Ideas for film drying cabinet?

[Leonard Metcalf]

I am wanting to build a cheap and effective film drying cabinet... any ideas out there... I have heard that an electric foot warmer is the go for adding the dry heat... 4 x 5 inch film only... quick and simple prefered...

[Louie Powell]

I built a film drying cabinet last winter. Used 3/4" MDF to construct a box, with plexiglas "glazing" in the door so I can see what is happening inside. Used a 200W lamp as the heat source, with a computer-style "muffin fan" to force air through a filter and past the bulb into the space where the film hangs. I made mine tall enough to hang roll film, but I also use it for 4x5" sheets.

[Ralph Barker]

In the Quick-n-Simple department,. I've heard of people using school-style metal lockers (usually full-height, but a shortie would work for 4x5 only), and square hanging plastic garment/shoe bags that have a frame at the top. Getting warm filtered air flow is probably the larger problem (note that "cold filtered" only works for beer). Light bulbs and hair driers (set on low heat) are among the heat sources I've seen mentioned. Then, there's the issue of creating racks inside for the film hangers - not too large a problem for hanging rollfilm, but multiple levels of 4x5 hangers would present more of a challenge.

[jnantz]

staples sells a large metal 2-door cabinet. i used to have one that i drilled holes across the top, put framer's wire ( braided wire ) and strung it across. tall enough for roll film, big enough to hold about 60 sheets of 4x5 ... i had to dump it when i moved a few years ago, and if i had the room, i'd buy / make it again ...

[Ed Eubanks]

I actually have an electric foot-warmer that I was about to put on Ebay-- if you're interested. E-mail me about how to get it to you, and its yours for the cost of shipping.

[Louie Powell]

When I built my, I recycled a scrap of shelving as the rack from which to hang the film.

When the builder constructed our new home, he used the ubiquitous metal wire shelving in all the closets. Like most modern homes, the first floor has 9' ceilings, so I installed a second tier of shelving in the downstairs closets. You have to buy that stuff in preset lengths, and cut it to fit the space, and so I had a few scraps left over.

I hung "s hooks" from the hardwire aisle at Home Despot on the wire shelf, and then attached a combination of film clips and plastic clothes pins that attach to the film. The neat thing about the wire shelf is that it's rather rigid, so it doesn't bounce around as you are hanging film.

[neil poulsen]

I thought about purchasing something ready-made, but I couldn't find something that would fit my darkroom. So, I built my own. You can get poplar in precut sizes that works quite well. I don't think that I had to rip any pieces to match sizes. I did have to cross-cut the top and bottom to get the correct size. It fits 120, 135-25, 4x5, and some 8x10.

The one negative is that I don't have forced airflow. But, the cabinet keeps the dust out, so I let it air-dry. Except for this one negative, it turned out ideal.

[Yaakov Asher Sinclair]

I use an old chipboard closet/wardrobe. I took out the shelves. Cut two panels in the door, one at top and one at the bottom. I covered them one side with a handkerchief on one side and on the other with some fine guaze. Screw hooks go into the 'ceiling' from which I hang paper grips which a hole in the handle. Works great. I usually let film dry naturally, but if I'm in a hurry I put a hair dryer on the floor and it at the bottom panel' hope this helps

[JohnnyV]

Here's a link for you woodworking types:

Film Dryer (http://www.bonavolta.ch/hobby/en/photo/fdryer.htm)