Paper safe plans

[markbau]

I'm fairly handy with woodwork and am looking for a plan so that I can build a paper safe. I've googled with no luck.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I'm fairly handy with woodwork and am looking for a plan so that I can build a paper safe. I've googled with no luck.

There are quite a few people handy and crafty with wood up there in Woodend. I haven't been there in quite a few years now but knew an artisan who once crafted clocks from old tree stumps and bits lying about and sold these at Gisborne on market days. Gee, I must go back and see what has changed...

 

[bdial]

What sort of paper safe?
The common ones are just boxes, not really different than the cardboard boxes the paper comes in, just made with a hinged lid and black plastic.
Making one in wood wouldn't be difficult, but it could easily cost more than buying a plastic one, though getting one mailed to Oz from here would change the equation some.
The other sort of paper safe is a small cabinet with a door or tambour that forms a light trap. The cabinet part is easy enough, and then it would be a matter of designing a door that interlocks with the body to exclude light.
Some of the old "how-to" magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics had plans for various darkroom and photographic stuff. I don't recall plans for paper safes, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had some. Google has a lot of these digitized. I am not sure where to start searching, but issues of those mags from around the 1930's and newer ran articles with plans for stuff from time to time.

 

[Neal]

Dear markbau,

I did a quick internet search and several images came up that I'm sure you could quickly turn into plans for a paper safe. Here is an ebay listing with a nice photo. The key is to have the edge of the door mimic that of a camera. Make sure the light has to turn around several corners. Old Popular Mechanics magazines probably have something more detailed.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

 

[MartinP]

Paper safes are just boxes that are easy to open and light-tight when closed. A very 'deluxe' design might have some sort of interlock that made it harder to open accidentally, but that's about it. I have been thinking of making one out of foamcore and chipboard offcuts -- a heavy base, a rim, and a lid with a hinge at the back.

 

[GregW]

I have an issue somewhere around here of an old Pop mechanics with a plan for one. It's not that elegant a design. I'd try and find a similar cabinet and adapt the design. Something like a humidor or collectible pen case, fiddle the dimensions and add a light tight door. I love Craftsman design so I'd probably look through old catalogues of craftsman furniture and scale up or down something i found in there. Damn it, now you got me thinking about building one, the plastic ones seem too small and take up shelf space, maybe one that would hang on the wall....

 

[paul ron]

you can make a really nice one to hold n organize your papers using MDF. its cheap and easy to route, also is much flatter than plywood and holds a screw very nicely. routing a light seal is nothing more than a tongue n groove.

spring hinges can be used on the door to snap it nice n tight.

 

[paul ron]

I have an issue somewhere around here of an old Pop mechanics with a plan for one. It's not that elegant a design. I'd try and find a similar cabinet and adapt the design. Something like a humidor or collectible pen case, fiddle the dimensions and add a light tight door. I love Craftsman design so I'd probably look through old catalogues of craftsman furniture and scale up or down something i found in there. Damn it, now you got me thinking about building one, the plastic ones seem too small and take up shelf space, maybe one that would hang on the wall....

yes! hang on the wall or built in as a drawer under the enlarger?

 

[jeffreythree]

I have been thinking of building a paper safe mounted under the upper cabinets in the laundry room I use for my darkroom. Out of the way in an unused space faced in the same material as the cabinets to keep my wife happy. I have not seen one for sale that could work in that manner mounted under a cabinet.

 

[ic-racer]

I only use a paper safe for my test strips and small test prints which would occupy 90% of printing time. For each larger print, I just keep the paper in the original box. I'll only be opening that up a few times in a printing session.
Also, with the price of paper, I'd hate to have an 'accident' with 20 sheets of 16x20 paper in a paper safe that inadvertently opened in daylight.

 

[ozphoto]

A few from old PM/PS mags:

https://books.google.co.th/books?id=mdgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA197&dq=popular+mechanics+"paper+safe"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_0bXS85DMAhVF36YKHSSqCLoQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=popular mechanics "paper safe"&f=false

https://books.google.co.th/books?id=fQEAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA90&dq="paper+safe"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjs2Mvu9JDMAhWmF6YKHXhZAY8Q6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q="paper safe"&f=false

https://books.google.co.th/books?id=9NgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA202&dq=popular+mechanics+"photo+paper+box"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7y_aR9JDMAhXHGaYKHSaqAvUQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q=popular mechanics "photo paper box"&f=false

https://books.google.co.th/books?id...nepage&q=popular science "paper safe"&f=false

 

[DREW WILEY]

How big? Just keep in mind that many common materials contain glues or additives that either outgas or contain acidic content, bad for photo
media. Same applies to finishes. If you do need to seal something like plywood, use true shellac, not varnish or lacquer unless allowed to outgas
for at least six months prior to paper storage. Avoid any material with formaldehyde glue, which is in fact extremely common in sheet materials. For ordinary small paper sizes, it's a lot easier just to buy an ordinary ABS plastic paper safe.

