Liquid emulsion, time to dry?

Self Portrait

D
Self Portrait

  • 0
  • 0
  • 11
Momiji-Silhouette

A
Momiji-Silhouette

  • 0
  • 0
  • 19
Silhouette

Silhouette

  • 0
  • 0
  • 21
first-church.jpg

D
first-church.jpg

  • 5
  • 2
  • 84
Grape Vines

A
Grape Vines

  • sly
  • May 31, 2025
  • 9
  • 2
  • 91

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
197,986
Messages
2,767,728
Members
99,521
Latest member
OM-MSR
Recent bookmarks
0

OMU

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
743
Location
Norway
Format
Multi Format
I have bought a bottle of liquid emulsion from Foma, and I am going to give it a try.
(And later I hope to use it for Bromoil)

Any advice how to store the paper for drying after I have coated it with the emulsion?

And how long will it take before it dries?
(Know it depends on the temperature etc. But as “starting point” as we say here on APUG :smile:
 

gandolfi

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2005
Messages
1,820
Location
Denmark
Format
Large Format Pan
I (we) have a "dark darkroom" so here it is easy. (A room for uprolling films and space with a shelve with many shelves. The room has red light but when it is shut, it is pitch black in there..)

If you don't habe that, maybe some cardboard boxes? Or under a table where you can hang a black fabric to minimize light ?

My experience is, that the first layer will dry in about one hour - the second in about two..
(You can put the second layer on even though the first layer isn't 100% dry - the paper has to look totally matt though...)

have fun.
 

Jerevan

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
2,258
Location
Germany/Sweden
Format
Large Format
It's strange - I think I responded to these questions just a few days ago. :smile: The book Silver Gelatin says 30 minutes with a hairdryer on cold or 1-2 days without it (it needs to be thoroughly dry). Boxes for Ilford paper would work fine for storing the drying papers. I guess even a Foma box would do. :wink:

EDIT: no, I am not going crazy - I had to look it up - I posted in the scandinavian Bromoil thread right before christmas. Whew! :D
 

gandolfi

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2005
Messages
1,820
Location
Denmark
Format
Large Format Pan
It's strange - I think I responded to these questions just a few days ago. :smile: The book Silver Gelatin says 30 minutes with a hairdryer on cold or 1-2 days without it (it needs to be thoroughly dry). Boxes for Ilford paper would work fine for storing the drying papers. I guess even a Foma box would do. :wink:

EDIT: no, I am not going crazy - I had to look it up - I posted in the scandinavian Bromoil thread right before christmas. Whew! :D

saw that...

1-2 days are more than enough!
In my experience a couple of hours would suffice.

It all depends on the surface used. The paper I use dries quickly; however if applied on glas or other hard surfaces it can take more than 24 hours....
 

removed account4

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
29,833
Format
Hybrid
saw that...

1-2 days are more than enough!
In my experience a couple of hours would suffice.

It all depends on the surface used. The paper I use dries quickly; however if applied on glas or other hard surfaces it can take more than 24 hours....

i have put liquid emulsion on glass ( not foma but liquid light and stuff i made by hand )
and dried it fast with a hairdryer. i used low but not cool setting with no problems.
i have tried to use a hairdryer with paper, but it dries to fast and the paper
curls and buckles .. air dry seems to work much better ...
but i am using thin paper, perhaps too thin and that is why it gave trouble.
 

Colin Corneau

Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
2,366
Location
Winnipeg MB Canada
Format
35mm RF
A paper safe would work too, no?
 
OP
OP

OMU

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
743
Location
Norway
Format
Multi Format
Nor in APUG or in life there is seldom only one answer to a question :wink:

Jerevan, I saw your answer in the Scandinavian forum. Thanks.

It was Christmas and I got few answers. Perhaps there were second opinions and experiences - and so it was.
 

Jerevan

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
2,258
Location
Germany/Sweden
Format
Large Format
Yeah, I know; only one answer to a question is rare.

Sometimes, I do a drive-by-reply when in the midst of something else. More often than not, I type an answer and then delete it. And remembering which of the two I did in a certain thread is not always easy. :smile:
 

totalamateur

Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
143
Format
Medium Format
My solution

I built this with a handsaw, about $20 worth of cheap plywood and fairing strips, wood glue and a lot of gaffers tape (to make it light tight).

