Jump to content

35mm film canisters


CleverCloggs

Recommended Posts

14 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

I have a geocaching friend who uses those and he has given me some of the empty containers. I have only used one. I put it inside a small sized cache to hold the log.

 

Film canisters were of such variety in design, there's no way to have a blanket statement on sealing ability... never mind finding the exact version that worked previously.

 

I had one such cache that worked great for 6 years, the container remained pliable, and the log stayed dry.  I placed similar caches that all failed in a few months.  At that time (~2010) it was already getting hard to find extras.  Film developers used to have buckets full of canisters, and you could grab all you want for free.

 

These containers are great for many Geocaching purposes.  For sealing out water, not so much.

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Goldenwattle said:

I put it inside a small sized cache to hold the log.

 

3 hours ago, IceColdUK said:

I now use the film pots to hold the logbook, inside an outer container.

A film pot can hardly hold a logbook -_-

Where are the days when small caches used to have logbooks instead of curled logstrips enclosed by baggies or film pots? But probably one should be thankful the film pot is not the only container used for such caches :unsure:

  • Love 2
Link to comment
1 hour ago, kunarion said:

 

Film canisters were of such variety in design, there's no way to have a blanket statement on sealing ability... never mind finding the exact version that worked previously.

 

I had one such cache that worked great for 6 years, the container remained pliable, and the log stayed dry.  I placed similar caches that all failed in a few months.  At that time (~2010) it was already getting hard to find extras.  Film developers used to have buckets full of canisters, and you could grab all you want for free.

 

These containers are great for many Geocaching purposes.  For sealing out water, not so much.

I had floated all mine in a bucket of water to test the waterproofness of them 

  • Funny 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, kunarion said:

 

Film canisters were of such variety in design, there's no way to have a blanket statement on sealing ability... never mind finding the exact version that worked previously.

 

I had one such cache that worked great for 6 years, the container remained pliable, and the log stayed dry.  I placed similar caches that all failed in a few months.  At that time (~2010) it was already getting hard to find extras.  Film developers used to have buckets full of canisters, and you could grab all you want for free.

 

These containers are great for many Geocaching purposes.  For sealing out water, not so much.

Im going to search for ketostix containers and matchstick containers they seem to be a good choice...

Link to comment
7 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

Look at the way things seal.  If it's a kind of compression seal, it's good.  But if it has O-rings, be prepared with extras.  Match tubes use a flat O-ring.

The O-rings that come in the match containers don't last very long, but you can buy better ones at a hardware store.

  • Upvote 1
  • Helpful 1
Link to comment
20 hours ago, NanCycle said:

Are these containers water-tight?  The original film canisters are NOT!!  My test is to put a piece of tissue in it and run it through a dishwasher cycle.  If the tissue is still dry, it's water-tight.

 

 

Very water-tight. Especially the film containers bought on geocache.com. I love them. Great test you have there. Thanks for sharing. 

  • Funny 1
  • Surprised 1
Link to comment
6 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

 

 

Very water-tight. Especially the film containers bought on geocache.com. I love them. Great test you have there. Thanks for sharing. 

Yes I was wondering about the ones sold on geocaching.com, because the standard film cans that I used to get and that are still being used for caches are not at all.  I just found a series of four of these caches and all of the. logs were wet.

Link to comment
25 minutes ago, NanCycle said:

Yes I was wondering about the ones sold on geocaching.com, because the standard film cans that I used to get and that are still being used for caches are not at all.  I just found a series of four of these caches and all of the. logs were wet.

 

Film canisters would be fine if their lids were replaced once in a while.  The plastic has to remain pliable and when they become brittle they will break and leak.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:
6 hours ago, CleverCloggs said:

I had floated all mine in a bucket of water to test the waterproofness of them 

Floating them in a bucket won't test whether they're waterproof. A rowboat floats on water but it won't keep the rain out. You need to hold them underwater for a while and see if any moisture gets in.

Holding them underwater isn't really an accurate test either, unless you're creating an underwater cache. The most accurate test I've heard of is to leave it out in your yard for a year, opening it and resealing it every week or two. A quicker test is to leave it in the dishwasher for several cycles. The changes in temperature and humidity from the dishwasher simulates the effects of weather changes.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
On 9/29/2020 at 2:19 PM, SamLowrey said:

 

Film canisters would be fine if their lids were replaced once in a while.  The plastic has to remain pliable and when they become brittle they will break and leak.

Even before they have any visible signs of cracking they are not water-tight.  I am talking about the black cans with the gray lids; the translucent ones with the inset lids might be better.

