Can i Make a makeshift darkroom safelight? please help .

i'd like to set-up a darkroom in my apt. (ive always only worked in public
labs...highschool. college, etc. ) i have a standard ceiling light fixture
that takes standard 40 or 60 watt bulbs. I am curious as to what i can do to
transform it into a (makeshift) safe light ? I will be doing black and white
printing. is there a special amber, made to be used as a safelight, bulb that
i can buy and just replace the standard white "phillips" 40 watt, one with ?
just screw in the new one to take its place? estimated expense ?

if not, i was wondering will any dark amber tinted thing work to tape over
the ceiling light as to create a makeshift safe light? for instance,
provided its not a fire hazard, could i layer a whole bunch of amber
celophane and tape it over the ceiling dome/globe ?

also...if i found one of those wacky colored party light bulbs at Party
city or another party supply store, could i use an orange one of those as my
safelight? to screw it into the ceiling light ?
with great magnitude,i appreciate your
feedback.

PhotoFaerie wrote:
i'd like to set-up a darkroom in my apt. (ive always only worked in public
labs...highschool. college, etc. ) i have a standard ceiling light fixture
that takes standard 40 or 60 watt bulbs. I am curious as to what i can do to
transform it into a (makeshift) safe light ? I will be doing black and white
printing. is there a special amber, made to be used as a safelight, bulb that
i can buy and just replace the standard white "phillips" 40 watt, one with ?
just screw in the new one to take its place? estimated expense ?

if not, i was wondering will any dark amber tinted thing work to tape over
the ceiling light as to create a makeshift safe light? for instance,
provided its not a fire hazard, could i layer a whole bunch of amber
celophane and tape it over the ceiling dome/globe ?

also...if i found one of those wacky colored party light bulbs at Party
city or another party supply store, could i use an orange one of those as my
safelight? to screw it into the ceiling light ?
with great magnitude,i appreciate your
feedback.

No, and don't ask again!

PhotoFaerie a écrit :
i'd like to set-up a darkroom in my apt. (ive always only worked in public
labs...highschool. college, etc. ) i have a standard ceiling light fixture
that takes standard 40 or 60 watt bulbs. I am curious as to what i can do to
transform it into a (makeshift) safe light ? I will be doing black and white
printing. is there a special amber, made to be used as a safelight, bulb that
i can buy and just replace the standard white "phillips" 40 watt, one with ?
just screw in the new one to take its place? estimated expense ?

http://minilien.com/?gU1pC1hq6N
Go down to Delta bulbs.


if not, i was wondering will any dark amber tinted thing work to tape over
the ceiling light as to create a makeshift safe light? for instance,
provided its not a fire hazard, could i layer a whole bunch of amber
celophane and tape it over the ceiling dome/globe ?

There are special films called Rubylith or Amberlith that are (were)
used by graphic arts that are inactinic and may be used as a filter.
I use some rubylith to make my computer screen inactinic when I use it
while printing B/W.

You can also buy rigid (glass or plastic) inactinic filters and build
the lamp to use them.

You can also find lots of inactinic lights on eBay.


also...if i found one of those wacky colored party light bulbs at Party
city or another party supply store, could i use an orange one of those as my
safelight? to screw it into the ceiling light ?
with great magnitude,i appreciate your
feedback.


I doubt these will work.

Before buying a bulb or inactinic light, check the specs of the paper
you'll use as some require a red light (Bergger) and an amber light will
fog them.

Claudio Bonavolta
http://www.bonavolta.ch

"PhotoFaerie" u26359@uwe wrote

i'd like to set-up a darkroom ... standard ceiling
light fixture ... is there a special amber, made to
be used as a safelight, bulb that i can buy and
just replace the standard white "phillips" 40 watt one with ?

Yes. ~$5-20. There are some that used red
glass and some that use red paint: either will work.
The big globe ones are nice. Putting the lamp into
a ceiling fixture means you are most always working
in the shadow of your body, so I would try an old
stand lamp/table lamp/whatever.

I use several of these red lamps
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_pro...t_id=&pid=6007
in photo-flood reflectors on light stands. I move
them around if/as needed to illuminate whatever it
is that I am doing that session. I have fixed
lamps for general illumination, enlarger easel
illumination and developer tray illumination.

BTW: Freestyle is a good place for reasonably priced
photo chemicals, the "Arista" house brand is quite good and
can be 1/2 the price of Kodak or Ilford.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_pro...id=303&pid=592
Also a good source for cheap 'messing-around' film.

Christmas tree lamps and such can be used in an emergency
or for school projects but aren't a good idea in general:
the lamp color isn't correct and the paint flakes away
quickly leaving you with fogged prints.

The standard source for things photographic
is http://www.bhphotovideo.com

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation
http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

UC wrote:

No, and don't ask again!

Aw ****, the UC is back and drunk at the keyboard again.

Yer wrong, asshole.

The man will find information. Ya can't overwhelm intelligence. (Do you know
that that word means... I mean intelligence.. hell, even overwhelm?)

PhotoFaerie wrote:
i'd like to set-up a darkroom in my apt. (ive always only worked in public
labs...highschool. college, etc. ) i have a standard ceiling light fixture
that takes standard 40 or 60 watt bulbs. I am curious as to what i can do to
transform it into a (makeshift) safe light ? I will be doing black and white
printing. is there a special amber, made to be used as a safelight, bulb that
i can buy and just replace the standard white "phillips" 40 watt, one with ?
just screw in the new one to take its place? estimated expense ?

if not, i was wondering will any dark amber tinted thing work to tape over
the ceiling light as to create a makeshift safe light? for instance,
provided its not a fire hazard, could i layer a whole bunch of amber
celophane and tape it over the ceiling dome/globe ?

also...if i found one of those wacky colored party light bulbs at Party
city or another party supply store, could i use an orange one of those as my
safelight? to screw it into the ceiling light ?
with great magnitude,i appreciate your
feedback.

The problem with the DIY makeshift safelight options is than you (and I)
don't know which light frequencies a "party light" filter out and which
frequencies the lamps transmit. Stick with the brand name filters, used
housings will never be cheaper than right now--for example at that
famous auction site, camera swap meets or the dusty back room of your
friendly neighborhood camera store. Used filters or any homebrew
safelights need to be tested thoroughly before using.

But for example I bought a Thomas Sodium Vapor safelight for $45.00 and
Kodak model D utilty safelight for $10.00 with OC and #10 filters.

--
darkroommike

j wrote:
UC wrote:

No, and don't ask again!

Aw ****, the UC is back and drunk at the keyboard again.

Yer wrong, asshole.

The man will find information. Ya can't overwhelm intelligence. (Do you know
that that word means... I mean intelligence.. hell, even overwhelm?)

Typical poster questions: "I'm a cheap moron. Can I use baby powder
instead of developer? Can I use maple syrup instead of stop bath? Can I
use rope instead of film? Can I use pee instead of fixer? Can I use
semen instead of photo-flo?"

j wrote:
: UC wrote:

: No, and don't ask again!

: Aw ****, the UC is back and drunk at the keyboard again.

: Yer wrong, asshole.

: The man will find information. Ya can't overwhelm intelligence. (Do you know
: that that word means... I mean intelligence.. hell, even overwhelm?)

Ignore the troll and it will go away.

--




-------------------
Keep working millions on welfare depend on you

In article ,
Frank Pittel wrote:

Ignore the troll and it will go away.

Which One ?
--
Reality-Is finding that perfect picture
and never looking back.

www.gregblankphoto.com

UC wrote:

Typical poster questions: "I'm a cheap moron. Can I use baby powder
instead of developer?

No, but you can use coffee. In fact, you might consider switching to it now
before you fall over.