I Built the Ultimate Darkroom Timer (and Finally Finished My Dream Film Space)
Welcome to my film photography sanctuary — a custom-built darkroom with a DIY ESP32-powered development timer at its heart. In this video, I’ll give you a full tour of the space I spent years dreaming about and months building.
You’ll learn how I designed my flush-mounted darkroom timer, built a custom epoxy-coated sink, and organized a fully functional 5x10 darkroom with ventilation, water, and light control — all tailored for black & white film and paper development.
▶️ What you'll see:
- My DIY light table and Besseler enlarger setup
- A walkthrough of the ESP32-based development timer
- A web-controlled interface for film timing
- How I built and plumbed my own development sink
- Tips for efficient darkroom layout and storage
- STL file links for 3D printed parts (below)
Whether you’re a fellow film shooter, a DIY tech enthusiast, or just here for the satisfying build footage — you’re in the right place.
🛠 All STL files & resources available in the description below.
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