Help with screen size, please (no, not that kind of screen!)

[John Kasaian]

I need to make some print drying screens. The size I prefer would accommodate at least a 16x20 enlargement (the last batch I built were 20x24) but these days I'm short on space, money, and I'm really only making 8x10 contacts so I don't need the space and expense of the larger screens. Compact is good
I was thinking 11x14 would provide adequate air circulation (the screens will be separated with blocks when stacked, or maybe I'll build some kind of rack---I haven't thought that far yet, but I do need more screens, and I need them, like, yesterday.
Any thoughts or suggestions? Would 11x14 be adequate for my purposes, do you think?

[Ron Stowell]

I use ready made window screens that slide together to become smaller and pull out to become larger.
( 16x36 ) when extended
I lay these screens across an according clothes dryer. This gives me three levels for drying prints.
Bought all of this at Lowes for a few dollars.

[Harold_4074]

I made some screens along the pattern of an artist's canvas stretcher, using the plastic spline made for window screens to install fiberglass screening. I found that unless there is a good bit of space between the edges of prints, stacking the loaded screens is not a good idea. Stacking them with spacers, however, works just fine and I use an ordinary box fan to blow air through the stack.

You might see what size stretchers can be had locally; unassembled and with no canvas, they shouldn't be too expensive. Or just get 1x2 from Lowes or Home Depot, nail the corners, and staple fiberglass screening to them. An open area of about 17x21 would let you dry four 8x10s per screen, with the stack taking up only about 21x25 inches of floor space.