Keeping film containers and spools

cmacd123 · Apr 23, 2010

Clay2 said:
but what do I do with about 2 kilos (4.8 pounds) of copper pennies, recycle the
copper? Rolling would be a pain and the bank yells at me if I bring in coin, sigh.

Great Canadian Superstore locations often have a coin machine, just dump in the coins and get a voucher for food. Unfortunately they take a commission.

Since TD bank has bought out a big US bank, they are talking about extending the "Commerce bank" "Penny Arcade" program to Canada, same deal- dump in all you coins and get a voucher for cash. I believe that TD in the US does not charge a commission.

(Bank of Montreal just bought another US bank in the Midwest from the FDIC this evening.)

lxdude · Apr 23, 2010

st23 said:
Has anyone tried taking used 35mm cartridges to a photo-finisher for recycling?

Stephen

Yes, I've done it frequently. A lot will readily take them. If the boss isn't there the employee may be unsure, but the boss has always agreed.

Clay2 · Apr 24, 2010

Thanks cmacd123,
I will look into that, wondered who would have such machines. When I volunteered for the spring
cancer society Daffodil Day, we brought in garbage cans full of coin and dumped them into sorting
machines the rolled and totaled them. It isn't worth the bank's time to count coin I bring in, HA!
Then why is it if I owe them money they can calculate the interest to six places of decimal per nanosecond?

Best regards,

/Clay

JPD · Apr 24, 2010

I have maybe ten empty 120-spools, that can be used as take-up spools if I buy a cameras witout them.

I keep all 127-spools plus the backing paper. One never know if Efke stops making their 127-film and I will have to make my own.

And I also keep all wooden and metal spools I find in old cameras. They are cool.

Shadowtracker · Apr 24, 2010

The 35mm containers.... ah, well, I know a lot of people that are always asking for one or two for various things - and I still have more than I will ever need for anything. 120 spools, yes, I have them too, but you can't put things in those... I always have the intention of taking them to the photo store for recycling but the box isn't full yet; so they sit, and grow. Backing paper, I used to give to my daughter for artsy-fartsy stuff when she was in school. Now, I have a trash can full of it for some reason. Maybe someday, I will make a black-out curtain out of them... when other people see those, they are always fascinated by them, wrap them around their fingers or just play with them in some other way - a cheap form of entertainment for me.

st23 · Apr 24, 2010

lxdude said:
Yes, I've done it frequently. A lot will readily take them. If the boss isn't there the employee may be unsure, but the boss has always agreed.

Thanks for the info. I usually take the top off of my cartridges to get the film out, rather than fish out the leader and leave the cartridge intact, so I have a bag full of disassembled cartridges. Do you take in whole cartridges? Not that it matters - I guess I would just feel funny taking in a bag of clanking metal and plastic parts, but is this OK in your experience?

Stephen

Aurum · Apr 24, 2010

Oh so its not just me then

35mm containers. Used a couple just the other week going to Europe. Ideal for keeping your change in when going through airport security. Just chuck 'em through the scanner, and pick 'em up on the other side. Keeps Euro's and the Queens own currency from getting mixed up in your pocket.

Also used them for a bran tub at the kids school. Got a bin-bag load from the local lab. Loaded them up with sweets and small toys. Everyone gets a prize

120 reels. Cut the discs off the edge, add a small self tapping screw, and they are just the job for attaching perches to the bars of the birdcage, where our fat budgerigars had pulled the old ones off

jp498 · Apr 24, 2010

I use the black plastic bags that paper comes in (and the paper boxes) for print storage/transportation.

I've got a pretty good sized grocery bag of 35mm cans, a mix of black and clear. I gave a bag full of them to a neighbor sometime ago for some sort of foreign aid/missionary project.

I've got half a dozen 120 spools. I'm not sure whether I'll save those. They might make nice toy wheels for a school project or something.

I've got about 80 3.5" hard drives too. No idea in mind, but I want to do something with them, and I haven't disposed of them because I don't want to spend lots of time wiping the data.

I'm also the type to keep a healthy collection of random screws, nails, bolts, and other hardware. Eventually, I'll be able to do something on a honey-do list without needing to go to the hardware store first.

Existing Light · Apr 24, 2010

a sister of one of my friend's had a bead curtain instead of a bedroom door. I might try to make one of those with film spools

and, no, I never peeked through the beads while she was in there (at least, nobody ever caught me )

Shadowtracker · Apr 24, 2010

String the 120s together and make a 'spool curtain' instead of a bead curtain.... I keep the plastic bags but end up using em for various things such as potting plants until they are ready to be moved outside - heavy plastic is great for that, made a light seal with part of one by gluing it in place, and it worked! The photo company will take all the plastic - 35mm spools, 120 spools and the 35mm canisters. I never have tried to take the metal part of 35mm to them cause it's metal and we take that to the recyclers with the cans and such. The paper from 120 - never have tried to take that to the photo store.

tkamiya · Apr 24, 2010

OP here...

