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Oren Grad
12-May-2015, 21:02
I've been looking on the web for information about how best to dry freshly-peeled FP-100c in the field. The advice I've found falls into five categories:

* Stand there, maybe waving the print around, until it's dry
* Stash the prints in the car (assumes you have a car nearby)
* Use a home-made drying box that has some way of keeping the prints separated (what's the best way to make one?)
* Stick the prints between the pages of a notebook (but what kinds of paper are safe?)
* Don't peel the prints until you get home (but need some way of verifying that exposures are on target)

Does anyone here use much FP-100c on the go? What works best in your experience?

Corran
12-May-2015, 21:11
Last year there was a guy selling these nifty racks on eBay for the 3x4 instant film. They were a bit expensive but I got two from him at a discounted rate. I think he was in HK? I haven't looked but I've never seen them on eBay again.

They were fairly well made but they were rough around the edges - mostly there was grit and grime inside from the machining. Just due to time I haven't used them much but after breaking them in and getting the grime out they work pretty well.

I can post pictures if you want.

Oren Grad
12-May-2015, 21:26
Sounds cool. By any chance was it this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metal-Peel-Apart-Pack-Film-Drying-Box-for-3x4-Prints-/331538591995

Alas, checking the feedback, looks like he's almost doubled the price since last year.

Corran
12-May-2015, 21:38
Yep, that's him. It looks like he has changed his design. He added more slots on them.

Occasionally I've shot 20-30+ images in a day, so such a storage device can be extremely handy. After they dried enough I could take them out and store them stacked on top of each other in one of the empty film boxes, but freshly peeled they would stick together.

$160 does seem a bit exorbitant, even with the extra slots. Back when I got them he had a "Best Offer" option, but not now for some reason. Hopefully they are cleaner at that price!

Tin Can
12-May-2015, 21:47
Strap is included.

Bargain!

Oren Grad
12-May-2015, 21:53
Bryan, you've jump-started some brainstorming! Thinking about that rack got me to wondering about small sheet-film developing tanks that might do the same thing for a lot less money. There's a Yankee 4x5 tank that seems to have a rack adjustable for anything from 2.25x3.25 to 4x5. My recollection is that these are hit-or-miss as developing tanks, but it might serve OK as just a rack-in-a-container. If one looks further afield there are also developing racks/tanks for 3.25x4 electron micrograph film that might do the trick.

Corran
12-May-2015, 21:56
Hey, good idea!

jp
13-May-2015, 06:02
I have a holder for zip disks that I used to hold glass plates drying. I've also used CD jewel case racks to hold plates drying. If you're a packrat you probably have something that will hold them.

I only shoot a few FP100c at a time, and usually keep them in my shirt pocket (aka cell phone pocket) while developing, and usually I'm shooting people with instant film, so they can display/dry at the same time, or I can ask a person to hold on to a photo for a few minutes.

Oren Grad
13-May-2015, 07:45
FP-100c is 85x108 mm, so the jewel box form-factor is a bit too large. And for use in the field, I think a sealed container is best, to keep out dirt. But that's the idea - what kinds of cheap, smallish container have, or can easily be fitted with, slots that would hold something about the size of an FP-100c print? Maybe a card-file box with home-made cardboard inserts, though it would be nice to have the slots already molded into the container.

vinny
13-May-2015, 08:02
only $160. Just think how much it'd cost if Leica made it.
I tried wax paper once and only once.
Hey Oren,
I could whip up something similar to the ebay case out of ABS, like my tanks.
In fact, I'm gonna make a couple just for the hell of it.

Oren Grad
13-May-2015, 08:14
"Duh" moment: I guess I should have said mostly-sealed container with some ventilation, or the prints will take forever to dry.

esearing
13-May-2015, 08:29
Yankee Cut Film Daylight Developing Tank, Use rubber bands to hold the adjustable film holder at the size needed.

StoneNYC
13-May-2015, 09:47
I only use the FP100C as a test exposure these days so I would just lay them on the ground...

The FR tank would also work thogh, that's a good and cheap solution. Good idea Oren.

$10 should get you one. The tank you love to hate and hate to need...

pierre506
13-May-2015, 19:05
I always bring the disassembled rack from Combi-Plan tank with my Polaroid for outside shooting.
Putting the rack to the position 2 without the blue spacers, or the position 3 with the thick DIYed spacers. Then, you can insert the wet paper. The maximum number you can insert is 12.
You can change the next batch wet papers after the first batch dried.
133786
133784
133785
133787

StoneNYC
13-May-2015, 20:54
I always bring the disassembled rack from Combi-Plan tank with my Polaroid for outside shooting.
Putting the rack to the position 2 without the blue spacers, or the position 3 with the thick DIYed spacers. Then, you can insert the wet paper. The maximum number you can insert is 12.
You can change the next batch wet papers after the first batch dried.
133786
133784
133785
133787

Wow! This is honestly the first time I've ever seen the combi-plan tank! No one ever posts pictures, but I had an entirely different vision of what this might have looked like, glad to finally know what I was missing.

Thanks for posting!

vinny
16-May-2015, 13:14
133931
Here's what I cooked up today. I'm brainstorming a lid with some sort of ventilation built in. If I filled the compartment with holes, that would work but might allow dust to get in. I don't shoot enough of this stuff to warrant carrying a case in the field. I will make one (4x5 size) to keep in the car.
Lanyard or belt clip?

pierre506
16-May-2015, 15:18
vinny, it's better to have a cover.

bwlf
16-May-2015, 15:23
133931
Here's what I cooked up today.

That looks like a great solution! Do you have your own CNC mill for this?

My roommate is painter and has these old 1/8" thick hardbord/hardboard panels left over, so I was planning to just clip my FP-100C sheets to it with some office metal binder clips around the perimeter as a simple solution. Though want to make sure the binder clip end doesn't slap back onto the wet image.

Bob Sawin
16-May-2015, 22:24
[QUOTE=vinny;1243748]only $160. Just think how much it'd cost if Leica made it./[QUOTE]

I'm holding out for the Lenny Kravits edition.

axs810
17-May-2015, 01:07
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CiYqbHqTu4


Cheap and easy to make yourself.

vinny
17-May-2015, 08:39
vinny, it's better to have a cover.

Absolutely. Re-read my post.

bwlf
17-Aug-2015, 17:31
133931
Here's what I cooked up today. I'm brainstorming a lid with some sort of ventilation built in. If I filled the compartment with holes, that would work but might allow dust to get in.

Here is a great review of a similar FP-100c film drying print holder: http://utahfilmphotography.com/2015/07/08/step5-polaroid-print-holder/

You can purchase it here for $30 + $6 shipping: https://squareup.com/market/photole-photography/step-print-holder

sun of sand
17-Aug-2015, 17:42
When I played with polaroid I didn't peel till home
If you need to check exposure then that's the real purpose and so
Who cares..toss away after exp check.
Or carry little buckets all over the place, no thanks

DougD
18-Aug-2015, 10:43
I saw a post on Reddit a while ago where someone had 3D printed a drying box with 8 slots. I will see if I can dig up the thread when I get home. (I recall asking if the OP would publish the file for the printer, but I don't think I got a response.

D

DougD
18-Aug-2015, 10:49
Here is something similar:

https://squareup.com/market/photole-photography/step-print-holder

Also this:

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/photochemicals

D