I have been using my Maco Ecomat TP5060 for drying fibre based darkroom prints since buying it new in 2002. It is fantastic at drying Ilford FB papers flat and takes up to 24 x 20 inch sheets.
Ilford FB papers are notoriously difficult to dry flat and the new 2014 papers are no better at this! That’s my only complaint about their fine papers.
I don’t like high gloss prints so my prints are dried against the drying cloth on the cover which also ensures that the print dries flat. Without this prints can crease as you stick them down. The dryer gives a muted gloss similar to what would be obtained from air drying glossy FB paper.
The drying cloth on my dryer had come to the end of its life, as judged by the hole towards the edge of the fabric. In truth it should have been replaced earlier but it still worked without blemishes to the print surface.
A quick look on Google found the web shop, www.macodirect.com, for the German manufacturer. Even better they had the required drying cloth in stock, complete with felt underlay. My wife Jan had already worked out how to make one using the old one as a template so this saved her quite a tricky job.
It arrived today, 4 days after ordering. It fits perfectly, as you would expect. I will just put a print or two through it to check all is fine then it’s full speed ahead again!
If you’re looking for a dryer for FB papers I suggest you take a close look at the Maco Ecomat dryers.
