Very small film dryer [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

Noah A

27-Mar-2012, 06:08

I've never seen anything like you're looking for (though it could be out there). This is an option but may be bigger than you want, and it's not cheap:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1947-REG/Arkay_602695_Film_Drying_Cabinet_CD_10_.html

I used to have a small Durst dryer for rollfilm. It had a heater/blower unit on top and basically a thick plastic bag that hung down to enclose the film. Something like this might make for an easy DIY project, since you could use the heater/blower on top of whatever size cabinet you want.

Jim Noel

27-Mar-2012, 07:43

I don't remember the manufacturer but I used to have a unit like you describe. It was made of a tan plastic, would hold 2-120 reels. It looked very much like a film washer, but was opaque and had a lid plus a fan in the base. Try a call to some business like Midwest Camera Exchange (mpex.com)

Jim

Roger Thoms

27-Mar-2012, 07:55

A little pricey, but this might fit your needs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FISHER-TABLE-TOP-STAINLESS-STEEL-DRYER-DEHYDRATOR-/290515101717#ht_569wt_1057

Roger

Rudgey

27-Mar-2012, 08:08

Looks interesting but the shipping is $941 to the UK

Roger Thoms

27-Mar-2012, 08:15

Wow, did look that closely at the shipping, sorry about that.

Roger

Daniel Stone

27-Mar-2012, 08:29

Rudgey,

you might want to also search for a "x-ray dryer". Some medical labs/facilities/clinics occasionally would do a chest x-ray, and their x-ray processors wouldn't be able to handle the larger piece of film in the dryer. A friend of mine here in LA called a few local hospitals and medical offices, and within 10 phone calls had a FREE x-ray film dryer in his hands(a tabletop unit like you're looking for) because the lab had gone completely digital with their x-ray department, and this dryer was going to be scrapped.

Ask for the radiology/x-ray dept

-Dan

Brian Ellis

27-Mar-2012, 08:57

Salt Hill used to make a dryer like you're looking for. I owned one and IIRC it did a good job on 4x5 (not such a good job on roll film, tended to leave spots, but on 4x5 it was fine). Of course Salt Hill is long gone but you might be able to find a used one somewhere.

tgtaylor

27-Mar-2012, 10:59

I've never seen anything like you're looking for (though it could be out there). This is an option but may be bigger than you want, and it's not cheap:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1947-REG/Arkay_602695_Film_Drying_Cabinet_CD_10_.html

FWIW I found the exact dryer on local E-bay for $75 + a $10 pick-up fee. It works good for 4x5 and 8x10 film and prints but I usually let the film air dry in it (~4 hours) and also use a womens wardrobe for drying film. You could blow dry 4x5 and 8x10 with a hair dryer quickly. I've been doing that with 8x10 RC prints - takes about 2 minutes per print.

Thomas

Light Guru

27-Mar-2012, 11:07

I built mine. I used a plastic filing bin and a computer fan from radio shack. I cut a hole in the lid to match the size of the fan about 4 or 5 inches wide. Drill some evenly spaced smaller holes along the bottom to let the air pushed in by the fan out. I then ran some string in rows across the top that I attached some hanging clips from and there you have it.

konakoa

27-Mar-2012, 14:15

Also built mine. 1/4" clear acrylic with a hinged full length front door and removable rods/hangers for 4x5 sheet or 120 roll film. The cabinet is sized to be just big enough to accommodate only 4x5 or 120 film to save space (it's not tall enough for 35mm, but then I very rarely do 35mm anymore). I'm also using a twelve volt computer fan to pull air out at the top; high quality air filter at the bottom to keep dust from being pulled in. The little white tray is a Paterson 5x7 to collect drips. Film dries without heat in four hours or so.

70945

Roger Thoms

27-Mar-2012, 14:48

Jerzy Pawlowski

27-Mar-2012, 20:35

My simple dryer is a real desktop. Only for 4x5, takes 16 sheets comfortably and 20 with care. Film is dry after about 10 hours, it is more overnight type of dryer. Not fast but dust safe. Cost about $15. Important is to use threaded type of the thinnest rod you can get in Home Depot or similar outlets. This makes hangers steady and keeps all sheets parallel. They do not touch each other, one can even move whole box without any disaster.
70956

Fred L

28-Mar-2012, 07:40

I have a small Kindermann dryer that has a very small footprint. I'll try and post a photo if I can but there should be images out in the wild somewhere. Basically it can handle 2 steel reels and blows unheated filtered air UP. I alternate between this and the Senrac depending on how many rolls I have and how fast I need them dried.

chassis

28-Mar-2012, 08:28

A DIY solution could include a hanging box (plastic food storage container, or hard rubber Kodak tank) resting on top of a garden variety warming tray. The hanging box could have holes drilled in the bottom/sides/top to improve airflow.

Warming tray: http://www.amazon.com/Oster-CKSTWTLS00-400-Watt-Warming-Stainless/dp/B002FWMJI2

Could be built for $20 or less by sourcing the warming tray from a thrift shop our your kitchen.

konakoa

28-Mar-2012, 10:10

Nice job, how hard was it ti build?

