Making a paper safe. What's stopping me?

MenacingTourist · Oct 26, 2005

I admit it, I really like to make stuff and all the paper safes I see on auction are ugly. The new ones seem expensive for what they are and I'm still reeling from my $200 Jobo plastic tube purchase.

So, what kind of requirements do I need to keep in mind when building one of these things? Besides being light tight

I'll be using it primarily for the cyanotypes and VDB prints I'm planning on making. I'd like to be able to dry several sheets of coated paper at the same time.

Thanks,

Alan.

Loose Gravel · Oct 26, 2005

I make them out of wood and plywood and such. I use felt around the openings sometimes and sometimes not. I black paint around the openings. They work fine.

Dave Parker · Oct 26, 2005

I buy pre formica'd pieces of wood, and then make them out of that, the last one I did has dark green formica on both sides, which provides a nice surface for putting the paper on with out risk of slivers or anything snaggin the bag, felt around the door and some black paint, and it works great, cost me about $12 bucks to make two of them.

Dave

eric · Oct 26, 2005

MenacingTourist said:
I'll be using it primarily for the cyanotypes and VDB prints I'm planning on making. I'd like to be able to dry several sheets of coated paper at the same time.

Don't you have any triple boxes from LF film? Or are these "ultra" large format and you don't have boxes for them? Wondering, could you make a triple box from foam core and gaffer's tape?

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 26, 2005

I think the neatest handmade paper safe I've seen had a guillotine-style door that was raised by a pulley, so it was impossible to leave it open accidentally.

I've also seen paper safes built into drawers with sliding covers that close when the drawer is pushed in.

eric · Oct 26, 2005

David A. Goldfarb said:
I've also seen paper safes built into drawers with sliding covers that close when the drawer is pushed in.

There's been discussion on the pure-silver list with these paper safe drawers. There's plans out there somewhere on the internet. Pretty cool, you open the drawers and the lid opens and close the drawer and its light tight.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 26, 2005

I think there may be plans for one in the old _Morgan and Morgan Darkroom Book_.

jmdavis · Oct 26, 2005

There are also plans in "Build your own Darkroom." I think that the "Darkroom Source" has plans online as well.

Mike

MenacingTourist · Oct 26, 2005

Thanks for the quick feedback guys. I'm off to the drawing board!

kwmullet · Oct 26, 2005

I've linked to a Dead Link Removed I found of papersafe drawers from my Dead Link Removed.

-KwM-

Donald Qualls · Oct 26, 2005

The paper safe I have here has a spring on the door to close it when released -- seems a pretty basic feature that either gravity or a spring should close the thing when you take your hand off it...

Steve Roberts · Oct 27, 2005

Hi All,
I've been planning to build a papersafe for some time, but so far all planning and no building! One feature I thought I might incorporate is a switch on the release catch that will kill the lights other than the safe lights before the box opens, or to look at it another way, if the box is open I won't be able to turn on the paper-spoiling lights!

Best wishes,
Steve

Making a paper safe. What's stopping me?

MenacingTourist

Loose Gravel

Dave Parker

eric

David A. Goldfarb

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eric

David A. Goldfarb

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jmdavis

MenacingTourist

kwmullet

Donald Qualls

Steve Roberts

Making a paper safe. What's stopping me?

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