Finally! A Cheap and Easy Way to Dry Your Film!

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Loaded with film but short on cash? Fellow Lomographer chocochipcookie shows you how to build your own film drying rack on the cheap, and it’s even portable too!

When space is an issue, processing film can sometimes be a bit of a daunting task. I live in a small apartment and I have to get creative in order to process my film. I use my bathroom as a darkroom and my kitchen sink to process. But one thing always alluded me when everything was all said and done. Hanging film to dry.

Now if you are lucky enough to have a dedicated film drying cabinet, then all the more power to you. But even if you do have one, wouldn’t it be nice to have one that you could travel with? Or have one that was so cheap, that if it got broke or lost, it’s not really that big of a deal?

Look no further than your closet. More precisely, what’s hanging in your closet.

Supplies you will need:

  • Two newer style plastic hangers with those “mini hooks” on them.
  • Two 1/4 inch (6.35mm) wooden dowels. Often found in craft stores.
  • An even number of large sized “alligator” paper clips.
  • A closet space or place to hang cloth hangers (coat rack works too).

Steps to follow:

  1. Hang both clothes hangers in your space of choosing.
  2. Thread an even number of alligator clips through the middle onto each dowel (see photo for details). For instance, I had 28 total, so I loaded 7 on each dowel, leaving me with 14 loose ones to hang at the bottom of the film.
  3. Place the end of each dowel on the “mini hooks” of the cloths hangers. Even out the dowels so the rack hangs appropriately.
  4. Place one or two old bath towels or absorbent mat on the floor below the drying rack to catch the dripping water or chemicals as to not ruin the floor.
  5. After processing film, place one end on an alligator clip attached to the dowel and hang a loose clip at the bottom of the film strip. Let it hang and drip dry.

That’s basically it! No glue, no nothing. Just let gravity do its job. You can even trim the dowels to a smaller size if needed. Works great for all the film I have processed! Enjoy!

written by chocochipcookie on 2013-12-17 #gear #tutorials #travel #film #tutorial #tipster #cheap #development #darkroom #inexpensive #film-dryer #collapsible

5 Comments

  1. jonasfx
    jonasfx ·

    talk about low cost solution! this is great :)

  2. ideajet
    ideajet ·

    I alwyas hang negatives in my shower! it's perfect because it's the least dusty place around. plus everything that drips off the negs can simply be washed away! :)

  3. aguillem
    aguillem ·

    @ideajet I do it too, but I've one problem: when I process during the summer in Italy, I sweat a lot... so I'd like to have a shower right after :S

  4. chocochipcookie
    chocochipcookie ·

    Yeah, the wife put her foot down taking over the shower so I had to come up with something different, which is why I wrote the article. Though, yeah, if you can, the shower is a little better idea.

  5. jvujnovi
    jvujnovi ·

    I also use either the shower or bathroom, some unused string (or shoelaces) and clothes drying pins.

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