Roger

Not hard at all. The only tricky part was the acrylic solvent glue. The stuff is incredibly thin so it's difficult to precisely place it just in the joints. Inadvertent drips and puddles of the solvent on the acrylic mar the finish.

Jerzy Pawlowski

28-Mar-2012, 11:16

Not hard at all. The only tricky part was the acrylic solvent glue. The stuff is incredibly thin so it's difficult to precisely place it just in the joints. Inadvertent drips and puddles of the solvent on the acrylic mar the finish.

It's real nicely and cleverly done. I wish I had time to attempt something similar based on your pics, may be in future.
Jerzy

polyglot

28-Mar-2012, 20:04

I built one like konakoa's except it's made of 12mm plywood instead of acrylic and the fan blows down instead of up. Mine has a little plenum at the top with a rectangular car-engine air-filter between the plenum and the film chamber; a 10" bathroom exhaust-fan is mounted on the top of the whole thing to force air down through the filter and towards the film. A grid of 10mm holes drilled in the floor of the film chamber let the air escape. Because the (unfiltered) escape holes are at the bottom and the filter+fan are at the top, dust doesn't settle in it while it's in storage. Mine is sized (about 400x400x1200 WxDxH) to take 16 rolls of 120 but if you only need to dry sheet film, you could make it very small. Mine dries 8 rolls in 1-2 hours without heat.

DKirk

31-Mar-2012, 14:46

Im looking for a 4x5 film dryer, nice desk top size, not the long roll film cabinets we all know.
Do they exist or is it a DIY job?

Funny you should be asking that one, that's my next wee project!

Basing mine on the footprint of 2 combiplan film holders - one of the smaller Ikea boxes suffices. Can't remember who it was on ebay, but I purchased 2 hepa filters. a wee trip to screwfix buys an extract fan. Cut hole for filters on lid, hole for extract on one side, using the finest sticky back plastic in your most favourite Blue Peter presenter style. Et Voila one compact and bijou film dryer. (Just joking about stick back plastic :) hot melt glue gun or other such adhesive will suffice).

Rudgey

1-Apr-2012, 09:13

Funny you should be asking that one, that's my next wee project!

Basing mine on the footprint of 2 combiplan film holders - one of the smaller Ikea boxes suffices. Can't remember who it was on ebay, but I purchased 2 hepa filters. a wee trip to screwfix buys an extract fan. Cut hole for filters on lid, hole for extract on one side, using the finest sticky back plastic in your most favourite Blue Peter presenter style. Et Voila one compact and bijou film dryer. (Just joking about stick back plastic :) hot melt glue gun or other such adhesive will suffice).

I look forward to see how you get on Dkirk, can you post some images and 'how to' when do are done?

Jim Andrada

12-Apr-2012, 00:14

I live in Arizona - usual problem is things drying TOO fast. Sort of like the problem of the "cold" water getting to 85 in the Summer. I've been thinking of a humidifier to slow down drying.:<))

eddy pula

12-Apr-2012, 15:04

hmm, I like it the other way around... I use carboard boxes I get from staples with fishing line and clips, and I put it right next to my boiler... maybe put it next to a humidifier? But make sure the mist isn't spraying on the film itself. An idea

eddy pula

12-Apr-2012, 15:04

You know those dessicant packs people put in shoes or beef jerky? Is there an opposite of that?

Lachlan 717

12-Apr-2012, 15:44

You know those dessicant packs people put in shoes or beef jerky? Is there an opposite of that?

Yep, the shoes or beef jerky prior to the desiccant packs.

eddy pula

13-Apr-2012, 07:48

Lachlan! LOL dude totally, so we should dry all our film with beef jerky from now on! I can't stop laughing!

eddy pula

13-Apr-2012, 07:51

konakoa you have impressed the sheets out of me dude... thats amazing, build me one! but for reals my cardboard boxes work almost as good and only take 5 mins!

eddy pula

13-Apr-2012, 08:10

But I went to mississippi and shot 700 sheets of hp5 over 6 weeks, and when I came home I lived in my darkroom and made like 6 carboard box drying boxes and souped and dried like 56 sheets on a good day. This is two of the pics. 2 dirty contacts the negs are fine though!
71886
71887

Lenny Eiger

13-Apr-2012, 14:25

I see no need for these devices. Film dries normally in the air. I have some wire that I run across the room and I use binder clips that I get from an office supply place, the number 0 or 1's to clip on the the edge of the film.

I would also say, to those that think it should go slower, that I like leaving the film in the wetting solution for about 3 minutes. I find that it actually works properly when I do that, and doesn't when I just dip it, or leave it for the recommended 30 seconds...

I hope this helps, or at least saves someone some $$....

Lenny

Light Guru

13-Apr-2012, 23:16

I see no need for these devices. Film dries normally in the air.

Yes film will dry in the air. The two big reasons for these devices are 1 to prevent dust from getting on the film and drying there and 2 to speed p the drying process.

