What is it?

A combined darkroom & wet room, ideal for photographers, biohackers, and other people who want to do dark, wet things. The initial goal is to get a small darkroom up and running suitable for black & white developing/printing/toning that's also usable as a mini-lab for biohacking experiments.

The suggested layout for the dark/wet room.

In the diagram to the right, you can see the wet bench along the top of the room. There's a sink at one end, and the microwave & PCR machine at the left. This bench is for all "wet work" – processing film and bio experiments. The right bench is the "dry desk", with a paper trimmer and enlarger outlined on it. We can build storage shelves in the window bays, and as the benches should be comfortable to use standing there's room underneath for storage, a fridge, and an incubator.

Where is it?

In one of the old bathrooms in Unit 23, next to the laser cutter.

What's the state of play?

We've discussed it on the mailing list, started assembling bits and pieces that will be needed, and have removed a wall & the bathroom fittings. Some benches have been erected. Detritus has begun accumulating.

Step 1: Infrastructure

Source a lab sink from somewhere. Plumb it in.
Run power sockets to the rightmost wall.

I believe the light switch for that room is located outside of the door, this is probably unsatisfactory. Robert 07:42, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Step 2: Preparations

Install ventilation (some open questions: do we just want to vent to outside? If we have airflow through the room, how are we going to deal with grime from the workshop?).
Black out the windows, vents, and door edges completely.
Add internal lock to door.
Buy any equipment needed.
Run some test sessions & inductions to the dark/wet room.

Who's involved?

alexp pitched the project, but has no time to drive it any more.
Phil's helped out by building the benches and helping attach blackout curtain frames around the windows.
Nicholas helped clean out the room so we could see what's staying and what was just being stored in the room.
Paddy D's plumbed in a sink (wombled to us by Billy)
User:Atom is willing to help with building and equipment setup
bugs was very helpful in explaining a biohacker's needs for the room.
Akki14 has been organising people to finally finish the darkroom. Eventually will help teach others how to use everything.
bluboxthief is willing to pick up donated equipment.
Others have wombled up some equipment already.
All volunteers welcomed.

Other interested people

Smfenn
Laura

Shopping list

Photography

An enlarger & lens (we have one, but it's in an unknown state and missing a lens)
2 Paterson tanks & reels (eBay)
Basic black & white chemistry (developer, stop bath, fixer, wetting agent)
3 medium trays for print developing (ideally something like 14" by 12")
6x measuring cylinders
2x thermometers
Print tongs
Alligator clips (for hanging prints/films to dry)
Chemical storage tanks (ideally burpable ones)
A safelight
A lock for the door (so you can bolt it from the inside to stop people blundering in and ruining your work)
- I fitted one, but then the door was replaced when the direction of it was changed - there should be a bolt on the door that was removed that can be used. Robert 07:41, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

- I can provide almost everything on this list, except the safelight,if it comes together fairly soon.

(Laura)

Biohacking

A biohacker should write this section.

Project:Darkroom

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