8mm Forum: Film Storage Shelf Pictures

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Topic: Film Storage Shelf Pictures

Roger Shunk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 604
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Nov 2011

posted December 11, 2013 01:53 PM

Here are a couple pics of the shelving we just had done. It will take about 250 films and will accommodate from 400' reels to 2300' reels.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 11, 2013 02:00 PM

Beautiful set-up, but I should stress that films should be stored horizontally. This is to even up the pressure which is exerted.

--------------------
Maurice

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David C. Lucidi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 127
From: Glenolden, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2013

posted December 12, 2013 12:30 PM

Very nice setup!

I took have heard about the horizontal storage (which just happens to be how I store mine due to the cases they are in). But I also know quite a few people who stored it this way (vertical). My concern here would be the many reels that are not in cans. With the very likelyhood of dust over time, that dust can get transferred/trapped in the gate and potentially cause scratches when projected. Then again it could just be me being paranoid [Wink]

Of course this depends on your room and how often it is walked into, and/or if you had pets (dander, hair, etc.). Plus as crazy as this sounds, I don't trust UV light exposure to film (like what is used on most long tube bulb fixtures). Call me paranoid, but I have seen the effects of UV overhead lights cause a breakdown/"yellowing" of items over time, and wonder if it has any ill-effect on film.

Otherwise really nice storage unit! [Big Grin]

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Brian Stearns
Master Film Handler

Posts: 487
From: Lexington
Registered: Jun 2013

posted December 12, 2013 01:49 PM

looks good Roger, Ive been to a fellow collectors house and ive seen most of his film vertical storage on metal shelves.

since I don't have a mammoth collection mine are in shelves horizontal, though my 8mm films are vertical

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Jim Schrader
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1628
From: Savage, MN, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted December 12, 2013 01:50 PM

Nice set up roger, i have mine kind of the same way but my storage has doors to keep out dust.

--------------------
jim schrader
"Let's see “do I have that title already?"

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Brian Stearns
Master Film Handler

Posts: 487
From: Lexington
Registered: Jun 2013

posted December 12, 2013 01:52 PM

I would think vertical is easer to access. horizontal move the top parts to get to the bottom

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David C. Lucidi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 127
From: Glenolden, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2013

posted December 12, 2013 02:26 PM

Agree with you Brian about the horizontal storage....in the space I have mine in, getting to the "bottom films" on any shelf can be a MAJOR pain in butt! [Mad]

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Roger Shunk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 604
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Nov 2011

posted December 12, 2013 07:21 PM

Thanks for all your comments everyone!
I was thinking of adding some kind of front cover to keep all the dirt & dust away from the films so that will be my next project!

RS

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted December 13, 2013 07:45 AM

Excellent work Roger! [Big Grin]

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Ken Finch
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 543
From: Herne Bay, Kent. U.K.
Registered: Oct 2011

posted December 13, 2013 10:59 AM

My large collection of 9.5mm prints are stored verticaly, mostly in cans, in modified "Rigby" metal shelving. This was given to me by a late friend who had purchased them, films and other equipment from the County Council Educational Film Library when they went "Digital some years ago. I have built a cupboard round them and this helps to prevent not ony dust, but also keeps the temperature within reasonable limits. His wife gave me a few 16mm films but the rest were sold off on her behalf. Most of them were documentaries, instructional and what we "oldies" used to refer to as sponsored films produced by various companies. Ken Finch.

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 13, 2013 12:44 PM

Nice shelves, Roger.
[Smile]

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Janice Glesser
Film Goddess

Posts: 3468
From: Sunnyvale, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted December 14, 2013 01:00 AM

Roger...it looks like you are planning a big collection [Cool]

I love the shelves...beautiful! My collection is small. I've been storing the reels in the shipping boxes they came in. This helps me keep each movie together. The boxes are very heavy...so I keep them on the floor level of my kitchen closet. Picking them down from a top shelf would be precarious. [Smile]

--------------------
Janice

"I'm having a very good day!"
Richard Dreyfuss - Let It Ride (1989).

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 14, 2013 02:36 AM

For long term storage, films must be stored horizontally. This evens the weight of the film over the whole surface area of the side of the film. The horizontal orientation also ensures that the tension in the film is even throughout.

Access material is often stored vertically, usually because of space restrictions and ease of access requirements.

If a film is stored vertically there is only a small area of film supporting the weight of the entire film. This often results in accelerated dye fade or a higher degree of decomposition occurring in such an area.

http://www.nfsa.gov.au/preservation/handbook/preparation-long-term-storage/storage-orientation/

--------------------
Maurice

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David Ollerearnshaw
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012

posted December 14, 2013 03:15 AM

Am I missing something here? Doesn't the spool itself rest on the shelf and the film itself is not touching the shelf. If you store on its side the film rests on the spool side.

