How to get a log in a micro

[+SniperTrifle]

I have purchased a lot of very tiny containers at a mega recently and need a bit of help on how to fit logs in. It took me all evening to do one. I have all sorts of stuff that might come in handy so please feel free to make suggestions.

Thanks. 

[+arisoft]

I am using rolled paper strips for round containers. Sometimes I use special plastic paper which is fully waterproof.

[+cerberus1]

That's odd, the only cache containers we bought at megas that didn't have a log in them already was ammo cans.

Not very specific,  what type of "tiny containers" did you pick up? 

If it took you all evening to do one, imagine the maintenance you're gonna have from others.   

 

[+niraD]

A cotter pin is a useful tool for rolling logs into tight scrolls so they fit better in micro/nano containers.

[+Team Taran]

Also put the log in the top.This will,are it easier to insert in the container.

[+Jayeffel]

I have had a few that in order to get the log even into the top shortened the log a bit. Yes, will need replacement a bit sooner.

[+Goldenwattle]

You might need to shorten the log to make it less tight and therefore easier.

[Ewe&Me]

We recently found a geocache - a very nice one - but it took 3-4 times of rerolling the log tight enough to fit back in the tiny container.  We were ready to take a piece off the log.  Keep the geocachers in mind - they will not have the patience to struggle with it very long.

[justintim1999]

16 hours ago, niraD said:

A cotter pin is a useful tool for rolling logs into tight scrolls so they fit better in micro/nano containers.

These work great.

[justintim1999]

Tension pins work well too.   I've taken a dowel a size that fits into the cap.  Cut it flush and glue it in.  Drill a small hole in the dowel  big enough to fit the tension pin.  Glue it in and your good to go.   You can find the dowels and tension pins at most big box stores. 

[+kunarion]

19 hours ago, SniperTrifle said:

I have purchased a lot of very tiny containers at a mega recently and need a bit of help on how to fit logs in. It took me all evening to do one. I have all sorts of stuff that might come in handy so please feel free to make suggestions.

Thanks. 

 

Do you mean the tiny medical centrifuge vials?  I have about a thousand of those.  I used a similar version (which had an O-ring), but soon switched to match tubes, and then small lock-n-locks.  Hated to inflict those vials upon finders .  I've been trying some ideas for making cool swag out of them.

 

 

Cut strips of paper using a knife and ruler, or use a craft paper cutter.  Place the paper on the sharp edge of a table, or against scissors, and pull along the length to give it a curl.  Then it's simpler to roll up.  I've seen some of these with a piece of a toothpick glued to the end, to make re-rolling easy.  As mentioned, for a bison tube or nano tube, roll it up and poke the rolled rod of paper into the cap.  That works great until like the first find, when everyone crams the log into the tube, crushing it by closing the cap.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by kunarion

[justintim1999]

1 hour ago, kunarion said:

Do you mean the tiny medical centrifuge vials?  I have about a thousand of those.

Could you send me a few or tell me where I can get them.     I've got a cache (bison tube)  that's always having a water issue.   If I could fit this inside a bison tube I think it would solve my problem. 

[+niraD]

46 minutes ago, justintim1999 said:

2 hours ago, kunarion said:

Do you mean the tiny medical centrifuge vials?  I have about a thousand of those.

Could you send me a few or tell me where I can get them.     I've got a cache (bison tube)  that's always having a water issue.   If I could fit this inside a bison tube I think it would solve my problem. 

It probably wouldn't really solve your problem. Centrifuge vials are designed to be single use. When used for geocaches, they don't stay watertight for very long.

[justintim1999]

3 minutes ago, niraD said:

It probably wouldn't really solve your problem. Centrifuge vials are designed to be single use. When used for geocaches, they don't stay watertight for very long.

I'm a big fan of a container within a container (especially when I have to change out wet logs every other month) .   What could I put inside a bison tube that would both fit the container and fit a log?   Maybe a smaller bison tube?

[+kunarion]

9 minutes ago, justintim1999 said:

I'm a big fan of a container within a container (especially when I have to change out wet logs every other month) .   What could I put inside a bison tube that would both fit the container and fit a log?   Maybe a smaller bison tube?

 

I've used hollow tubes in mine, and I get compliments on the ease of removing the log.  For my 50ml tubes (screw-top vials slightly roomier than a match tube), I cut a section of Teflon tubing shorter than the rolled up log, and tuck the log into that.  For smaller ones, I used a wide drinking straw.  You can split a small tube such as a straw to grip most any little rolled-up log sheet.  This of course is not waterproof, but the log remains in better condition for a while longer than ones that must be pried from their container.  I should warn you that finders don't always have the inclination to put the log back into its extraction tube.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by kunarion

[+SniperTrifle]

On 10/29/2018 at 3:55 PM, kunarion said:

 

Do you mean the tiny medical centrifuge vials?  I have about a thousand of those.  I used a similar version (which had an O-ring), but soon switched to match tubes, and then small lock-n-locks.  Hated to inflict those vials upon finders .  I've been trying some ideas for making cool swag out of them.

 

 

Cut strips of paper using a knife and ruler, or use a craft paper cutter.  Place the paper on the sharp edge of a table, or against scissors, and pull along the length to give it a curl.  Then it's simpler to roll up.  I've seen some of these with a piece of a toothpick glued to the end, to make re-rolling easy.  As mentioned, for a bison tube or nano tube, roll it up and poke the rolled rod of paper into the cap.  That works great until like the first find, when everyone crams the log into the tube, crushing it by closing the cap.

 

 

Yes I think I might use the end of a toothpick taped to a bit of the log thanks.

[+noncentric]

On 10/29/2018 at 11:16 AM, justintim1999 said:

I'm a big fan of a container within a container (especially when I have to change out wet logs every other month) .   What could I put inside a bison tube that would both fit the container and fit a log?   Maybe a smaller bison tube?

If you're having to change out the log every-other-month, then you might need to check the container itself. Maybe replace the o-ring, or try using waterproof paper?

[justintim1999]

2 hours ago, noncentric said:

If you're having to change out the log every-other-month, then you might need to check the container itself. Maybe replace the o-ring, or try using waterproof paper?

I've replaced the container once and the O-rings a dozen times.   I'm not having to change the log every other month (that was an exaggeration)  but it seems I have to change that particular one much more often than the others I have out.  Never used waterproof paper before but there's a first time for everything.   Thanks

Edited November 9, 2018 by justintim1999

[+kunarion]

4 hours ago, justintim1999 said:

Never used waterproof paper before but there's a first time for everything.

 

I have two boxes of expensive waterproof "National Geographic Adventure Paper", a kind of thick rubbery pourous plastic.  It's not only "waterproof", it's printerproof. Especially black, the lines smear easily, and they bleed and fade when wet.  My old inkjet that broke had better ink, both of my modern ones  have ink that smears on that material.  Some colors are fine, but man, what a pain.  And you can't write in it with a #2 pencil.  It's hard enough to get people to remember a writing instrument, making them bring an assortment is no good.

 

It's quite thick for a Nano, won't hold many signatures.  AND it still gets soaking wet, so I have to hang it to dry. It gets moldy much faster than paper does.  Because signatures and the inject print bleeds and fades, I have to change it more often than ordinary paper.  I print cool themed logs in my Micros.  So I most often print on paper.  I absolutely never allow my caches to degrade to a spitwad log, whether paper or plastic.  There's also "Rite In The Rain" coated paper, but since it needs a laser printer which I don't have, I hardly use that paper for anything.  Ordinary paper works for me.  I keep my caches maintained.

 

But Adventure Paper has a very classy feel.  I get compliments when I use it.  Wish I could print on it. 

 

Edited November 9, 2018 by kunarion

[+noncentric]

11 hours ago, kunarion said:

I have two boxes of expensive waterproof "National Geographic Adventure Paper", a kind of thick rubbery pourous plastic.  It's not only "waterproof", it's printerproof. Especially black, the lines smear easily, and they bleed and fade when wet.  My old inkjet that broke had better ink, both of my modern ones  have ink that smears on that material.  Some colors are fine, but man, what a pain.  And you can't write in it with a #2 pencil.  It's hard enough to get people to remember a writing instrument, making them bring an assortment is no good.

 

It's quite thick for a Nano, won't hold many signatures.  AND it still gets soaking wet, so I have to hang it to dry. It gets moldy much faster than paper does.  Because signatures and the inject print bleeds and fades, I have to change it more often than ordinary paper.  I print cool themed logs in my Micros.  So I most often print on paper.  I absolutely never allow my caches to degrade to a spitwad log, whether paper or plastic.  There's also "Rite In The Rain" coated paper, but since it needs a laser printer which I don't have, I hardly use that paper for anything.  Ordinary paper works for me.  I keep my caches maintained.

 

But Adventure Paper has a very classy feel.  I get compliments when I use it.  Wish I could print on it. 

 

The waterproof paper I'm using, until I run out and can't find anymore anywhere, is Xerox Waterproof Paper.  It's plain white paper and I haven't had any problems with printing in my laser printer.  It doesn't work with inkjet.  It's thinner than that Adventure paper and easier to write on, although stamps and gel ink do smear a little.  Sharpie, ballpoint, and pencil seem to write easily enough.  I recently deployed a bunch in places where they'll be covered with snow during the winter and am a bit anxious to see how they fare through the season.  I know a bunch were found while it was raining, so I'm sure the logs and containers got some water on/in them.  Hopefully, not a lot.

 

A local cacher uses/used that Adventure Paper.  It does indeed look cool!  I do recall having a tough time sometimes with writing on it with a ballpoint pen.  I don't recall ever trying a pencil, so not sure if that would've worked better or worse. I'm not sure what type of printer he used, but he did print them (stash note header and lines for signatures) and they looked just fine.

[+kunarion]

19 minutes ago, noncentric said:

The waterproof paper I'm using, until I run out and can't find anymore anywhere, is Xerox Waterproof Paper.  It's plain white paper and I haven't had any problems with printing in my laser printer.  It doesn't work with inkjet.  It's thinner than that Adventure paper and easier to write on, although stamps and gel ink do smear a little.  Sharpie, ballpoint, and pencil seem to write easily enough.

 

That sounds great!  My "Rite In The Rain" paper is not great for pens, especially rollerball.  I might look for the Xerox paper, then make some color log sheet PDFs and see if I can go print them at an office store someplace.  I haven't owned a laser printer since my HP Laserjet IIP failed, 20 years ago.

[+noncentric]

2 minutes ago, kunarion said:

That sounds great!  My "Rite In The Rain" paper is not great for pens, especially rollerball.  I might look for the Xerox paper, then make some color log sheet PDFs and see if I can go print them at an office store someplace.  I haven't owned a laser printer since my HP Laserjet IIP failed, 20 years ago.

Oohhh. Sad to hear about the RIR paper.  That was my plan after my current stock of Xerox paper runs out.  The Xerox paper is hard-to-find.  At least, I haven't found any yet in a reasonably small (25 or 50 sheets) amount.  I think it works with copiers, like if you have a 'form' on regular paper and make copies of it with the Xerox paper in the tray, but I have no actual experience trying it.  Good luck!

[+cerberus1]

25 minutes ago, kunarion said:

My "Rite In The Rain" paper is not great for pens, especially rollerball. 

 

We've used Rite in Rain paper since our first cache.     Ballpoint and gels are carp sometimes, especially if a bit damp.

I like G2s, but for other's, regular paper logs.  

 

 IIRC, Rite in Rain pens are made by Fisher, and neither has been a problem for us.  Pencils and ultra-fine point sharpies work good too.