64 Group called 35mm) requires a thoroughly sober attention to cleanliness.

I'd temporarily remove the enlarger(s) and clean everything. Reach into the corners of the ceiling and walls with a broom first to clean out the cobwebs. Unless it's been covered, disassemble and clean the inside of the enlarger(s). Take a boom box to make the time go by quicker. Darkroom work is time consuming, even before you start as you can see.

Keep us informed, eh, Nils?

Lama

<|_:-)_|>

C M I Barker
Cambridgeshire, Great Britain.

+44 (0)7092 251126
ftog at threeshoes.co.uk
http://www.threeshoes.co.uk
http://homepage.mac.com/zuiko
... a nascent photo library.


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