I could be looking too deep here, but storing vertically the most weight would be at the centre of the spool top part.

--------------------
I love the smell of film in the morning.

http://www.thereelimage.co.uk/

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 14, 2013 03:45 AM

David
First point. It seems to be the same result however the film is stored horizontally.
Second point. Film stored on spools in a vertical position have been known to develop an egg shape!

--------------------
Maurice

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David Guest
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1704
From: Lancashire, UK
Registered: Oct 2011

posted December 14, 2013 03:53 AM

yes must agree with Maurice films must be horizontal best way mine are stored that way best get out the hammer and nails and start to rebuild

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Roger Shunk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 604
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Nov 2011

posted December 15, 2013 08:51 AM

Greetings fellow film enthusiasts,

Thank you all for your positive comments & suggestions.
And yes Janice at the rate I have been buying so many films lately I will have it filled in no time!

Happy holidays everyone!
RS

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Chris Bird
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 218
From: Kingston upon Thames, UK
Registered: Jul 2013

posted December 16, 2013 02:54 AM

Roger, as far as I'm aware archives do indeed store their films horizontally for the reasons mentioned, but just to put the alternate view: I worked for Kevin Brownlow's Photoplay Productions for six years, and all the restored prints were stored vertically on racks like yours for convenience. We never saw any ill effects even with the prints that hardly ever went out for screening, so who knows. At the end of the day, if your other half is happy with the racks, that's a pretty major result! My 16mm features are all in the cupboard under the stairs....

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted December 16, 2013 03:29 AM

Let’s be honest folks, for most of us it’s a balancing act between space, practicality and doing the job correctly. If you are anything like me having been collecting for decades its more a case where to put them rather than how to put them. [Eek!]

Roger your racks look excellent my friend and I’m on the verge of constructing some for the 35mm flicks only because they are heavy and easier to lift stored vertical. A projectionist pal of mine put decent casters on his which makes for mobile storage which seems a wonderful idea.

Happy Christmas.

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David Ollerearnshaw
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012

posted December 16, 2013 05:29 AM

Your right Lee I would like a rack like Roger has, due to space or lack of it and they do look good.

This storing of film if they are in card boxes I would only store upright due to the weight of many films stacked flat. The films I have in plastic/metal cans most are stored flat, but like said earlier its a pain when you want to watch the one near the bottom.

I like the 35mm metal cans I bought from Derann years ago, I think there were from the raw film stock. I can fit 3 2400ft spools in each.

The old Cecolite orange cans were good they had two raised rings on top and two sunken on the bottom ideal for stacking.

--------------------
I love the smell of film in the morning.

http://www.thereelimage.co.uk/

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Roger Shunk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 604
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Nov 2011

posted December 16, 2013 02:16 PM

Thanks guy's for all your positive comments! The credit really goes to Paul Ivester who gave me the idea from his site on his homemade film rack that he built. I just changed the design a little bit. My rack was strictly designed for space and convenience and I did not like having films all over the place and having to stack reels on top of each other especially the 2000ft reels without having cans for most of them. I like to be neat and well organized and be able to find a film quickly when I want to preview one.

RS

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 16, 2013 02:30 PM

For easy retrieval, vertical stacking has got to be best. It's an interesting topic though. Has anyone had film damaged due to vertical stacking over the years?

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David C. Lucidi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 127
From: Glenolden, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2013

posted December 16, 2013 07:40 PM

Truth be told, no, I have not seen damage.

My father's old custom made film cabinet had shelves for storing film vertically and horizontally. Keep in mind these were all in cases (some plastic, some fiber). I now have them stored horizontally as they are no longer in that place (my dad had his collection spread out amongst family members, back when the FBI would do 'raids'). He stored them any way he could (quite often vertically, esp. when taking up closet space at family member's houses). To date I have zero prints that have any issues with projection or deterioration, and a good portion of the 100+ films I have, have been have been in possession over 30 years.

I'm not saying it can't, or doesn't happen (deterioration when stored vertically), but I can say it didn't happen here. Yes, some prints went pink (95% of them Kodak SP or Eastmancolor), but let's face it, they were already known to do that and could have also been a result of storing it in places (i.e., family members houses) where the temps and humidity may have fluctuated greatly.

For what it's worth [Wink]

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Roger Shunk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 604
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Nov 2011

posted December 16, 2013 09:42 PM

Hi David,
Thanks for your input on the subject.
Roger

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