8mm Forum: Archival film cans

This is topic Archival film cans in forum 16mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Chris Bird (Member # 3839) on January 17, 2014, 01:57 AM:

Hi All, while my collection is small I do have a few very rare titles including some Kodascopes, which I think probably ought to stored in proper archival film cans that allow air to circulate and gases to escape, staving off vs. The kind I want are the chunky Tuscan ones that allow the film to be stored on a spool, with the air vents underneath.

Does anyone know of a UK source for these or will I have to order from America? Anyone had experience with these archival cans?

Many thanks.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 17, 2014, 04:33 AM:

Chris
Here are six 400' Tuscan cans on eBay from Australia.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bulk-lot-of-6-x-400ft-16mm-empty-plastic-movie-film-cans-tins-short-reel-tuscan-/161193710355?pt=US_Film&hash=item2587e4d313

Posted by Chris Bird (Member # 3839) on January 17, 2014, 06:15 AM:

Thanks Maurice but those seem to be the conventional kind - the ones I am looking for allow air to circulate through holes in the can:

http://tuscancorp.com/cart/archival-film-storage-16mm-800ft/

Anyone know about these and where to obtain them in the UK?

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 17, 2014, 06:41 AM:

Chris
I have never heard of these cans with holes in. I was at the BFI archives at Berkhamsted some years ago and they never mentioned using anything special in the way of cans.
I suppose you could use conventional cans and make your own ventilation holes.

Posted by Chris Bird (Member # 3839) on January 18, 2014, 02:54 AM:

Thanks Maurice, maybe I'm getting paranoid about nothing. I got the impression that a lot of US collectors used these for the larger gauges to reduce the risk of vs. Maybe I'll just get some molecular sieves for my existing cans.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on January 18, 2014, 03:59 AM:

Storage in warm and humid conditions can greatly accelerate the unsought of V.S., this perhaps appertains more to the USA than in the U.K.
Our climate is more to the storage recommendation of cold and moderately dry conditions.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on January 31, 2014, 04:03 PM:

Try Urbanskifilm.com Larry Urbanski has been a film products dealer for many, many years and I can vouch for his credibility. Very nice chap. He sells the vented cans you're looking for.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on January 31, 2014, 07:45 PM:

I have bought one or two archival cans from Larry - they were 200' ones and possibly not representative of all he sells, but mine were rather like normal cans with holes made in them! It's an expensive business buying can from overseas, so you could consider getting out a drill! The holes on mine were along the lower edge of the bottom.

Posted by Jason Gronn (Member # 3921) on February 01, 2014, 05:00 AM:

l just purchase the standard plastic film cans and use a soldering iron on low setting and put five or six small holes in the bottom of the can.
it beats paying the few extra $$$ for the ventilated ones.

Posted by Chris Bird (Member # 3839) on February 14, 2014, 04:24 AM:

My delivery of 16mm Tuscan archival film cans arrived yesterday from Larry Urbanski in America. I thought I'd give a brief report in case anyone else is thinking of getting them.

They're not expensive per se, but once you include shipping they work out at about £5 per 800' can. They have air holes and ridges in the bottom of the can, so that an air current can flow under the reel of film. Not quite as sturdy as the old blue Tuscan cans but sturdy enough. Nice looking and easy to label.

The only thing I don't like (apart from the expense) is that while they are big enough in diameter to accommodate any 16mm spool (or 900' 9.5 spool), most spools stick up above the top of the can very slightly, so if you have a large pile the bottom spools will probably get squashed over time. As some of my films are on cores, I've just put these ones at the bottom.

There is a UK source for a different design as well, but no spools will fit in these, they have to be on cores: https://www.preservationequipment.com/Store/Products/Archival-Storage/Photographic-Storage/Polypropylene-Movie-Film-Cans

Hope that's helpful. I think some of the DIY options mentioned in other posts could be the way to go!

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on February 14, 2014, 09:52 AM:

Chris
I don't like the fact that "most" spools are proud of the lower part and the lid could compress them.
Do any spools fit in correctly?

Posted by Chris Bird (Member # 3839) on February 15, 2014, 04:12 AM:

Very slim metal spools fit fine, and the old metal Clydon spools pretty much fit (they stick up a fraction of a mm). The ones that visibly stick up are modern plastic spools like the blue Tuscan ones. Weird, as these cans are made by Tuscan. I'll ask Larry about it. All 9.5 spools are fine.

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