Paper safes

[Bob Kerner]

I’m looking for a paper safe that will accommodate up to 11x14. It looks like paper safes in general are a rarity; I see them sold in only two stores and the closest size is 12x16.

Is there such a thing as an 11x14 paper safe, or should I just get the 12x16 and deal with the extra bit of size?

Is there any reason to avoid the used market, beyond the fact that the couple I found were within $5 of a new one? I’d be concerned about cracks in something that’s maybe been lying around in someone’s basement etc.

Thank you.

[JMO]

Note that Ilford FB Cooltone paper comes as 12x16in, and not (I believe) as 11x14, so if you might want to use Cooltone you'd like to have a safe that can accommodate up to 12x16. Otherwise, I've always appreciated the extra bit of room in my 12x16in safes for the various types of 11x14 paper I use. Another long-time LFer and darkroom printer also advised me to not buy safes designed for 8x10in papers, as it's just as easy to buy the 12x16in size safes and use them for either the 8x10 or 11x14in papers.

[Bob Kerner]

Another long-time LFer and darkroom printer also advised me to not buy safes designed for 8x10in papers, as it's just as easy to buy the 12x16in size safes and use them for either the 8x10 or 11x14in papers.

Ok then, you drilled right down to the origin of my question! I took a printing class last week. Instructor recommended getting a paper safe for efficiency. It’s a community darkroom so you don’t want to be wasting time fiddling with the box and black wrapper bag. She said to get 11x14 not 8x10 for exactly the reason you just wrote……you can use the bigger box for multiple sizes, but not the other way around.

[wclark5179]

Freestyle has a few:

https://www.freestylephoto.com/search?q=Paper+safe

For decades I used the box the paper came in and kept it in a drawer, wrapped in the black plastic bag that came with the paper.

[Pieter]

The paper safe I have for 11x14 measures 12x16.

[John Layton]

If you want space to accommodate up to 12x16 inch paper - just make sure that the boxes' inside dimensions will be large enough.

In other words, if I had this (12x16 paper) requirement and saw a listing for a paper safe which "measured 12x16 inches," I'd want to know if these were the physical dimensions of the outside or inside of the box (neither of which would work), or if the box were truly designed to accommodate 12x16 paper, in which case the inside dimensions of the box will be somewhat larger to allow for smooth and safe paper handling. Make sense?

[David E. Rose]

In my experience, the cabinet style metal safe with multiple shelves and a spring loaded front door is much nicer to use than the two-piece plastic style with the plastic hinge on the short side that always seemed to break off. The best answer would be a light tight drawer in the enlarger base cabinet, I have seen plans for those but never made one.

[Kevin Crisp]

Try Craigslist. Often sellers don't know what they are so won't actually list them, but if you search for "darkroom" (and "dark room") you can see photos of piles of old darkroom stuff and spot an occasion paper safe. You know the type of seller, unloading dad's hypo-stained print dryer. Premier made or might still make them. Their style has the very strong spring door. My favorite is by "Brumberger," ("Brooklyn 33, New York") which has a segmented roll up/down door like you'd see at a loading dock. I suspect mine is from the 60s. They do save time when printing and from time to time when you need a quick place to stash film so you can turn the light on they work for that too.

[David E. Rose]

Do a search for “darkroom paper safe”, there is a nice Brumberger available for $90

[John Layton]

Those Brumberger safes are nice (I've owned a couple) - but they can get rusty with age, especially when used for extended periods in damp darkrooms. So be careful!