I'm simply amazed! This thread is already 9 pages long and I'm among friends! I always thought, there was a point where hobby ends and obsession starts. I think we are all there.

lorirfrommontana · Apr 24, 2010

Oh, I also save the black plastic bags that paper comes in. I make anyone coming into the darkroom put their cell phones in one and fold them over. They can still hear if they get a text but no light coming on at an inopportune time.

Existing Light · Apr 24, 2010

lorirfrommontana said:
Oh, I also save the black plastic bags that paper comes in. I make anyone coming into the darkroom put their sell phones in one and fold them over. They can still hear if they get a text but no light coming on at an inopportune time.

That's a good idea. I've noticed that everyone I know wants to call and see how I'm doing when I'm in the school darkroom. Fortunately my phone is old and doesnt have lots of stuff that lights up. My problem is I dont wear a watch, and I've gotten in to the habbit of flipping my phone open to check the time. A couple of times, I've had someone jump on me for doing that. MAybe I should put my phone in the bag and then put it in a drawer or something (or maybe just leave the stupid thing outside)

lorirfrommontana · Apr 24, 2010

Make the "cell" phone, not "sell" phone! I need to go to bed!

photoncatcher · Apr 24, 2010

I too tend to keep 120 spools, and I almost started saving the backing paper too. The 35 containers, not so much, but I do have a few of the old metal ones. I miss those. I remember when they were different colors.

lxdude · Apr 25, 2010

st23 said:
Thanks for the info. I usually take the top off of my cartridges to get the film out, rather than fish out the leader and leave the cartridge intact, so I have a bag full of disassembled cartridges. Do you take in whole cartridges? Not that it matters - I guess I would just feel funny taking in a bag of clanking metal and plastic parts, but is this OK in your experience?

Stephen

I haven't taken in cartridges because I don't process my own, but I can't see it being a problem. They would just toss them in with rest of their used cartridges for recycling.

Jeff Kubach · Apr 25, 2010

I had a whole bunch of each, just recently thru most of them out. Never could figure out why I keep them for so long.

Jeff

lxdude · Apr 25, 2010

Jeff Kubach said:
I had a whole bunch of each, just recently thru most of them out. Never could figure out why I keep them for so long.

Jeff

Just 'cuz.

Worker 11811 · Apr 25, 2010

I just got a 35mm bulk loader and a 10-pack of empty cartridges. Today, on my way out the door, I loaded up a couple of rolls. I put one in my camera. I was about to put the spare into my pocket and I thought, "No, I need something to put it in first." I looked around for a minute then it dawned on me. "Hey! I have a whole bag full of empty plastic containers!"

Good thing I didn't put them in the recycle bin!

Tim Gray · May 1, 2010

Not me, but thought it was funny:
flickr photo

laziminx · May 1, 2010

I have to admit, I haven't thrown any out yet, but I've only developed 4 x 120 rolls so far. Also for some inexplicable reason I have 2 backing papers draped over my tea-towel hanger.

flatulent1 · May 1, 2010

I've been rather anal about saving my cigar boxes as well as the big plastic tubs the cat litter comes in.

37th Exposure · May 6, 2010

Put them out with the recycling collection. The parts they don't want go in the garbage collection. But I do save a few 120 spools for backup (never had to use any of them though). I used to save 35mm cans and whatever cartridges I could reload back in my bulk loading days but bulk film costs nearly as much as factory loads and my time is definitely worth something. Sounds like the film companies wised up and it's just another scam. You'd think they save a lot by not having to put up all that film into cartridges and boxes and would pass on the savings like they used to. Why can't they sell film without the plastic cans and just put them in foil like 120 film? The new metal Kodak style cartridges all companies use these days are safe enough as is, and the Fuji cans offer zero fog protection anyway. I'm tired of paying for what is ultimately garbage.

Worker 11811 · May 7, 2010

37th Exposure said:
...bulk film costs nearly as much as factory loads and my time is definitely worth something. Sounds like the film companies wised up and it's just another scam.

Figured as 18 rolls of film being equivalent to one 100 ft. spool.
Prices are current from Freestyle's website:

Film...............Bulk..........Roll..........Ext. Price....Savings
T-Max 100......$52.99.......$5.09......$91.62........42.16%
T-Max 400 .....$53.99.......$5.29......$95.22........43.30%
Plus-X 125......$69.99.......$6.29......$113.22......38.18%
Tri-X 400........$53.99.......$3.99......$71.82........24.83%

For these four Kodak films in bulk, the average savings is 37% over buying single rolls.

lxdude · May 7, 2010

flatulent1 said:
I've been rather anal

I wonder if there's a correlation?

Keeping film containers and spools

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency