Kodak Rotary Drum Print dryer/ glazer

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Leon

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does anyone have any experiences of these machines? IT's the type that dries or glazes fb/ baryta prints on a heated rotating drum. I'm interested in how effective it is and how flat the print is once dry? Also, what are it's foibles/ failings (if any)?

thanks in advance

Leon
 

Ian Grant

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They work fine, but I threw mine out - I had 2, no one would buy them.

They aren't the best thing for archival permanence, they take up space, and I'd rather air dry then press in my dry mounting press. We used one when I had a commercial darkroom for RC papers, I have glazed FB papers in my youth but people prefer the natural finish now.

As long as you keep them and the canvas belt very clean they are OK, but they can leave a strange surface/finish on FB papers when used emulsion side out, and that was why I stopped using mine. I really wouldn't advise getting one.

Ian
 
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Leon

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They aren't the best thing for archival permanence,

Is that because of the potential for contamination from dirty canvass or some other reason?

but they can leave a strange surface/finish on FB papers when used emulsion side out
That's what I was wondering ... glazing wouldnt be the prime purpose for potentially getting one.
 

bdial

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Not a Kodak machine but I've used large Pako machines, and on occasion, table-top units.
They are effective, its about the most painless way to get a good glossy surface (Fiber paper only!!). Much easier than using a ferrotype tin.

The print will not be flat, it will be curved in the shape of the drum after drying. Since its the emulsion side that promotes the curve, you get a double effect. OTH if you like a semi-mat surface drying the prints face out will have them about as flat as a fiber print ever is.
Putting prints on the dryer cross-ways to the paper grain will help make the flatter.

Sometimes a print will stick if the drum isn't clean.
If you are looking at a used one, (seems likely) then you will want to examine it carefully for scratches which will mar the surface of your print.

The apron on any drier is probably the biggest problem area, as they need to be washed periodically, otherwise they could contaminate the prints. Though, in theory, only fully washed prints ever contact it. The apron will typically shrink a bit in washing, so putting it back on is sometimes a challenge.
 

bdial

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I was composing my reply when Ian answered, to follow up, if you aren't interested in a glazed surface, and you are patient, air drying is certainly easier. I have two table top driers (not the drum type), but I hardly ever use them.
The aprons accumulate whatever is left in prints, since the water in the print wicks through the apron. They always end up stained after a while.
 

Ian Grant

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Yes Leon, it's contamination from the canvas, we used to wash ours but I'd prefer not to add that additional risk.

The previous poster is glazing his prints, and that's very uncommon these days. When I started doing almost exclusively FB prints I guess about back around 1985/6 I used to always use the dryer/glazer but I found I spent so much time cleaning the print surface afterwards that it just wasn't an option, and so stopped using it, it wasn't dirt just time bits of the canvas and the slight impression the canvas made on the emulsion surface, that never happened with RC papers. To restore the surface meant swabbing with a well dampened cloth which really defeated the object of the drier in the first place.

Ian

PS two posts crossed, we both are saying the same thing.
 
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Leon

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yup - I'm fed up with curly edges and slight ripples on the surfaces of my prints, even after slow air drying in my cool darkroom, screens or back to back pegged, makes no difference. Flattening after with weights and between mount boards seems to get rid of most of the probs, but there's still a mild ripple across the print - very noticable when framed and viewed from an angle, although not so when looked at head on. Some papers are worse than others. So I thought a dryer might help - obviously not this one though! I'll hang on for a press to be available .... thanks for your thoughts chaps
 
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