 

[MattKing]

Start a Conversation here with Ralph Lambrecht. If he is feeling generous, he might send you a pdf of his plans for a paper drawer.

Or even better, upload one to this thread (I don't have that one saved).

Someone should help Ralph get his website back!

 

[MattKing]

Or alternatively, buy Ralph's book - Way Beyond Monochrome ed 2 - which is an even better idea, because it is a really, really, useful book.

 

[Wayne]

I have been thinking of building a paper safe mounted under the upper cabinets in the laundry room I use for my darkroom. Out of the way in an unused space faced in the same material as the cabinets to keep my wife happy. I have not seen one for sale that could work in that manner mounted under a cabinet.

That reminds me of a paper safe design I saw somewhere long ago. It was basically a drawer mounted under an enlarger table. You just reached under, pulled it out, slid it back in. I don't recall any other structural details but it was pretty nifty

 

[MattKing]

There is a description of a "Dark Drawer" in the Kodak darkroom design publication: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ak3/ak3.pdf

 

[Celepe]

Hi markbau,
If you want to make your papersafe you certainly should ! Here is a link to a post by Reinhold Schable with a pdf showing you precisely how to make it. In fact on the same page there is a second post by Reinhold with an improved version of the safe.
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9309
Enjoy,
Philippe

 

[MattKing]

Hi markbau,
If you want to make your papersafe you certainly should ! Here is a link to a post by Reinhold Schable with a pdf showing you precisely how to make it. In fact on the same page there is a second post by Reinhold with an improved version of the safe.
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9309
Enjoy,
Philippe

You will need to register with that website to access those plans, but that is probably a good idea anyways.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Hardboard is voodoo unless it's laminated all around with something inert. Did anyone actually read what I previously posted? You're risking pre-infecting your paper supply with something which will degrade the permanence of the prints. And I do know a thing or two about woodworking,
to make an understatement.

 

[paul ron]

I only use a paper safe for my test strips and small test prints which would occupy 90% of printing time. For each larger print, I just keep the paper in the original box. I'll only be opening that up a few times in a printing session.
Also, with the price of paper, I'd hate to have an 'accident' with 20 sheets of 16x20 paper in a paper safe that inadvertently opened in daylight.

oh no, dont take the paper out of the original packaging. i may keep 5 or 10 sheets out of the box in my safe as i print but any unused is put back in their box.

 

[Tis Himself]

More years ago than I care to admit, I had a paper safe that was similar to the one in the eBay photo (post #5). It was made of metal and was only large enough for 8X10, which was the largest I was printing at that time. As I recall there were 4 shelves, 2 for 8X10 and 2 with dividers for 5X7 and smaller. The front was articulated and slid/rolled up, similar to a roll-top desk. It was quite handy for longer printing sessions since the estimated amount and type of paper could be loaded at one time. I would think that someone who was an experienced woodworker could make an articulated front that is light tight by using black fabric for the backing of the slats. I concur that any unused paper should be returned to the original box after each session.

 

[Fast]

I built one as a drawer under my counter right beside the enlarger. It has a sliding lid to make it light tight. The lid is pushed closed when the drawer is closed. Works great.

 

[Wayne]

There is a description of a "Dark Drawer" in the Kodak darkroom design publication: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ak3/ak3.pdf

That's probably what I was thinking of. I was pretty sure it was in a Kodak publication.

 

[scheimfluger_77]

Or alternatively, buy Ralph's book - Way Beyond Monochrome ed 2 - which is an even better idea, because it is a really, really, useful book.

+1 (at least)

 

[youngrichard]

Once paper in use gets larger than 8 x 10, it seems to me just as easy to to take it straight from the box for the relatively few prints made in a session. But my standard sizes are 8 x 10, 5 x 7, and Postcard, and often I will be printing 20 or 30 in an evening. Here in UK Restem 8 x 10 paper safes appear regularly on the auction site; there is a Restem 5 x 7 safe, and I have one, but it is a different design concept and doesn't work as well. Here is my solution. IFIRC the timber was slats from the base of an old wooden bed
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4742
Richard