71942

Simple to build and works much better then simply hanging them just anywhere.

Louie Powell

14-Apr-2012, 05:12

Peters Valley Craft Center got one of the Durst film dryers - it worked very well, but the plastic bag was a hard to use. Eventually, someone got the idea to use the heater/blower components with a DIY cabinet. That was a great solution, and served both roll film and sheet film.

A few years ago I made my own DIY dryer along the same lines. I built a cabinet using MDF, with a plexiglass insert in the door to see what was happening inside. The blower is a small computer-style muffin fan. The heat source is a 200w incandescent bulb. Air flows through two filters - one is a sheet of the flexible filter material intended for window air conditioners, and the second is a conventional pleated paper furnace filter. I used a scrap of Closet-Maid wire shelving to create a rack from which I hang film using a variety of clips. It works very well - film dries in about 20 minutes, and there is no dust.

I don't see why you couldn't come up with a similar design for sheet film only. The biggest challenge would be in devising a means to hold the film in place for drying so that it isn't blown around by the flow of air, and the sheets don't touch each other.

Lenny Eiger

14-Apr-2012, 10:03

Yes film will dry in the air. The two big reasons for these devices are 1 to prevent dust from getting on the film and drying there and 2 to speed p the drying process.

Of course. It takes about 45 mins for film to dry around here. If that's too long for some, I see no reason not to add a little heat - but I don't think it should be a device that's considered necessary for every darkroom, or that one can't develop film without it. I've developed a lot of film in my time (50years worth) and I think I used one once...

Further, most of the devices I see have fans and I don't see how moving air around will result in less dust... unless there is a lot of filtering...

Lenny

sully75

14-Apr-2012, 14:09

Jerzy Pawlowski

14-Apr-2012, 16:13

Jerry what kind of clips are those? They look cool.

There are two types. One larger white is Paterson, I got them in a package while buying used darkroom stuff, no idea whether still manufactured. These are very good for roll film (come in pairs: light for top and heavier for the bottom) however work for sheets as well.
The other type, stainless steel, is Delta I purchased recently from B&H. I like Delta more for hanging 4 x 5 film. They have very thin top, therefore they do not rotate while hanging on threaded rod. Link for B&H description:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/123163-REG/Delta_1_58050_Stainless_Steel_Film_Clips.html , you can get them also in 100 packs.

macandal

4-Oct-2012, 13:51

But I went to mississippi and shot 700 sheets of hp5 over 6 weeks...Jesus, where did you find so many holders! I have ten and I thought I had a lot/plenty!!

macandal

4-Oct-2012, 13:56

70945I'm looking to start processing film at home, and a dryer was the missing link. I work on both, 35mm and 4x5. Most of what's suggested here is for 4x5. I like konakoa's dryer, but even his is not tall enough for 35mm. I guess I could always make it taller.

Konakoa, do you have step-by-step instructions on how to build one? I would probably do without the fan. Basically, I would be putting together an enclosure. I can wait for the film to dry naturally.

Thanks.

photobymike

4-Oct-2012, 15:27

81463

macandal

4-Oct-2012, 15:51

81463Yes, something as simple as that definitely works, but how do you deal with the dust?

photobymike

5-Oct-2012, 15:42

Keep the room clean. This is the room i use for my finishing room

Also use of hardener with the fixer, it hardens the emulsion enough to make it imune to dust embedding on neg. I also use photo-flo properly mixed with distilled water; which i use with all of my photo chemicals.. I also have a electrostatic air cleaner in the room.....

i would say hardener in the fixer is the best solution. without it.... dust would stick to the emulsion...

i use an anti-static cloth on dry negs to get rid of the dust.

I really do not have a major problem with dust.. but i follow strict procedures when getting a neg ready to scan.

wipe with special cloth... mount negs in scan holder... blow off with air that the air nozzle that is grounded. View neg in holder on scanner with oblique light looking for any dust i missed. Used to do the same procedure when putting the neg into my Beseler enlarger....

yea my 4x5s have some dust and lint from ambient air after dryer ... but the developing procedure i use makes it not a problem.... just dust before sleeving negs with dehumidified grounded clean air......LOL friend of mine bought a compressor and started blowing off his negs .... but had the pressure to high and did not think to get a filter..... he sand blasted his negs with fine rust coming from the tank....LOL what a mess ..... you dont need much pressure and MAKE SURE its has a filter on it......better than buying the canned stuff.....

photobymike

5-Oct-2012, 15:47

I have several little air compressors used in photofinishing ... maybe i should consider selling them.....

konakoa

5-Oct-2012, 17:55

Konakoa, do you have step-by-step instructions on how to build one? I would probably do without the fan. Basically, I would be putting together an enclosure. I can wait for the film to dry naturally.

PM sent to you Macandal.

photobymike

6-Oct-2012, 17:41

I have several little air compressors used in photofinishing ... maybe i should consider selling them.....

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?95622-FS-THOMAS-photofinishing-compressor-A-dust-blower-for-scanning-and-darkroom&p=939754#post939754

This will solve 90 percent of your dust problem....