Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/10/29

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Subject: [Leica] Darkrooms.....
From: "BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 9:35:09 -0500

I would shy away from blue paint as well as safelights tend to be yellow 
(blue paint eats yellow light) and if you are like me.... I want the 
darkroom light bright enough that my eyes don't scream every time I turn 
on an inspection light.   I like white walls and I've got something like 
7 safelights in my darkroom.......   I use part of a black photo paper 
bag to block off light that exits the back of the enlarger.  I never have 
the enlarger on while paper is in the developer so that's not a problem.  
  When you have several people working with multiple enlargers..... 
especially in a student darkroom.... then I recommend you paint every bit 
of it black....  

I'm not a big fan of glow in the dark tape as it can fog color paper and 
film if you have too much of it around.  I have white light, safelight 
and vent fans switches mounted underneath the counter at various places.  
 And obviously you don't want white light switches next to other commonly 
used switches.  ( the vent fan makes my enlarger vibrate so I have to 
turn it off every time I expose paper)  

I bought a Jobo Minilux darkroom light that is color paper safe that 
works great.  It was around $20 so pretty much a bargain.....

Duane Birkey

HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador