The Art Institute of Chicago contacted our experts at PKG Equipment Inc. about designing and fabricating a custom wet bench system for their school. This system is used for printmaking in the acid room at the etching shop. The bench system is comprised of four modules with total of six etch tank inserts with covers, three sinks, and three ventilation hoods with exhaust connections. Sidewalls, inserts, covers, and ventilation hoods are constructed of white homopolymer polypropylene. Sinks, countertops, and backsplashes are made of black copolymer polypropylene with stainless steel supports.
All modules feature sliding doors, and two modules feature pull out style removable drip trays under all sinks and inserts. The PVC piping water feed is equipped with true union ball valves to allow repair or replacement of the main valve body without disrupting the piping system. Sinks have 1 ½” NPT drains and are equipped with laboratory style wash down sprayers featuring flexible spray hoses and lever action spray heads.
We previously fabricated a similar wet bench system for The Rochester Institute of Technology. Photos of this system can be seen in the book “The Contemporary Printmaker: Intaglio-Type & Acrylic Resist Etching” written by Keith Howard, who is considered to be the foremost authority in the field of non-toxic intaglio printmaking. For more information about this custom wet bench system fabrication project, see the table below, or contact us directly.
