Thinking of getting a print dryer -- Arkay or Doran

[eric]

Seems as if my employer decided to give me a little "stay for another year" money. Besides investing in bookcases to my new place, I was thinking of getting a dryer that will do up to 16x20. I'm looking into the kind with a stainless steel plate and fabric. I used to use a roller drum unit many moons ago.

Does anyone experience in these things?

Doran 18x20 print Dryer

On that auction site, there's never one bigger than 11x14. I *know* someday, I'll need it for 16x20 so might as well invest in a bigger one. Tired of waiting for prints to dry on my screens. Can I wash that fabric? They always see them stained. Probably from not-'nuf washing times?

As I understand, from previous posts, that drying on the metal will make a glossy paper even glossier. I liked putting glossy on the fabric side when I used the roller type. It seems to make it a little bit in between glossy and pearl finish.

Oh, I think I used to put the emulsion side on the fabric cause sometimes they _stick_ to the metal? Man...I'm getting old and fixer is eating away my brain cells. I can't remember c**p

 

[Dean Williams]

Eric, I have an Arkay, don't know about the Doran. You can wash the fabric, and I would if I were you. Don't put it in the clothes dryer when it's done washing. If you do it will be hard to get it back on the print dryer.
Drying FB paper with the emulsion against the canvas gives glossy paper a nice slightly less glossy finish. Emulsion against the metal (platten) gives glossy FB a more true gloss. The platten must be free of scratches and nice and clean or the print may stick, and marks on the platten will usually mean marks on the print. With the platten clean, the print emulsion will seem to stick to it when the print is dry, but it's not. Just peel it off from a corner of the print. I think you can still buy the Arkay units new, don't know about the Doran. Used ones can be a bargain.

 

[Neal]

I liKe my arkay 150, but watch the shipping when bidding. It will be a big part of the overall price. The condition of the drum is huge too. Better to pay more for a scratch free drum.

Neal Wydra

 

[eric]

Thanks guys. I think I read somewhere about not putting the fabric in the dryer. I'll have to remember that. As far as bidding, no, I don't trust these things on ebay. "works great" yah, what does that mean? I'd rather spend the $$ and get a good one than take my chances. And shipping, yes, they do charge a lot to ship those, and then by that time, its better to get new right? I figure $180 for 18x20 at B&H for new and that'll last me....a long time. My 23C XL II has been going for 20 years now or so. That was a pretty good investment My digi point and shoot is starting to show LCD problems and I think I paid just as much for my enlarger for that thing.

 

[geraldatwork]

I picked a Premier Dryer of the type you are looking for on Ebay a little over a year ago in almost new condition for around $35 or so don't exactly remember. Didn't even have to clean the canvas. If you do your research and buy from someone with good feedback you can save a lot of money.