Best way to dry film - cabinet/dryer or ?

[gphoto120]

I just finished building my darkroom and planned on hanging my films (120,35) on clips above my sink to dry. I was told that this was quite risky due to dust, airborne contaminants etc.. Room is 8x8 w/ filtered vent. Is it really necessary to use a film dryer cabinet? If so, anyone have plans of a DIY dryer?
Thanks

 

[Paul Howell]

Unless you plan on using a heated unit, a tall metal locker with a tight fitting door will work as well. My current darkroon is in a converted bathroom and I use the shower stall for both washing and drying.

 

[haris]

Depend. If your room has no dust you don't have to have film drying cabinet. IF you need cabined you can use metal locker as Paul said, you can buy dedicated film drying cabinet (look at Jobo, maybe they still make one, or look at old photo lab or newspaper redactions, I know in my redaction we have one, but they would not sell it to me ) or make one. I made one for myself, and it is very simple. I used 3 pieces of wood, thickness 3cm and sizes 35x25 cm. two of those are top and bottom, and third is at middle of height of cabinet, it serve to make cabinet stable enough to stay. Top and bottom are solid wood, middle one is cut to look al squared leeter U. So, I put one solid at bottom, metal screws 1cm thich and 2 m long, middle wood at about 1 m heighd those screws through 4 holes on corners of that piece, and second solid wood at top. Next, I put 3 pieces of 5mm wood as sides. 4th piece of 5mm wood, use as sliding door. inside ot top piece of wood I fixwed metal stick on which I hand films. All joints I filled with sylicone to make them hermetically closed. So, I have small closet which is 35cm long, 25cm deep, and 2m heigh, and which have sliding doors. Before I put my films to dry I spray water onto inside sides, top and bottom of closet so water collect dust and fall on bottom. I dry films in it few hours on room temperature, mostly overnight.

Cost, 10 USD.

Regards

 

[Monophoto]

For years, I just hung my film from hooks in the darkroom. Yes, I have dust (it's unavoidable), but after processing the film and hanging it to dry, I quietly closed the darkroom door and didn't go back in until the next day after the film had dried. That worked just fine.

When we moved to a new home and I got to build my "dream darkroom", I set aside space for a drying cabinet. It's made of MDF and is simply a box with a door. OK, I'm an engineer and had to add some 'features' - the door has plexiglass 'glazing' so that I can see what is happening inside (which generally is nothing - watching film dry is one notch below watching grass grow), I have a separate compartment in the top with a muffin fan that pulls air in through one filter, and then forces it through a second filter before it enters the film chamber. There is a vent at the bottom back of the cabinet for air to exit. I have a 200w light bulb that is wired in parallel with the fan to provide both light in the cabinet (so I can watch the film dry) as well as serve as a source of heat to speed drying. The film hangs from a rack made from scraps of Closet Maid metal shelving. The film compartment is tall enough to hand a 36x roll of 35mm film.

It was not necessary, but it was a fun winter project and I'm glad I did it.

 

[Pinholemaster]

if you have the space build a drying cabinet

 

[David Brown]

I just finished building my darkroom ...

IMHO, a drying cabinet is only "necessary" if there is a problem with dust. If the room is clean, and the air is relatively still, then dust should not be a problem for the amount of time it takes film to dry. I would try it before investing any time or material in building a cabinet.

 

[Lee Shively]

I hang my film in my darkroom to dry. My house is old with lots of dust but the negatives always dry clean. Don't stir up the dust and you should have no problem.

 

[haryanto]

I hang my film to dry in darkroom, never has any problem with dust, my darkroom has a lot of dust

 

[Jim Jones]

Long ago I had access to a roll film drier that used warmed and filtered air to dry film while still on the reels. It worked well. Now I hang 35mm and sheet film in a dusty darkroom to dry. Even though I try not to stir up dust, I'm getting awfully good at spotting prints.

 

[fhovie]

I am still building my new darkroom - I plan to put this in:
http://shutterbug.com/techniques/film_processing/0201sb_doit/
It looks cheap and easy and it make sense. I live in the desert - dust is always there. I use Fuji "Banstatic" which makes the emulsion repel dust and I am careful not to kick up dust. The new darkroom is built to be dust free. I will still use this cool cabinet - at least I'll give it a try.

 

[ann]

for years we used a clothes hanging bag from the container store. Cost about 25 dollars, is plastic and we ran wires across the top and used clothes pins. they come in a variety of sizes.

 

[Roger Hicks]

for years we used a clothes hanging bag from the container store. Cost about 25 dollars, is plastic and we ran wires across the top and used clothes pins. they come in a variety of sizes.

You're braver than I. When I've tried anything similar, the film jumps sideways and sticks to the plastic...

I find I get better results drying B+W much cooler than colour films in my (metal, locker-style) drying cabinet.

Cheers,

R.