Edited by NanCycle
oops
Link to comment
18 minutes ago, NanCycle said:

Even before they have any visible signs of cracking they are not water-tight.  I am talking about the gray cans with the black lids; the translucent ones with the inset lids might be better.

 

Round these parts the cans were black and the lids were grey.  If I saw the reverse it would be mildly unsettling.

  • Funny 1
Link to comment
7 hours ago, Hynz said:

 

A film pot can hardly hold a logbook -_-

Where are the days when small caches used to have logbooks instead of curled logstrips enclosed by baggies or film pots? But probably one should be thankful the film pot is not the only container used for such caches :unsure:

But at least the container the film canister was in, was big enough to hold TBs and small trinkets.

  • Surprised 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, SamLowrey said:

Round these parts the cans were black and the lids were grey.  If I saw the reverse it would be mildly unsettling.

I've seen black canisters with grey snap-on lids, grey canisters with black snap-on lids, and the translucent canisters with translucent lids that slide into the mouth of the canister.

Link to comment
9 hours ago, RuideAlmeida said:

Probably you will go to a Continente shopping sometime, just check inside SportZone, they sell cheap bison tubes that are great... even if they are smaller than 35mm canisters.

NanCycle's advise regarding match tubes applies equally to bison/bullet tubes of this sort, and even more, magnetic nanos (blinkeys, some call them).  Most of the time, the o-rings are pretty poor, and are especially vulnerable to being 'over-torqued' by finders, which often cuts them.  These should be replaced with ones fatter and of higher quality 'rubber' before placing them as caches.  The fact that by being fatter, they're a little larger in the OD than the bison is not a problem.  I prefer at LEAST nitrile or full-on HNBR for the material, since it holds up better to temperatures here.  I keep these around for various reasons, including caching - since it provides 10 for bisons. 

https://www.harborfreight.com/205-piece-hnbr-o-ring-kit-67644.html

 

  • Helpful 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, niraD said:

I've seen black canisters with grey snap-on lids, grey canisters with black snap-on lids, and the translucent canisters with translucent lids that slide into the mouth of the canister.

 

As a side note, when I bought my house the previous owner had a lot of good stuff.  I told him to just leave anything he didn't move.  I got a mower and edger and a tree saw a shovels and all sorts of good stuff that way.  Anyway, among a bunch of junk on a shelf in the garage were two film canisters with film in them.  Since the leader was inside the "cartridge" I figured it was exposed.  I thought it would be neat to see what was on them but then I got paranoid and thinking what might be on them could be bad in some way and then I would be implicated somehow.  So I didn't. 

  • Funny 1
Link to comment
2 minutes ago, SamLowrey said:

 

As a side note, when I bought my house the previous owner had a lot of good stuff.  I told him to just leave anything he didn't move.  I got a mower and edger and a tree saw a shovels and all sorts of good stuff that way.  Anyway, among a bunch of junk on a shelf in the garage were two film canisters with film in them.  Since the leader was inside the "cartridge" I figured it was exposed.  I thought it would be neat to see what was on them but then I got paranoid and thinking what might be on them could be bad in some way and then I would be implicated somehow.  So I didn't. 

Your post reminded me of the geocache stage that was written on a roll of film so you had to unwind it to get the coordinates for the second stage, then wind it back up. I liked the uniqueness of it.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
On 9/28/2020 at 2:33 PM, CleverCloggs said:

LOl I get  your point... and yes, I do want to hide good quality ones... But I will be checking often 

 

Hide a cache with a good container so you don't need to check on it often. It might cost you a little bit more (not always) but you won't have to do maintenance nearly as much as you would with a container that leaks or isn't watertight.

 

On 9/28/2020 at 2:51 PM, HunterandSamuel said:

To replace when/if light post caches are muggled

 

I hope those are your caches you're replacing and not someone else's caches.  Replacing a container without permission is the same as someone putting out a container because they think it's missing when it's not.  Both are throwdowns and are against the guidelines.

 

7.11. Respond to "throwdowns"

Throwdowns are strongly discouraged

A “throwdown” is a container placed by a geocacher who cannot find the original cache.

Some geocachers place throwdowns so that they can log a find on a cache that they suspect is missing. Geocaches should never be replaced without the permission of the cache owner. This can lead to multiple containers, geocacher confusion, and disputes about whether someone is entitled to log a find or not.

How to handle throwdowns

Cache owners are responsible for maintenance. When you are aware of throwdowns, check if your cache is still there and remove the throwdown cache. Consider disabling the cache until you can remove the throwdown or replace the original cache. If you do not disable the cache, you may want to honor Found It logs for the throwdown. However, the geocacher who placed the throwdown does not have a strong claim to log the cache as found.

