Film Drying Cabinet

klownshed · Apr 7, 2017

I spent ages trying to get different DIY drying cabinets to work, then one day found a 'proper' cabinet as part of a darkroom job lot.

It's one of the best things I ever got for the darkroom.

It's definitely worth having a drying solution of some kind, DIY or custom made.

If I were to make one myself now, I'd start with a locker, the kind you find in gyms and convert that, which is more or less what the 'pro' cabinet is anyway.

Michael Firstlight · Apr 7, 2017

Yah, I'm sure there are some lightweight ones out there, but I'm also looking for foldable and portable. A good 2nd hand Mistral priced right will certainly fit the bill, but $475.00 for the one currently on eBay is laughable as is the $300 and $375 sold auctions went for - which is why I cam up with the notion of using the silkscreen drying cabinet as a potential solution.

Mike

frobozz · Apr 7, 2017

Michael Firstlight said:
Yah, I'm sure there are some lightweight ones out there, but I'm also looking for foldable and portable. A good 2nd hand Mistral priced right will certainly fit the bill, but $475.00 for the one currently on eBay is laughable as is the $300 and $375 sold auctions went for - which is why I cam up with the notion of using the silkscreen drying cabinet as a potential solution.

Mike

Yeah, the Mistral currently on ebay is from a seller who is shall we say "optimistic" about their selling prices. (They're a deservedly respected vendor who hangs out here so I won't say anything bad about them! They just never have screaming good deals on ebay that I've seen.) There was a recent sale (February) that went for $150 so that's encouraging. The silkscreen drying cabinet does look promising, if it's tall enough for 36 exposure 35mm.

Duncan

thornhill · Apr 7, 2017

Michael Firstlight said:
professional grade film drying cabinets are large, heavy, and expensive. If I don't want a DYI one, and one I can break-down/take apart and move later, would something like this be a decent alternative - maybe outfitted with an additional air filter as something between a high end Arkay and a DIY solution?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Simple-Scre...424706?hash=item43fdd55242:g:3KMAAOSw2xRYkIun

Regards,
Mike

Personally I would prefer a film drying cabinet with the heat source on top and blowing downwards.
There's less chance of the dry film at the bottom of the roll getting dribbles from the wet film above, causing possible emulsion marks.

Michael Firstlight · Apr 7, 2017

thornhill said:
Personally I would prefer a film drying cabinet with the heat source on top and blowing downwards.
There's less chance of the dry film at the bottom of the roll getting dribbles from the wet film above, causing possible emulsion marks.

I agree, I'd prefer the airflow come from the top. The unit is 55", tall enough and the center rack rails are removable. The other issue is the temp of the air in that blower unit is between 158-194 degrees, which might be too hot and cause the film to curl. I like the enclosure though; If I could get one for a lot less without the blower I could fit a computer fan at the top. I thought about doing the same with a similar clothing bag from Home Depot ( http://www.homedepot.com/p/Whitmor-...878068_slid_&gclid=CKq9tfb3sdICFUK4wAodvqgLOg) and a computer fan.

Mike

kwm · Apr 7, 2017

These foldable film drying cabinets from Jobo (Mistral 1/2) or Durst (UT 100) are quite expensive, even in Germany, because they are easily to be stowed away; I bought a Kindermann drying cabinet for about 40 EUROS in my neighbourhood. That is cheaper than any DIY-project. The following link is just an example:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Kindermann-T...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

mshchem · Apr 7, 2017

Hang your film in your darkroom, use a proper dehumidifier all year round. Come back in two hours.

Robert Capa landed with the Allied invasion force in Normandy June 6 1944, he took over 100 frames, all but 11 frames were melted in a film drying cabinet. Google Capa, The Magnificent Eleven and see the 11 frames that survived. No squeegee, no blowing air, no heat!

nsurit · May 3, 2017

If I were looking for one, I'd probably contact this guy, however it is in Austin. https://austin.craigslist.org/pho/6112770692.html

Film Drying Cabinet

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