 

[johnnywalker]

I don't know where I got the idea from, but I use a piece of pvc pipe mounted vertically on the wall, in which I put the wet reels. There's a hole drilled in the bottom with a dowel inserted to keep them from falling through. I have a hair dryer mounted on top with foam insulation around it so it fits snug, and the only air has to go through the hair dryer. I've put a small piece of air filter material on the back of the hair dryer. I run the hair dryer on fan only (no heat), but the air gets warmish from the motor. Works very well and keeps the dust problem down.

 

[reellis67]

While I can't argue with the cabinet idea to keep dust down, I have to say I've never had much of a problem with it (dust) just hanging film to dry in the shower (not even with a pre-steam). I have, however, had problems when using heat to speed drying. I never got away from spots no matter what I did when I tried to speed drying with heat, but just letting the film hang I find that it is dry in about 20 minutes or so, maybe 30 at the outside. Obviously everyone will have slightly different results, but I've been happy with my method for a while now.

- Randy

 

[Dave Miller]

I'm another that simply hang my films over the darkroom sink and leave them to dry over night. No dust problems to report. I guess a dedicated film drying cabinet would mean that I could carry on working whilst the films dry, but I just time the developing to be the last job of the day.

 

[dancqu]

Is it really necessary to use a film dryer cabinet? Thanks

I've had no problems using Jobo's eight blade film squeegee.
The squeegee follows a final rinse in weak Phot Flo. Draw
slowly and carefully down the length of the roll. They
dry fast. Dan

 

[tbm]

I've been using the pipe/hair dryer method Johnny Walker mentions in his response above. The complete, easy details about how to make it are within the attached PDF file. I've used this since it appeared in Shutterbug Magazine years ago, and I always get completely dust-free negs every time!

Terry

 

[tbm]

If my PDF file does not open or work, attached is another version of the text in Word .doc format.

 

[pschauss]

Where can you buy Fuji "Banstatic"? B&H and Freestyle do not list it and a google search turned up only wholesalers who want to sell it by the case.

 

[drpsilver]

28 Feb 2007

When I built my darkroom I eserved a corner for two folding clothes line supports (available at IKEA). I use a peice of wire tautly strung between them to hang film (35 mm, 120, and 4x5). When I am done processing film and have cleaned up equipment, I leave the darkroom as carefully as possible and do nt return for at least 2 hours. Any dust on the floor stays there. I have had very little problem with dust drying on negatives.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[patrickjames]

I just hang it up and have never had a problem with dust. I used to hang film outside on a porch in the open air overnight and I didn't have a problem either. I wouldn't recommend that, but I think it goes to show you that the dust problem is not really a problem.

Patrick

 

[reub2000]

My darkroom is in my laundry room, so that natural place to dry my film is on the cloths line. I do get dusty negatives, but I blast that stuff away with canned air.

A stupid question that I have: Is it possible to cause reticulation in drying negatives if the temperature is too high?

 

[Mick Fagan]

Reub, I don't think you would be able to get reticulation from heating, unless you heat the film to about burning temperature.

Heating does have one drawback, it usually curls film.

I have hung film from trees, outdoor clotheslines, motorcycle handlebars and currently in my own darkroom from a bent wire clothes hanger.

It's amazing how dust free film usually dries.

In my own darkroom I just hang it up and continue on with whatever I'm doing, although I usually time it so that I'm having a meal whilst it's drying.

If you run an air conditioner in your darkroom, you'll be amazed at how quickly the air conditioner sucks the moisture out of the film, better than a heater and the film stays flat!

Mick.

 

[wilsonneal]

Like many big, expensive items I needed for my darkroom, the Regal/Arkay film drying cabinet I use was almost free. I have found that if you keep your eyes and ears open these kind of things become available, depending on how far you're willing to drive. The key is patience. Before I had one, I had good luck hanging roll film in a shower stall and 8x10 negs on a line above my sink. I really like the convenience of this film cabinet. It has good seals, so the dust is kept out. It has a filter. I can do warm, fan-driven air, or just let them dry on their own without help. I also hang my freshly coated palladium prints in it to dry before exposure.
Neal

 

[UKJohn]

'For years, I just hung my film from hooks in the darkroom. Yes, I have dust (it's unavoidable), but after processing the film and hanging it to dry, I quietly closed the darkroom door and didn't go back in until the next day after the film had dried. That worked just fine.'

I agree with Monophoto, I always hang my negs (120 and 5 x 4) up to dry on hooks, leave the room, shut the door and come back the next day (or at least four or five hours later). I've never experienced a problem with dust or drying marks on the negs.

On the otherhand at Uni they have a couple of driers and when I have had to develop film there drying marks and dust is a constant problem. I would stress this is more than likely due to other students opening the cabinets with the dryers on!!

I would suggest hang your negs up and air dry initially and see how you get on.

John