Going to make a huge toilet paper dispenser for Color RA-4 paper

[rpavich]

Unless someone has a better idea, that is.

After hacking away at the 8" wide x 298' roll in the dark and not getting good results I can see that I need to support the roll of paper that I have.

My plan is to make a giant toilet paper dispenser thing out of 3/8 thick plywood with a broom stick dowell axel to put the roll of paper on and then put the whole thing in a dark bag...a changing bag. That way I can just unzip the front and feed the end of the roll into my paper cutter. I can cut a bunch at once and put them in my paper safe.

Any better ideas than that?

 

[Rudeofus]

This will have to be completely light tight at all times, and a single mistake will screw up a lot of paper. IMHO a large stash of paper should not be in the same room with a set of photographic bathes and an active enlarger at any given time. I therefore strongly recommend that you cut the paper to more accessible sizes in one session, then print on these cut sheets in a separate session.

Since you then have the whole dark room available to your paper cutting operation, you can create a nifty setup to make paper cutting quick and efficient, and there will be no need for room light between steps. That broom stick axle will serve you well to keep the paper off the ground and in a spot where you can find it in the dark.

 

[rpavich]

This will have to be completely light tight at all times, and a single mistake will screw up a lot of paper. IMHO a large stash of paper should not be in the same room with a set of photographic bathes and an active enlarger at any given time. I therefore strongly recommend that you cut the paper to more accessible sizes in one session, then print on these cut sheets in a separate session.

Since you then have the whole dark room available to your paper cutting operation, you can create a nifty setup to make paper cutting quick and efficient, and there will be no need for room light between steps. That broom stick axle will serve you well to keep the paper off the ground and in a spot where you can find it in the dark.

Yes, agreed. My concern is that the paper bag that the paper came in might get compromised at some point and I wouldn't know it, so cutting a lot of paper at once and keeping it in a paper safe is preferable to me. Then leaving the rest of the uncut roll in the light tight bag, and that inside a light tight changing bag would make me feel better.

 

[Luckless]

If you're going to take the time to build the little frame, then maybe take a little more time and build a little box with a set of light trap ribs that then fits over the stand? Would add a little extra line of protection against light, plus a lot more protection against physical damage if something were to fall over onto your paper roll store?

 

[Nodda Duma]

I second Luckless' suggestion. That's a very good idea.

 

[rpavich]

I second Luckless' suggestion. That's a very good idea.

I was thinking about that just this morning. I'll see if that's in my skill set.

 

[EdSawyer]

There's commercially-made paper cartridges/roll holders/etc. that can be used for this purpose, e.g. the cartridges that these size rolls were designed for, for machine-printing labs. Something like that might be easier to source and use and be more light-tight. Just a thought.

 

[rpavich]

There's commercially-made paper cartridges/roll holders/etc. that can be used for this purpose, e.g. the cartridges that these size rolls were designed for, for machine-printing labs. Something like that might be easier to source and use and be more light-tight. Just a thought.

Well, I'd be willing to buy one I haven't been able to find any. Do you know what they are called?

 

[Luckless]

Can't help with suggestions on options for ready made devices for the task, but if you stay interested in building things yourself then I would suggest checking out YouTube for videos on "Finger Joint Box" construction. Or, if you're feeling more ambitious, you could try dovetailing a box. Simple wood working like this is a fun and relaxing hobby.

If you want it as just a simple cover box over the stand, then the hardest part of the design will be fitting the light traps so they're snug. If you add hook latches or something, then I would suggest putting the hook on the box, and the pin on the base. (less chance of dragging paper over a hook I expect.)

Triple checking your design measurements is also a good idea. This is totally the sort of thing that I could see myself building the first time, and then realizing I made the inside of the box 1/4 inch too short to sit over a full roll of paper or something.

 

[rpavich]

I just had a brain storm!
No wood or box needed.

In my darkroom is a closet. I put the roll into the changing bag, shove the pole through the arm holes and hang the roll just like a paper towel dispenser, just like the pole in my closest is mounted to hold the clothes. It just sits in a cradle at each wall.

Then unzip to dispense some paper, cut lots to put in the paper safe and then when done, pull the poll out, gaff tape the arm holes shut and put the roll into a secondary box to keep it even more safe.

I think that this would be easiest.

 

[foc]

Hi , what you are looking for is called a minilab paper magazine cassette.
For example here is one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NORITSU-271...326884?hash=item1e9adf08a4:g:oLIAAOSwqu9U-Qbv

It wont matter what machine the cassette fits as you are just using it to store paper.

The most important thing is getting the cassette for the right paper width. Most of these cassettes come in a fixed size, eg: 152mm (6"), 203mm (8") etc. That means that the cassette spindle that holds the paper roll is set to a fixed paper width and so are the internal guides. Any of the Fuji Frontier and Noritsu I have used were always fixed sized. With these paper cassettes there will be a small tongue of paper at the cassette light trap paper exit, that could get slighty fogged. A minilab machine always advances a small piece of paper and cuts it to avoid this.

