fhayes Loc: Madison, Tennessee

I aquired two of these and have no idea as to how long a print takes to dry in one.
I am using both RC and Fibre base papers !

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Please post a picture of it. RC papers are "drip and dry". Just lay or hang them anywhere and they dry by themselves. If you are in a hurry, use a hair dryer on low heat. Fiber papers are different and a dryer helps, especially to keep from curling. (Make sure you use a print flattener solution. If I remember correctly, you can use a 10% glycerin (glycerol) solution.) If the dryer has a ferrotyping surface, then they have to be perfect when using with glossy papers. Otherwise, you can dry papers with the backs on the heating surface.

fhayes Loc: Madison, Tennessee

Thank you!
You are invaluable!

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

I don't recall the model number but my dryer was linen and cardboard and it wrapped up into a cylinder. The idea was to place the print so it would reverse-curl and to put it in the oven at a gentle, safe temperature. I liked it.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

As I recall it took about a 1/2 hr, I used the T&E method when I first started using mine. use only with Fiber base papers as stated by ABC1234.
I am getting ready to scrap two of them at this time. they have been unused for at least 20 yrs.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

If you make glossy's on a ferrotype plate, you need to soak your prints in Fotoflow for about a minute before putting them on the ferrotype. The Fotoflow wets the surface of the plate evenly and is needed to insure a uniform high gloss.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

When I used a print dryer it was the touch method to judge dryness, be careful not to over cook the prints , also be careful of electrical shocks, several dryers I've used over the years had that problem, I still have a couple of ferrotype pates in the basement, I think, haven't seen them in years, plates can be used without the dryer if you want/need to, slower of course. My favorite finish was to dry glossy paper without the ferrotype plate, gave a semi mat finish.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

I do not think Photo-Flo helps but you must glaze the plates or else you get spots on the glossy surface. Photo-Flo is a wetting agent to avoid spots when drying film. And, as I said, earlier, use a print-flattening solution.

You can dry resin-coated papers on the dryer. Just use a low temperature and let the prints sit on canvas.

Unless you need to use a fiber-based paper because it has a unique surface, resin-coated papers are just as good, wash very much faster, and dry much quicker. Before RC papers came, you could get FB materials in a very wide range of weights and surfaces. Those days are long gone.

photonaut Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico USA

This brings back fond memories of when I had a wet darkroom. I have a print dryer in my garage. Has been there in the box for many years. I need to move it on, but every time I see it, I remember the joy of seeing my B&W prints emerge in the print tray. I really enjoy digital and my color printers, but still miss that excitement of watching the photograph appear as if by magic.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Ditto.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Trust me. I never heard of using print flattening solution for ferrotype adhesion before. I used Photo-Flo for prints for years and it works very well on ferrotype plates and it costs less (at least it use to) than print flattening solution. I used Photo-Flo for ferrotypes in both the Air Force and in civilian work and in the 50's, 60's and the 70's it is what was universally used. In any case, don't use a ferrotype with RC paper. Print flattening is formulated for just that, print flattening. It may work for ferrotyping, but that is what it's intended purpose is.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

DON'T DRY RC PAPER IN A HEATED DRYER. The "R" can melt, ruining the print and making a mess of the dryer. The whole point of RC paper is that it does not absorb water. Just hang it up to air dry. If you want to remove big water drops, wipe with a photo-grade sponge (like you would use to wipe film before hanging it to dry.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Not true. The key is to use a low enough temperature. You certainly cannot use the same temperature as for fiber-based papers. Up to about 130 degrees Fahrenheit should be safe. As a practical matter, you need do nothing put let them dry at room temperature unless you are in a rush.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Spiratone sold 2 basic types of dryers. The original older models, consisting of a heated platen covered with a canvas apron was intended for fiber based papers. Washed matte, semi-matte, luster and similar surfaced papers prints were squeegeed off, laid on the platten- face up and held in place by the canvas apron. Some models were two sided. Overheating prints and the resulting damage- curling, emulsion shrinkage,change of image tone and cracking was always problematic. It's best to dry prints slowly on a lower heat setting. Ideally prints shoud remain flexible with a slight reverse curl before mounting. Keeping the apron clean and free of chemical contamination or residual matter left over form prints was also a challenge. Frankly, double weight fiber based papers are best air dried on special screens or between print blotters.

There were a number of specialized print flattening solutions that were intended for use with theses dryers. As I recall, they may have contained glycerin. I doubt if there are any commercially available products currently available- the may be able to be prepared from scratch by formula.

Glossy fiber based papers, usually designate as as "F" surface for ferrotype, are first squeegeed, face down, onto a ferrotype plate- usually a chrome plated somewhat flexible platins. The prints and the sheet are then layed on the dryer- prints base upward, and held in place by the apron. Again, there were various glossing aids. Weh dry , the prints shod self release with a high gloss surface. Some photographer would matte dry there glossy papers as described above resulting in a luster surface. Agan frnkley- ferrotyping was very painstaking as to water condition, additives, heat and technique.

The other kind of Spiratone dryer was for resin coated (RC) papers. They were simply a compartmentalized units where prints could be inserted and treated with warm air. RC papers are available in various finishes and a best dried by gentle squeegeeing and hangin on a line or placed on a screen type rack- face up.

If you have an old platin type unit, you might find the apron (s) badly worn, staind or shrunken, You mig rty washi it and stretch in back in place and using their dryer's heat to dry it and stretch it back into shape. Most of those units used the old type "broiler" appliance cord so make sure the cord is not frayed or damaged from exposure to darkroom chemicals.

Dryers of theses types were also made by many other darkroom equipmet manufacturers. Studios and professional labs used large rotary drum dryers that worked in a similar principles but were designed for mass production.

Photo-Flo solution is a wetting agent intended to promote even deyin of film. Some operators used it as a ferrotyping aid.



So...I found a couple of ads on Ebay for the aforementioned Spiratone units- I'll post them from my phone.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Spiratone dryers.