Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Colour Work > Colour printing techniques

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10th June 2020, 08:34 AM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 758
Default Mini lab paper cassettes.

I remember reading that mini lab paper cassettes are good for storing rolls of colour paper.
Do people take the innards out of them, and just use them as light tight boxes, or do they apply power and have auto feed and cut?
Having never seen one I am clueless.
Also any recommendations please.
Cheers.
__________________
It will all be over by Christmas.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10th June 2020, 04:18 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,968
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nat Polton View Post
I remember reading that mini lab paper cassettes are good for storing rolls of colour paper.
Do people take the innards out of them, and just use them as light tight boxes, or do they apply power and have auto feed and cut?
Having never seen one I am clueless.
Also any recommendations please.
Cheers.
It's a great question, Nat and if indeed you can buy these cassettes with power and have the space to set one up and you also have funds for whatever it costs to do so, there may even be a "nice little earner" in the form of providing on a small scale, cut sheets of Kodak RA4 paper at a profit.

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 16th June 2020, 03:05 PM
andresp andresp is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Germany
Posts: 15
Default

No need for power. You want Fuji MG 180 magazines for this because they have a handy knob for rolling the paper out/in and their pin locking paper from moving back in can be switched off. The inner roll holder can be adjusted for paper's width.

My setup is magazine --> Rotatrim --> raised length markers, all of which can be mounted on a plywood plate for precision. Left hand rolls the paper out (or back in) through the cutter, right hand alignes the end against the marker and operates the Rotarim.
It takes some practice but then the cutting is quite fast and reliable. Easily 4-5 sheets/minute.

I have some photos of the setup but apparently I can't upload them here so I'm not going to look for them now.

There were automatic cutters available but they're bulky and difficult to find.

--Andres
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 16th June 2020, 06:51 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,968
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by andresp View Post

I have some photos of the setup but apparently I can't upload them here so I'm not going to look for them now.

--Andres
Do you mean that the FADU site prevents uploading the photos? I see no reason why this should be?

Can anyone help here?

Thanks

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 5th October 2020, 08:35 PM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default Paper Rolls.

I use Kodak RA4 paper from the roll and to be able to use it I have made a paper dispenser (There are pictures somewhere on this forum somewhere)

It was constructed from sheet aluminium riveted together with strips of angle aluminium then the edges and rivets sealed with black 'gaffa tape. The paper is fed from the roll via a slot at the base of the container, 1/8"th inch wide with the slot sealed when not in use to cut paper. I use a 18" Guillotine to cut the paper which I measure with a piece of white card placed against the edge of the cutter. This card is marked with black lines at the 9" and 16". Because I use a Duka safelight I can manage about 15 cuts per minute.

The lid is removable and the roll of paper is suspended on a wooden roller resting in 'U' shaped bearers lubricated with candle wax.(Actually a cooks pastry rolling pin.) The price of the materials was less than £20.

If I were to make another, the only change I would make is to widen the interior of the box by about 1/2" so that the paper can be fitted more easily without trapping my fingers. It was designed to take a 12" roll so I can cut 12 x 16 sheets and smaller. A later addition to this one was fitting handles at the sides of the container because a full roll of RA4 paper is heavy to lift

Last edited by John King; 5th October 2020 at 08:50 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 5th October 2020, 09:08 PM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default

This is one of the images of the paper dispenser looking at the front. The slot where the paper is fed from is at the bottom of the facing side. The actual size was 13" x 11 x 11. As I said the width would be better if I increase it by 1/2" so my fingers don't get trapped.

I made an earlier one out of 9mm plywood, Glued and screwed together but this was scrapped because I started to get mottling on the edges of the paper which I put down to odours from the glue and the wood itself.
The aluminium Mk2 so far has proved free from problems.

The bright green was only the protective plastic used by the manufacturer and supplier of the aluminium. There are several firms will supply sheets cut to size and the aluminium angle strip just google for the prices.

This picture was taken just after I had finished the main construction and before I applied the tape to make the edges and side light tight The lid is a straight 'lift off' with foam sheet inside to make a light tight seal
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Image  1.jpg
Views:	479
Size:	179.5 KB
ID:	3880  

Last edited by John King; 5th October 2020 at 09:15 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 6th October 2020, 11:49 AM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,796
Default

I'm always impressed when I see the end results of what people make.

Well done John!

Terry S
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 7th October 2020, 08:32 AM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default Perfecting the light tight box.

What you cannot see is the multitude of rivets are themselves not light tight because the pin use to pull them into shape leaves a hole right through so they have to be covered over on the inside using Gaffa tape. The edges of the inside of the lid also has self adhesive foam draft excluder which make the lid a very close fit.

The inside if the feed slot on the lower front edge is also treated with the same foam strip and after cutting enough sheets I always leave a tongue of paper protruding and fasten it to the outside of the case again using Gaffa tape otherwise if it slips back into the inside of the box it can be difficult to get it out again.

A full roll of 88M x 12" wide Kodak paper, will in theory give you 214 sheets of 12x16. but in practice a little short of that due to wastage. That is still one heck of a lot cheaper than 4 x 50 sheet boxes of 12x16 paper even if you use Kodak paper which is more expensive than Fuji. Currently 4 boxes of Fuji 12x16 RA4 paper will cost around £195.00 for a 12 wide 88m roll of Kodak is £106.00.

Most paper rolls are set with the emulsion side out so if you set the paper to unroll towards the rear of the box and curl it round so that it feeds out through the front, this will have the paper emerge with the emulsion side down and give you more time to cut the sheet if you use a safelight such as a Duka.

The one downside (a little one) is, as you use the paper and get close to the central core there will be a degree of 'curl' which is unavoidable. However once in the developer this disappears and does not return and always dries flat.

Last edited by John King; 7th October 2020 at 08:41 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
I have now loaded a few cassettes.... Anon01 Photography in general 0 29th September 2019 02:22 PM
Lost Pentax Espio Mini 35mm GoodOldNorm Help! 2 15th September 2015 01:49 PM
FS Lowepro Mini Trekker Backpack Dave miller Sale or Wanted 2 13th August 2012 12:17 PM
Boots to close 160 film mini-labs MPerson Photography in general 8 3rd May 2012 03:15 PM
35mm Cassettes MikeHeller Sale or Wanted 4 11th April 2011 09:08 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 04:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.