The Wall

To divide the two work areas I chose breeze blocks. A relatively inexpensive but sturdy solution, with the possibility to fill up the cavities with concrete at the hight of the enlarger studs. Fixing the enlargers to the wall is the only way to really avoid vibrations.

The blue markings indicate the blocks filled with concrete. The big orange line on the wall behind indicates the enlarger fixation hight on that wall. These old granite walls are made of rocks found in the fields. The quality and hardness of different rocks can vary considerably. So, I have to choose the fixation points very carefully. Because of that I have since decided to use another system.

I had never built a breeze block wall before. After documenting myself on the internet and getting some excellent advice from a neighbour, I ordered the blocks, the cement and some iron armement. The most important thing is to position all the blocks perfectly in line horizontally and vertically. With a few threads and a water level I managed well. But... I forgot one surface. The inside of the door. Half way up I realised that the door opening was slowly getting narrower. Just one centimeter and it's not a major problem, but still. Since I'm working on the barn/darkroom to learn as I'm going too, I'm glad this happened. Now I won't make the same error again when renovating our bicentennial farm.