This seems to be the best forum, if Mason will indulge me. I can't remember this being asked anywhere before. What creative uses do you people have for the hundreds of film cannisters you accumulate? I already use them for storing screws, electronic components, coins (they then act as paperweights in the darkroom), but the numbers build up faster than I can use them. I hate throwing them out (I still have a few really old Kodak yellow metal screw-tops). Has anyone built a raft from, I don't know, a few thousand? Any really creative uses?

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), October 05, 1999

Answers

They get tossed into the household recycling box for humane disposal and resurrection as yet more film cans. They can be massed for interesting room dividers or light fixtures--provided you're a hardcore Fuji shooter! That's where several hundred of mine went recently. Having this sort of thing around the house seems akin to the ghoulish Old West fashion of furniture made from animal horns, skulls,etc.

-- Gary Watson (cg.watson@sympatico.ca), October 05, 1999.

I have a Homeopathic emergency kit with Arnica Gel (useful for treating wounds) stored in...a film canister.

Another use...as a pinhole camera? I vaguely recall seeing an article about placing 35mm film on against the curve on one side, placing the pinhole in the other.

-- Mason Resnick (bwworld@mindspring.com), October 05, 1999.

In the U.S. they make great holders for $.25 pieces for the toll roads. As a Boy Scout I used 'em for salt and pepper. If you enjoy fishing and are stuck for a bobber, these will do, but they don't set the hook automatically. In the workshop you can sort screws, nuts and washers with'em.

Fortunatley, as I shoot sheet film, it's no longer an issue. Now, what shall I do with this extra light tight film box......

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), October 05, 1999.

Fishing net floats for a scale model trawler? They make excellent containers for the fluff and fur that fly tyers use in making trout flies. Fairly decent cricket traps. Good for mixing small amouts of glue for model making. I havent tried using a pair of them connected with a piece of string for a tin-can telephone yet.

-- Tony Brent (ajbrent@mich.com), October 05, 1999.

Gee, they also make nice coil forms for winding radio coils for antique radio circuits. Low electrical losses and don't look too bad. I too have the usual collection of tiny screws and hardware stashed away in them. What I really miss are the old metal ones with the screw caps that Kodak used to have. I think Kodachrome came in them, but maybe all the films.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), October 06, 1999.

Tony, They might also work for an .049 model gas engine fuel tank! Say you got one of those Cox .049 plastic flying model airplanes from the super store thinking that when the plastic plane breaks you can salvage the engine and other good parts to build a wood plane. However, you discover the engine used is a tankless version. The film canister is about the right size and shape.

-- Andy Clements (a_clements2@juno.com), October 06, 1999.

I had a customer once who hunted with black powder rifles. He would come in before hunting season and relieve me of hundreds of cans and pass them around to his hunting buddies. He filled them with pre-measured powder, a wad and a ball then loaded them into a 12 gauge shotshell bandolier(I now use 12 gauge bandoliers for carrying lots of film when need be).

-- trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), October 06, 1999.

they make good dope containers, too!

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), October 06, 1999.

you need to go to the "no nudes policy" thread tony...I could use some help!

-- trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), October 06, 1999.

Mason what happened to your "no defiling Cox airplanes policy"? personally i think it's a vile and damnable act to rape a model airplane of any variety. Then to affix some filthy half-assed ex-film cannister now fuel tank onto it's purty little fuel line. Disgusting...I cannot believe this plane raper hasn't been jailed.

-- trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), October 06, 1999.

Canisters

I mix my own oil paints - guess what I store them in? Condiment containers for camping trips Match containers for wet weekends on the boat Oh, and I occasionally use one or two to repair the air conditioning unit at work.

-- HUwbie Doobie Doo (crosby@magna.com.au), October 07, 1999.

Canisters

Oh and I believe that MacGuyver once built a nuclear weapon out of a canister and a piece of string.

-- HUwbie Doobie Doo (crosby@magna.com.au), October 07, 1999.

i am glueing them together to make a diffusion panel

-- rodney carver (carcon@spinnnet.com), October 13, 1999.

Tony's got the right answer, but don't ask for a hand check at the airport.

They're also good for art projects, donate them to an elementary school.

-- Robert Spieden (robert_spieden@hotmail.com), October 13, 1999.

They are close to ideal for soaking woodwind instrument reeds prior to playing. Oboists and bassoonists use them all the time. Clarinettists and saxophonists somewhat less often. The Fuji cans seem to be the most watertight.

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), October 13, 1999.

QUICKIE CONVENIENT TOWEL H0LDER -- Take the lid and cut and X thru it from one side of the rim to the other. Drill a small hole thru the bottom of the cannister and insert screw from inside. Now wherever you want a towel to hang just screw the cannister to the wall, bench, etc. and snap the lid on. Take the end of a towel and press it into the slits of the lid.

-- Dave Pettrow (tedeum13@yahoo.com), October 21, 1999.

I put a pebble in one and toss it on the floor and my cats love it....And yeh Tony, good stash cans.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), October 21, 1999.