Grandpa Hank Kellner's Vintage Rangefinder Cameras: Darkroom on a Shoestring

During my working life, I always built dedicated darkrooms in basements that I equipped with top notch enlargers and other gear. But after I retired, my Princess and I moved to a small one-level house in which there simply wasn't room for a darkroom. What could I do? Living life without my man cave would be like taking pictures with a broom. Desperate for an answer, I prayed to Filmonia, Goddess of Photography, at her home in Wetzlar, Germany for a solution to my problem.
In minutes, an answer came to me. "You vil create a darkenzimmer in der poopenzimmer," trilled a voice from on high. That's when I immediately adapted one of the two bathrooms in our house for use as a darkroom.
After making the room as light tight as possible, I searched for an enlarger and all the rest of the "stuff" one needs to process black and while film and create finished prints. By the way, I wanted to buy the equipment as inexpensively as possible.

   After a few days, I discovered the Bogen X-35 shown in the photo. This is an entry level unit that came with a film carrier that accepts 35mm negatives. It has a drawer for variable contrast filters and a decent 50mm Voss lens. The unit was New Old Stock (still in the box). I think I paid about $75 for it.
     The only problem I've had with this enlarger involved the height adjustment knob, which, because it's just 3/4" in diameter, required a lot of force to tighten it. I remedied this by making a larger knob that's 1-3/4" in diameter and attaching it to the smaller knob. I've marked it with a white dot in the photo.
      At just $5.00, the 8X10-inch Bogen easel resting on the enlarger's base was my all-time greatest "El Cheapo" find. Of course, at that price it was little more than a rusty relic. But after I removed the rust and repainted it, it works just fine.

I found a stainless steel developing tank with two reels, three 5 X 7" trays, three tongs, a safe light, and a GrayLab timer on the Internet at bargain prices. In my junk drawer I found a Weston thermometer. I discovered, also, a bargain priced set of polycontrast filters on the Internet.
       I bought a few dozen rolls of Kentmere Pan 100 B/W film, some Kentmere VC paper, and packets of Dektol, D-76, and Kodak fixer. After mixing the powdered chemicals with water, I store them in 12-ounce green bottles that had contained ginger ale.
   I didn't buy a stop bath because I use plain water to arrest both film and paper development, and I didn't buy Photo Flo either. That's because I add one or two drops of Dawn detergent to a gallon of water to make an inexpensive wetting agent for film.
      I usually use the Dektol four or five times before I dump it. Because I test the fixer by placing a bit of exposed film into it and watching to see how long it takes to become clear, I don't use hypo check.
     This system seems to work quite well for me, especially since I'm printing only 5 X 7-inch B/W prints.   Here are a few photos I processed in my new, makeshift poopenzimmer darkroom. Thank you, Filmonia.