 

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
47 minutes ago, coachstahly said:

I hope those are your caches you're replacing and not someone else's caches.  Replacing a container without permission is the same as someone putting out a container because they think it's missing when it's not.  Both are throwdowns and are against the guidelines.

NOt replacing any6thing that is NOT mine. 

  • Surprised 1
Link to comment

This is my alternative to a film canister:

The thread of a beverage bottle is sawn off. I opted for a standard returnable bottle in Germany (Perlenflasche) because they are more robust than disposable ones . The cut surface is then ground off.

The thread is then placed on aluminum foil and four magnets are placed in it. I use 8mm diameter and 2mm thick ones. 9mm diameter also fit and you can also use thicker magnets if necessary. My first attempts were 2 magnets 10 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick. Also works, but was too weak for me.

The thread is then filled with two-component adhesive until the magnets are just covered. The aluminum foil is easy to peel off and if there are leftovers, they don't bother either. From today's experience, I would prefer to leave it on because it is an additional protection for the magnets. If the cache is placed on a rough surface and the protective layer of the magnet is damaged, it will start to corrode.

The cache is waterproof like a petling and has an inside diameter of 21mm and a depth of 17mm

The reason why I came up with this solution is that it looks like a rotary knob or a valve and, on corresponding technical systems, looks like it belongs to them. I painted one red and attached it to the side wall of an extinguishing system in a parking garage. It is clearly visible to the public and has survived well for 5 years so far.

Stöpsel_komp.jpg

Edited by yrcko
Google translation skipped a word
  • Funny 1
Link to comment
12 hours ago, yrcko said:

This is my alternative to a film canister:

The thread of a beverage bottle is sawn off. I opted for a standard returnable bottle in Germany (Perlenflasche) because they are more robust than disposable ones . The cut surface is then ground off.

The thread is then placed on aluminum foil and four magnets are placed in it. I use 8mm diameter and 2mm thick ones. 9mm diameter also fit and you can also use thicker magnets if necessary. My first attempts were 2 magnets 10 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick. Also works, but was too weak for me.

The thread is then filled with two-component adhesive until the magnets are just covered. The aluminum foil is easy to peel off and if there are leftovers, they don't bother either. From today's experience, I would prefer to leave it on because it is an additional protection for the magnets. If the cache is placed on a rough surface and the protective layer of the magnet is damaged, it will start to corrode.

The cache is waterproof like a petling and has an inside diameter of 21mm and a depth of 17mm

The reason why I came up with this solution is that it looks like a rotary knob or a valve and, on corresponding technical systems, looks like it belongs to them. I painted one red and attached it to the side wall of an extinguishing system in a parking garage. It is clearly visible to the public and has survived well for 5 years so far.

Stöpsel_komp.jpg

That looks a nifty piece of craftmanship … cool

Link to comment
4 hours ago, CleverCloggs said:

That looks a nifty piece of craftmanship … cool

 

Yes, they are nice.  They're a bit small though.  Another common and similar diy container is to cut off the top of  two bottles in a similar fashion then glue them together.  You end up with a cap on each end but the internal volume is about  twice as big. 

 

I know that this thread is titled 35mm film containers but it's just as much a thread about alternative to 33mm film containers.  

Link to comment
On 9/29/2020 at 4:36 PM, Hynz said:
On 9/29/2020 at 12:51 PM, IceColdUK said:

I now use the film pots to hold the logbook, inside an outer container.

A film pot can hardly hold a logbook -_-

Where are the days when small caches used to have logbooks instead of curled logstrips enclosed by baggies or film pots? But probably one should be thankful the film pot is not the only container used for such caches :unsure:

 

Fair enough: "logstrip".

 

I'm always interested to read about the good ol' days when people pressed wild flowers or wrote poems in leather-bound notebooks, whilst admiring the mountain-top views, but I'm afraid that's never been my experience.  (Apart from the views - I really have enjoyed some fantastic views!)  I guess, it's difficult to be nostalgic for something you've never really known.

 

Tbh, when I do find a notebook, I rarely write much more than my name, the date and something along the lines of "thanks for bringing me here".  I prefer to tell my 'story' in the online log - it lasts longer!

 

For my own caches, I hope for the same: a decent online log (in lieu of the pressed flowers and poems) every time.  So, 'double-potting' a logstrip works for me.  Of course, if the outer containers fail, the strips can still get damp but never (so far!) unusable.

 

An inner film pot seems to keep the log in far better condition than a baggie too.  Here's one from the top of my pile - replaced in June after 4 and a half years and about 25 finds.  [Edit: This cache was a film pot inside a 60 ml screw-lid specimen pot, held magnetically inside a metal post.  Although open to the elements, the post offers some protection, and the method of attachment ensures that the container is always replaced the right way up.  Both help!]

