Darkroom Build: Day 21

Day 21. We are getting close now.

Platforms for the enlargers are in and looking good.

Supports are made under the sink for storage shelves. And also under the other sink for the drying racks. Everything also has had a coat of paint.

I can't wait to start using my 'man cave'.

Darkroom Build: Day 20

Ah progress. 

The workbench is tentatively put together. It measures 32" deep by 36" high and hugs the full length of the room. It leaves me enough space to walk in between the enlarger stations and the table given I don't gain a massive amount of weight. Lol. 

The enlarger platforms are almost done as well. They will feature a baseboard platform and a removable easle platform that is located at 36" height. That way - if need be - I can use the full height of the enlargers albeit on a lower base. And yes they are perfectly level and parallel. 

Trim around the door is finished too. Applying interlocking weather sealing in the future will make it a light tight door as well. 

If we construct this section as a tilting table, it would be an ideal spotting station. The only thing we need to do then is aim the lights a little bit better but that's a real easy thing to do. 

Darkroom Build: Day 19

Construction has started on the long workbench and the enlarger platforms. By tonight those should be in. Fingers crossed.

We had another design hickup. Local code requires us to not have a permanent structure in place in front of the electrical panel. When I designed this darkroom I didn't know. 

Solution: make that section of the table removable. We are also planning on making this thing tilt-able (as in an architects table). Could be an ideal spotting station. For now, we will just make this removable. 

The main door is in as well and will have the lock in it by tonight. The by-fold door for the closet is in as well. Things are shaping up and are drawing to a close. 

And more importantly, it's getting darker and darker. 

The supports for the workbench with removable section in the middle.

Supports for the enlarger platforms. The right on is set at 36" height. Gives us about 1.25" clearance for the table top. It's a squeeze. The other two will be much lower but will have a removable second table top at 36" height as well. 

Closed off the side of the sink so stored things underneath can't fall out.

Yes that is a red safelight. I have so many old papers (some of them are graded and from manufacturers I've never even heard off that I played it safe for now). I had a bunch of OG safelights too but will try with these first. See how it goes.

Darkroom Build: Day 18

We have light and the ventilation works!
And all the plugs work too including the ones for the safelights.

We've also installed the filter boxes for 2 incoming air vents. One more box needs to be constructed for the incoming heat vent that is in the ceiling on the dry side.

Can't wait until this is finished!

Everything has power now.

And illumination levels are more than adequate.

Here's one of the newly installed filter boxes for the air that is coming in from the furnace. I have to have a little bit of heat in here...

Here's the other side of things. 

Darkroom Build: Day 16-17

I didn't update you about day 16 because that was just a paint update.

Yesterday (Day 17) the plumber came and hooked up the sinks, faucets and water panel. 

The back splash (white formica) got installed and will allow me to stick wet prints to the wall behind the sink without the fear of water penetrating the drywall. That 'free of clutter' back-splash runs seamlessly into the sink and is one of the main features I wanted. 

The trim around he sink got installed and we finalized the ventilation system too. 

Today 'Sparky' somes. That's the electrician. I told my contractor that that isn't a good nickname for an electrician at all. :)

Tonight is going to be a good night I think with hopefully some working elements.

Darkroom Build: Day 15

Great progress again today.

The walls received a coat of primer (it was leftover primer from another project) but more importantly, the sinks are in, and tentatively positioned on their supports.

Tomorrow the plumber comes in and finalizes his part of the deal. So by tomorrow night we will have running water! 

That's one important step down.

The stainless steel sinks will be surrounded by 1/4" plywood with a nice profile on top. You can see the profile laying on top as an example in one of the pics. 

All the wood will get a nice layer of paint as well. 

Drying racks will go underneath the sink on the left. Not sure yet how I am going to divide the area underneath the big sink though. The sink still needs two supports put in. One where the two sinks meet and in the middle of that point and the right corner. I'm thinking of having horizontal shelves on the right and vertical dividers on the left. Not sure what to do with the 'dead corner' underneath.

Everything is coming together very nicely. It is one thing dreaming about this on paper. It's another seeing this all come together. 

Darkroom Build: Day 13-14

The contractor came in over the weekend and worked his butt off doing the last of the mudding. He also started sanding. We found out quickly that the drywall mud wasn't drying fast enough. That's why the fans were there. I made a quick video on Saturday to show a quick walkthrough.

 

Today, with all the mud being dry this morning. Sanding will have been finished and maybe there will be a coat of paint on the walls already too. Really hoping the sinks will be in soon. We have a little deadline to catch. Last chance for the plumber to come in and finalize things is tomorrow. Crunch time!