[Leica] Re: LUG Darkroom User Survey

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

I have always had a darkroom. I built my current darkroom in or near 1980.
It's is 9' wide x10' long. An L shaped deep sink in the corner, 5-1/2' one
way, 4' the other. I built the sink from plywood and fiberglass resin.
Between the sink end and the wall (4-1/2') I have a Wilkinson Automatic
Processor for paper (up to 20x24) and film (sheet or roll.) On the opposite
wall (wall with door) I have a 5-1/2' long enlarging bench built-in. On
this bench sat a Durst L1000 with Pavelle color head and a V35 color enlarger.

In 1990 I started a contract with a company in Colorado Springs (COS.) It
was a start-up, I was number 8, but a contractor, not an employee. So I
lived and worked at home (Sunnyvale CA) as much as possible. As the years
passed, I had to "commute" to COS more and more. For all of the last two
years (1995 & 1996), and much of 1994, I commuted every week. I was home
only Saturday and Sunday. So in 1994, when I figured I would have no time
for a darkroom, I decided to remodel it, a little at a time.

The V35 had never been used. I sold it to a LUGger. I sold the L1000 to a
photographer in Big Sur (CA). I haven't gotten very far with the remodel as
I now, again, work for a start-up (Photo Access), as an employee this time,
and I put in long hours. I know... as my wife says, I could be working on
it now instead of writing this! Anyway, I bought a ZBE Starlite closed loop
head last fall when they had a sale (20% off) ( http://www.zbe.com ), and
I'm going to get a Beseler 45V-XL wall mount chassis for the head. I'm
making part of my enlarger bench into a drop table (under the 45V-XL) so I
can go all the way down to the floor for large or cropped prints. The ZBE
head has 1080 watts of light (infinitely variable) so I am installing a
"through the wall" room air conditioner (small) as the ZBE puts out lots of
heat. I also need a new exhaust fan over the processor as it puts out lots
of hot moist air.

It'll be a couple of months before I can begin using my darkroom again. I
am really anxious. I will also have to buy new lenses. I am thinking about
the 90 & 150 Schneider APO Componon HM lenses. Has anyone out there used
these?

Also, anyone know where there is a used Beseler 45V-XL (with or without
head) for sale?

Well, that's it for my darkroom saga.

Jim