When buying second hand minilab paper magazine cassettes be sure to check it for light tightness. If a screw is missing or there is a crack in the case or the unit doesn't lock light tight or the seals are damaged, then you risk rogging a full roll. The only way to check this and avoid ruining this is to cut a short length of paper and put it emulsion side up in the cassette, close it up and leave the cassette in daylight for a few hours. Then process your paper and it shouldn't have any light leaks on it.

 

[rpavich]

Hi , what you are looking for is called a minilab paper magazine cassette.
For example here is one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NORITSU-271...326884?hash=item1e9adf08a4:g:oLIAAOSwqu9U-Qbv

It wont matter what machine the cassette fits as you are just using it to store paper.

The most important thing is getting the cassette for the right paper width. Most of these cassettes come in a fixed size, eg: 152mm (6"), 203mm (8") etc. That means that the cassette spindle that holds the paper roll is set to a fixed paper width and so are the internal guides. Any of the Fuji Frontier and Noritsu I have used were always fixed sized. With these paper cassettes there will be a small tongue of paper at the cassette light trap paper exit, that could get slighty fogged. A minilab machine always advances a small piece of paper and cuts it to avoid this.

When buying second hand minilab paper magazine cassettes be sure to check it for light tightness. If a screw is missing or there is a crack in the case or the unit doesn't lock light tight or the seals are damaged, then you risk rogging a full roll. The only way to check this and avoid ruining this is to cut a short length of paper and put it emulsion side up in the cassette, close it up and leave the cassette in daylight for a few hours. Then process your paper and it shouldn't have any light leaks on it.

Thanks very much. That seemed to be the only one on Ebay for any reasonable price but it's for 6" paper.

In any case, I think I just might go with the closet idea. It's easiest, free, and it will work.

 

[wiltw]

Unless someone has a better idea, that is.

Any better ideas than that?View attachment 174824

A refinement, rather than drilling hole thru the wood for the dowel to be inserted...cut a slot down part way down, drop the dowel in from above...

 

[rpavich]

Much better! Good idea.

thanks for that.

 

[EdSawyer]

Cool, that noritsu paper magazine on ebay is right next door practically! I may pick one of those up just for the hell of it, since they are so close.

It looks like it's adjustable to any size paper up to probably 11" wide or so, from the looks of it. hard to tell where the slot is though for the paper to come out... it must be light-trapped some how.

 

[rpavich]

Cool, that noritsu paper magazine on ebay is right next door practically! I may pick one of those up just for the hell of it, since they are so close.

It looks like it's adjustable to any size paper up to probably 11" wide or so, from the looks of it. hard to tell where the slot is though for the paper to come out... it must be light-trapped some how.

There are actually a LOT of them on Ebay. I might just spring for one. I messaged a couple of sellers about what they had, if one pans out, my problem is solved.

 

[Mr Bill]

Personally, I wouldn't even bother with anything special; I would just stand the roll on one end in the darkroom, wind off about as much as I want to cut (roll it up loosely by hand) and hack it off with a scissors. Right away, put the large roll back in the light-proof bag and tape it shut (If you don't do this, keep saying to yourself, over and over, "the big roll is out," otherwise sooner or later you'll forget about it and turn on the lights). Then lay the loose roll down on its side and feed it into your paper trimmer. Trim the first end "square," then cut the rest to size. Save the loose ends for test strips if you want.

When you are cutting down the loose roll you spooled off, avoid letting it rub across the countertop. Rather let it roll by itself. When it comes up close to the trimmer, pick up the loose roll part and unwind more while setting the main loop farther away. Make sure that your countertop is smooth and clean before starting. Make sure your hands are clean, too, and avoid touching the emulsion side. If you tend to make finger marks on the emulsion, you may want to wear one of those light-weight white gloves on one hand, or at least use a small pieces of paper to hold down the part you are trimming off.

When I worked in QC at a large chain outfit, we would sometimes cut off perhaps 50 narrow strips for sensitometric wedges for some test or another. For this we'd use a crude wood fixture something like your first drawing. But practical experience says don't make holes; it's too awkward to load. Rather, just make some "V" notches in the uprights, and let the weight of the roll hold it there. Also, put some sort of collars on your shaft - if one end slides out your main roll will drop and possibly put a "dent" in the roll, likely leaving pressure marks through a number of wraps.

The light-tight bags are probably more rugged than you think. In our outfit we used to slit a lot of our own paper, and we used the same bags - brown paper outsides with foil liners - over and over. Tears on the outside were covered with black masking tape and all were checked for light leaks before reuse, but we would see your use as light duty for a bag.

Maybe I should say that I've handled a large number of rolls, so I'm comfortable with this sort of thing. If you find that you're awkward with it, or can't stop worrying, etc., you just need to find a method that works for you. Note, be very careful not to get a fingertip into the cutting zone of your paper trimmer. Best of luck.

 

[rpavich]

Thanks for the insight Mr. Bill, it's good to know that the paper bag isn't as fragile as I thought, that's a good thing. i didn't know.

 

[Mr Bill]

Yep, if it's a mainstream supplier, the bags are pretty rugged. But if you're worried about it, it's easy enough to cover it with a dark towel or a cardboard box, etc.

 

[MattKing]

Check this thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[MattKing]

Check this thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
Which refers to this thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)