 

875D84E1-242C-46B4-BCAC-AFFC2DEFC372.jpeg.6e971b6270528fcc6b65f0f8607007ba.jpeg

Edited by IceColdUK
Added the log!
  • Funny 1
Link to comment
On 9/29/2020 at 11:36 AM, Hynz said:

A film pot can hardly hold a logbook -_-

Where are the days when small caches used to have logbooks instead of curled logstrips enclosed by baggies or film pots? But probably one should be thankful the film pot is not the only container used for such caches :unsure:

Yeah...   

We finally removed our logbooks when we realized that time somehow overtook the experience/location presented by the cache.

We didn't want anything to happen to them, as they had special moments others shared with us inside.   :)

They were replaced with Rite in Rain notepads in our few remaining, and just a single line with name/date are the norm. 

 - Still more than what's out these days (log strips in ammo cans...), and they'll last a very long time too...

Link to comment
1 hour ago, IceColdUK said:

Tbh, when I do find a notebook, I rarely write much more than my name, the date and something along the lines of "thanks for bringing me here".  I prefer to tell my 'story' in the online log - it lasts longer!

 

All those libraries that have books that need to be replaced every couple years....   :D

Link to comment
3 hours ago, IceColdUK said:

Fair point, but libraries rarely go missing. ?

 

And books don't go outta business,  or have little other issues of it's content in the future.     :)

 

BOT...   We still use film cans, but they're stuffed with grocery bags for CITO. 

We drop them in caches as a reminder sometimes (if we're picking up trash only in that area), and if room,  when we feel an area could use it.

Link to comment
6 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

We still use film cans...

 

Once in a while when I hear, or read some "prejudice" about little containers always reminds me one of many good lessons that I have learned from fellow geocachers.

Back in 2012 Lorrie came to the Amazon and I took her around the city caches, like I do with all the geocachers that visit us.

In the south hemisphere we live/gather/trade in the streets much more than in the north, and sometimes when I find the "perfect hideout", I have to give up, because someone would be close to it almost 24 hours a day, so especially with urban caches, I need to use nanos or micros, or the caches would disappear very quickly.

When searching for some of those caches with her I kept on excusing for the hard time people will have just to find the cache and reach for it.

So Lorrie said:

"Don't even bother about it, when people like me, travel thousand miles into the Amazon or other faraway places and have the chance to find a cache, we don't care about the container. It's the experience that counts."

 

And she knows too well that "size is not document", like they say in Brazil. :)

Link to comment
56 minutes ago, RuideAlmeida said:

Once in a while when I hear, or read some "prejudice" about little containers always reminds me one of many good lessons that I have learned from fellow geocachers.

 -snip -

When searching for some of those caches with her I kept on excusing for the hard time people will have just to find the cache and reach for it.

So Lorrie said:

"Don't even bother about it, when people like me, travel thousand miles into the Amazon or other faraway places and have the chance to find a cache, we don't care about the container. It's the experience that counts."

And she knows too well that "size is not document", like they say in Brazil. :)

 

I feel I've well established in a number of threads that the location is why I'm still in this hobby.    

 - If it was centered on containers, I would have been gone around '12...       :)

But that doesn't mean I'd use those same containers myself, preferring something more weatherproof and made to last a lot longer.

That's not "prejudice", as numerous threads shows what we go through in testing containers.  

We use matchstick holders for our last remaining micro, before that we used bison tubes.  It was testing that made up our minds...

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
On 10/1/2020 at 9:25 PM, cerberus1 said:

 

I feel I've well established in a number of threads that the location is why I'm still in this hobby.    

 - If it was centered on containers, I would have been gone around '12...       :)

But that doesn't mean I'd use those same containers myself, preferring something more weatherproof and made to last a lot longer.

That's not "prejudice", as numerous threads shows what we go through in testing containers.  

We use matchstick holders for our last remaining micro, before that we used bison tubes.  It was testing that made up our minds...

I have found a number of small caches.... the fact that you find them is great, even though in this area they are not as good and the caches have been almost forgotten about... but will still search and go further afield.. Found some great containers to use... and will maybe do more caches later.. certainly seems to be a need for new stuff in this sleepy village I live in... 

  • Upvote 1
  • Surprised 1
Link to comment
4 hours ago, SwineFlew said:

Don't find them if you hate them.

 

An interesting proposal. I'm not a fan of puzzle caches, but they're clearly marked on the map and easy to avoid. If the cache description (or logs) don't mention the type of container, how would one avoid finding that type of container? :)

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...