Works good for drying, but if you are using a gelatin emulsion you have to make sure it sets on a level surface first, otherwise the emulsion creeps to one side, as mine is nowhere close to being level.

A quick coat of spray enamel on the inside kept the dust down. The door folds from the bottom up on a gaffer tape hinge (ghetto, but works) and has a lip that wraps around the outside of the box. To test light tightness I set taped a piece of ortho film inside and set the box in direct summer sun for 6 hours. No exposure.
 

Attachments

  • dry-cabinet.jpg
    dry-cabinet.jpg
    26.8 KB · Views: 270

gandolfi

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2005
Messages
1,820
Location
Denmark
Format
Large Format Pan
I built this with a handsaw, about $20 worth of cheap plywood and fairing strips, wood glue and a lot of gaffers tape (to make it light tight).

Works good for drying, but if you are using a gelatin emulsion you have to make sure it sets on a level surface first, otherwise the emulsion creeps to one side, as mine is nowhere close to being level.

A quick coat of spray enamel on the inside kept the dust down. The door folds from the bottom up on a gaffer tape hinge (ghetto, but works) and has a lip that wraps around the outside of the box. To test light tightness I set taped a piece of ortho film inside and set the box in direct summer sun for 6 hours. No exposure.

that actually looks a lot like ours - ours is much bigger, and the shelves are made of a metal grid (small holes) so the materials can get air from down, while drying.

Also, ours is leveled...

Great thingy - good for emulsion drying, but also for drying fiber based papers and so on...
 

Athiril

Subscriber
Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Messages
3,062
Location
Tokyo
Format
Medium Format
It's strange - I think I responded to these questions just a few days ago. :smile: The book Silver Gelatin says 30 minutes with a hairdryer on cold or 1-2 days without it (it needs to be thoroughly dry). Boxes for Ilford paper would work fine for storing the drying papers. I guess even a Foma box would do. :wink:

EDIT: no, I am not going crazy - I had to look it up - I posted in the scandinavian Bromoil thread right before christmas. Whew! :D

Put some dessicator in there. The moisture needs to go somewhere, drying will slow down the more humid the air gets in there.
 
OP
OP

OMU

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
743
Location
Norway
Format
Multi Format
Hi again and thanks for your answers;

I used brush and dried the paper/emulsion in empty boxes for photo paper.
After an hour it was dry enough to add on the second layer.

And there I left it and I hope to play with it tomorrow :smile:
 

Slavomir Polivka

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
78
Location
Norway - Hof
Format
Multi Format
The answer to this question is not so easy because it depends on many factors (in addition to temperature and air flow, relative. humidity also the quality and character of the paper, the method of applying the emulsion, hardener content, etc.)

Recomendation from Foma Bohemia for temperature 20 degrees Celsius and relative humidity 40-60%.

minimum 10 hours when emulsion is applyed with brush.
minimum 6 hours when sprayed. 6 hours for each sprayed layer.

The point is that the emulsion dries not only on the surface. This would cause problems by the use of developer etc.
Given time can be shortened with a faster flow of dry air when you use hair dryers or the like.
 

bsdunek

Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
1,611
Location
Michigan
Format
Multi Format
I went to a kitchen shop and bought stacking cooling racks. Not very expensive. I have a cabinet in my darkroom that I put them in with the paper on them. I don't want them to touch or they might stick.
I leave them a couple of days and have had good success. I use Rockland Colloid Liquid Light, but assume most of these emulsions are similar.
 

Attachments

  • Cooling Rack.jpg
    Cooling Rack.jpg
    3.3 KB · Views: 112
OP
OP

OMU

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
743
Location
Norway
Format
Multi Format
After tree dayes I used the paper.
Some of them were dry enough for use. But a few were to soft and the emulsion rambled (?) in the developer.
So I gess the emulsion need more time to dry in boxes.

Suppose I need to build a rack.
 

JWinters

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2011
Messages
1
Format
4x5 Format
CD racks are useful for 4x5 too. People throw them out a lot. I've found them especially useful for students coating plates in large numbers.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom