# "inventions"



## omalley (Apr 11, 2005)

I would like to start a thread about things everyone has designed for use in their darkroom, with accompanying photos and directions. It doesn't have to be anything complicated, just something that you feel has made processing easier for you. I'll start off with, a drying rack with pulley system. Apartments around here are small, so I need all the room I can get. Thus, my drying rack. I have done something similar with a bench for trays of chemicals that can be pulled up to the ceiling when not in use. 













I can't wait to see everybody else's ideas.


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## oriecat (Apr 11, 2005)

That is totally cool!!  How would I do that with my screens?

I haven't really made anything except some negative carriers out of thick black paper, nothing special...


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## ksmattfish (Apr 11, 2005)

That is great!  I had thought of something very similar, but it's really cool to see one in operation.

Look at this thread for a "burn pallet"; not my invention, but it works great.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16665


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## terri (Apr 12, 2005)

Great idea!    You could make some money just marketing it to _us_, I think.     I'm always looking for something space-saving in the darkroom.


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## omalley (Apr 12, 2005)

oriecat said:
			
		

> That is totally cool!!  How would I do that with my screens?
> 
> I haven't really made anything except some negative carriers out of thick black paper, nothing special...


Well, here's what you do. Get four large eye hooks. Those will be screwed into the ceiling. Get a box of small eye hooks and screw four into each screen (two per side). The next part is a little tricky. Get some nylon string (don't use twine, I tried that first and it was a disaster) and cut off four lengths of say, thirty feet each. Each one will be used to tie the same corner of each screen together. It is a good idea to get help with this. Space the screens out equally (about 6" between) and go through the eye hooks tying double knots to each. Do this to all four sets of hooks. 
Next, make four new lengths of string. Tie each length to the eye hook of the bottom screen. Thread it up through the other hooks so that it comes out the top.
Now you are ready to attach it to the ceiling. Just thread the string of each corner through its respective eye hook. Then thread some of them through the others also, so that all the strings come out at one corner. 
Now the last part, something to tie the string to. Have someone else hold the string so that you can screw two screws into the wall, very close together. Tie a large knot in the string so that you can hook it under those two screws. Make sure to leave extra string after tying the knot, unless you are very tall it will be hard to retrieve the string from the ceiling.
Now pull the whole thing up and down a few times. Feels pretty good, doesn't it? If you wanted you could probably make the whole thing more decorative than mine is, dyeing the string or making tassels on the bottom screen or something.


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## oriecat (Apr 12, 2005)

Thanks!   I think I am definitely going to try this.


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