darkroom Archives - Dave Butcher

Dryer for Fibre Based Papers – 2018 Update

Richard — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 14:47:35 +0000

I have been using my Maco Ecomat TP5060 for drying fibre based darkroom prints since buying it new from Nova Darkroom in 2002. It is the Rolls Royce of dryers for drying Ilford FB papers flat and takes up to 24 x 20 inch (61 x 51cm) sheets.

Maco Ecomat FB dryer

Ilford FB papers are notoriously difficult to dry flat and the FB Classic papers that Ilford introduced in 2014 are no better at this! That’s my only complaint about their fine papers.

The dryer has variable heat and I dry my prints against the drying cloth on the cover. The dryer gives a dull gloss similar to what would be obtained from air drying glossy FB paper.

The dryer is still available by special order, but only in this one size, direct from the German manufacturer Hans O. Mahn and Co for €1095 (February 2018), it is currently called ‘MACO ecomat dry press 51x65cm’. Here’s a link: www.macodirect.de/labor/papierentwickung/trocknung/maco-ecomat-trockenpresse-51x65cm

It weighs about 15kg and needs a space a bit bigger than the paper that it dries, around 80 x 70 cm should do. It’s about 16cm high when closed.

Replacement drying cloths are still available for €149 (February 2018) and in regular use should last over 10 years, judging by my experience. Here’s a link: www.macodirect.de/labor/papierentwickung/trocknung/maco-ersatztrockentuch-fuer-ecomat-trockenpresse-51x65cm-tp5060

If you’re looking for a dryer for FB papers I suggest you take a close look at the Maco Ecomat dryer.

P.S. If the links above change over time I suggest you go to the main website and search from there: www.macodirect.de

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New video on choosing and using 6 different Durst and DeVere enlargers

Dave Butcher — Wed, 31 May 2017 17:30:14 +0000

I have published a new Tutorial, with video, on my www.darkroomdave.com site on choosing and using various Durst and DeVere enlargers to print with Ilford Multigrade papers.

It covers the Durst M670 BW, Durst M670 Color, Durst 138S with Ilford Multigrade MG500 head, DeVere 203 Varicon, DeVere 203 Varicontrast, DeVere 504 with Ilford Multigrade MG500 Head.

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Experience Black and White Film and Darkroom Course

Dave Butcher — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 15:41:00 +0000

The photo is of one of the Peak District locations, a few miles from home, that I used for the recent 2 day Experience Black and White course. It was a private course for Trevor from Sheffield who wanted to experience using a film camera for the first time to take landscapes on black and white film. I lent him a Nikon FM2 with a zoom lens and gave him 2 rolls of Ilford FP4 film. Most of the first day was spent getting used to the switch from digital to film and taking photographs.

We were back to base by 3pm. Then after a tea-break it was into the darkroom to process the film and hang it up to dry in the drying cabinet.

Day 2 started in the darkroom with making up 3 dishes of chemicals for making prints (developer-stop bath-fixer). Then the film from the day before was cut up and we made a contact print (the equivalent of thumbnails in digital-speak! This is a print of all of the negatives on a film at the actual size of the negative, no enlargement). From this we could choose which negatives to print. Since Trevor hadn’t been in a darkroom before I was explaining everything as we went along. Next came a demonstration by me of the printing technique that everyone should be using in the darkroom, called Split-Grade Printing, the technique specifically designed by Ilford to work with the Ilford Multigrade RC paper that we used. It’s the easiest way to make good quality prints without the need for lots of work in the darkroom. Then the rest of the day was spent with Trevor making 14 x 11 inch prints from his film. We managed to make 5 prints before time ran out. The final washing of the prints takes just 5 minutes or so and I have an Ilford 1250 dryer which dries them in about 20 seconds. We were soon finished and admiring results from the 2 days. He had some excellent prints to mount and frame for the walls of his home as well as now having first hand experience of the entire film camera and darkroom process.

If this sounds of interest contact me and we can talk through the options. The course is usually 2 days but can be done in 1 day with 1 location, 1 film and making just 1 or 2 prints.

See www.darkroomdave.com for videos and illustrated articles of some of the techniques that will be covered, all free, no subscription.

Dave Butcher
www.davebutcher.co.uk
www.darkroomdave.com

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