I have run out of drying space, now what?

[Scott Walker]

First production run in the new darkroom and I have discovered that I only have room enough to dry 18 - 11x14 prints....of course I have 24 that need to be dried.
I have a spool of nylon drying screen and am about 30 minutes away from putting down a layer of screen on a table then a print face down then another layer of screen then another print etc.

Has anyone tried this

[John Kasaian]

I wouldn't--I'd be worried about the soft emulsion. Hang 'em from a clothes line by the corner and flatten them later in a dry mount press if you don't have enough drying screens. You can also interleave them in a blotter book overnight and flatten them later in the press.

[Scott Walker]

No blotter and no clothesline here and no more hammock space so I guess I will have to go with this.
3 layers of screen on a desk, 3 prints face down, 3 more layers of screen and 3 more prints on top.

Guess the morning will reveal the outcome

[Jay DeFehr]

Hi Scott,

You can make a very effective drying rack with a spool of screen, a few 2x3s, some panel material, like peg board or 1/4" plywood, and some dowels like the ones used in closets to hang clothes from. Half-ass Instructions:


You're going to make a rectangular frame of 2x3s a little wider than longest dimension of your largest print size, and as tall as is convenient (which usually means short enough to pass through a standard doorway).

Stack and drill holes through the two long side 2x3s, sized to provide a snug fit for your dowels, and spaced far enough apart for another dowel to fit between the holes, leaving a 6" space at the top and bottom with no holes.

Laying the side rails side by side, offset the holes so that every hole is opposite a space between two holes on the other rail, and cut them to length on each end.

Since you're handy and have woodworking tools, cut your top and bottom rails to length, and cut a slot along the inside edge of each rail to accept your panel material. This will provide rigidity for your frame.

Assemble your frame by the joinery of your preference. I used wood glue and gang nails, but I'm a heathen.

Okay, so once your frame is built, build another one without the dowel holes, as long as your (cut to length) dowels will be, and as wide as your first frame. This will be the platform the rack sits on. Mount your rack frame on top, cut some diagonal braces for it from the 2x3 material, and screw some casters on the bottom for mobility. Now you've got something that looks like a door on a platform, with casters.

Now cut your dowels to length and insert them through the holes in the side rails, so that each side is a little longer than the short side of the biggest print you want to dry.

Now it's time to thread your screen. Your screen should be of appropriate width, by planning or by cutting. Attach one end to the topmost dowel with several staples, and wrap it around the dowel a few times. Now thread the screen over each of the dowels, side to side, until you get to the bottom-most dowel, and attach it as you did the top-most dowel. Repeat this process on the other side of the rack.

When both sides are threaded, and all ends attached, you can tension the screens. This is easier if you cut the holes for the top and bottom dowels to allow them to turn without too much effort, and make them a little longer, with a hole through to accept a rod (screwdriver, or smaller dowel) for tensioning. turn the bottom dowel a little, and secure it temporarily, then turn the top dowel a little, and so on, until you get the tension you want. It doesn't have to be like a drum, just taut enough that the screen doesn't sag and threaten to touch a print on a lower level screen.

A 6' tall screen like this will accommodate a hell of a lot of prints, and each level is completely open on two sides, with screens above and below, and (if you use pegboard for your panel) airflow through three sides. I built mine in a few hours with a chop saw, a staple gun, and a hand drill. It does eat some floor space, though-- roughly like two of your largest prints side by side with a few inches between them. If you're making 20x24 prints, that's about 8 square feet of floor space, and 48 cubic feet of volume.

If you're cleverer than I, you'll attach your screen in a way that facilitates non-destructive removal and washing of the screens. A plastic cover will keep the dust off your screens when your rack is not in use.

A similar rack could be made of steel or aluminum if one were a welder. I'd like to have one like that, but the wooden one works as intended, and it was quick and cheap. Just a suggestion. Good luck!

[jp]

A steel/aluminum rack could probably be built from a food service cart/rack thing from a bakery easier than welding something from scratch.

I have a couple clotheslines over my sink. Hang two FB prints back to back by two corners, and clothespins on the bottom corners too. They come out mostly flat, and 30s in a drymount press the next day will make them perfectly flat.

[Scott Walker]

3 layers of screen on a desk, 3 prints face down, 3 more layers of screen and 3 more prints on top.

Guess the morning will reveal the outcome

Prints dried flawlessly

[D. Bryant]

You can purchase aluminum frame window screens with fiberglass screening cheaper than you can make them. From there it's simple to build an enclosed cabinet where the screens can be racked and stored allowing a dust free drying environment outside of your darkroom if you are cramped for space. A 5 or 6 foot tall cabinet can hold a lot of prints, especially if your screen size is 24 x 30 or there a bouts.

[Scott Walker]

You can purchase aluminum frame window screens with fiberglass screening cheaper than you can make them. From there it's simple to build an enclosed cabinet where the screens can be racked and stored allowing a dust free drying environment outside of your darkroom if you are cramped for space. A 5 or 6 foot tall cabinet can hold a lot of prints, especially if your screen size is 24 x 30 or there a bouts.

I have a seldom used bathroom adjacent to my darkroom and studio areas that has one of those one piece molded vinyl stall showers. I am converting it into a film/print dryer but it's not quite finished. I thought I had enough space to dry 24 prints, guess I should have measured instead of trying to go by memory.

[Maris Rusis]

I just dry well drained gelatin-silvers on the floor face up on top of an old bed sheet; or two bed sheets if there are a lot of pictures. A day later everything is dry and ready for flattening in the dry-mount press (quick) or in a weighted stack (slower).

[jeroldharter]

I have an old SaltHill print dryer. It uses a thin sheet of foam, a thin sheet of cellulose, and a sheet of archival corrugated board sandwich that can be stacked. You could make your own without the fancy forced air cabinet.

I also run a couple lengths of vinyl cvered clothesline across the room and hang prints back-to-back on that. You can run 2-3 lines just 4-6 inches apart to multiply the drying capacity.

[Ron McElroy]

In the past when I would need to overprint my drying capacity, I would squeegee the excess moisture off the prints and lay the face down on clean terry cloth towels that were place all over the house.

[vinny]

WHERE?
I've always made my own because of the opposite.


You can purchase aluminum frame window screens with fiberglass screening cheaper than you can make them. From there it's simple to build an enclosed cabinet where the screens can be racked and stored allowing a dust free drying environment outside of your darkroom if you are cramped for space. A 5 or 6 foot tall cabinet can hold a lot of prints, especially if your screen size is 24 x 30 or there a bouts.

[tgtaylor]

This is what I use:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/zone_vi_studios_rack_for_zone_vi_print_drying_screens/aa0750

You can dry up to 16 11x14 prints at a time per rack.

Thomas