Got a paper safe for Xmas. Question:

[Doug Bennett]

Got an old Soligor paper safe for Xmas. I've been needing one forever. Question: do most of you leave paper in your safes all the time, or just put paper in at the start of a darkroom session?

 

[clogz]

Hello Doug,
I never leave too much paper in the paper safe in case I'd open it after a few days not realizing there's still some inside. You tend to forget, don't you?

 

[lee]

I use white tape to tell me the type of paper and no tape = no paper worked so far

lee\c

 

[rogueish]

I keep paper in the safe at home and in the black plastic bag in the box it came in at school. If your ever in doubt as to paper inside safe or not, just give it a shake, and you'll know.

 

[Les McLean]

I never leave paper in my "safe" just in case a pupil opens it out of curiosity, it did happen once. In any case I often change papers that I'm using in a darkroom session.

 

[Ed Sukach]

Good subject. I normally leave the paper in the safe. I should - and would move my paper to the freezer if it is to be kept for an extended period.

What types/ brands of Paper Safes are we using? Mine, after a few others broke, is an EPOI (?? - I'll have to check on that) "drawer type", feeding one sheet at a time when each individual compartment is opened. I love the thing (actually two "double 11 x 14s" stacked vertically).

This uses plastic "safeties" that clip onto the drawer doors to help in preventing using the wrong paper in total darkness.

What else is out there?

 

[Nick Zentena]

I leave a working amount of paper in the safe with the rest in the freezer. My safe is big enough to leave a box in it so I use an old paper box and bag to hold the paper and the whole thing goes into the safe. Over kill but the main thing is it's either closed right or it's very obvious it's open. I also never open the safe with the lights on. If it's empty I leave it open so it's obvious it's empty.

I'm likely to build a paper drawer into the next table/storage shelf I build. From pricing larger paper safes I think I can build a table for less money then a good larger paper safe would cost me.

 

[blansky]

I leave the paper in all the time. I open a box of 8x10 and leave it in the top shelf.

For the two other shelves I put in 8x10 cut into four pieces for testing and when printing 20x24 and 16x20 I put in cut up pieces for testing until I'm done that printing session then I put the pieces back into the respective boxes.


Michael

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

I love my Soligors. I have some Unitron-badged units. Best thing to come out of Israel since my ancestors. Always liked how they pushed one sheet out.

Still can't get them to "stack" horizontally (anyone have any ideas on how to do this?

 

[Flotsam]

I use a soligor too. I like the way that it snaps tightly shut after you let go of the door. I don't think that I've ever fogged the contents. I tend to try to put in just what I'll need for a session, just in case of accidental opening, but I don't think twice about leaving the remaining in there all of the time.

I hated those professional metal ones with the 'rolltop desk' type door. Sometimes they closed all the way... sometimes not. A real paper waster.

 

[oriecat]

In an ebay auction of random darkroom stuff, I got what I at first thought was a paper safe, then when I got it, I didn't think it was because it doesn't look light tight and it looks like the little feet to push the paper out would scratch the paper, but it's a Unitron 8x10, product # 31050. So I guess I should just put a piece in there and test it. And I assume to keep from scratching, you just need to put it in emulsion side down?

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

There shold be rubber feet on the "pushers"

Some older ebay items are missing those rubber pieces. Yes, emulsion down.