Working with microfilm

Dan K · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:37 am

Hi All,

I'm presently securing some aircraft engineering drawings from NARA which are on microfilm. Does anyone have experience concerning the most effective (make that "cost-effective") way of transferring the microfilm image to usable paper drawing.

Be sure to type slowly--I'm new at this! :roll:

John Lane · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:40 pm

Sometimes the local county library or college library will have micro-film reader/priinters for use. I have my own reader, but if I need anything printed I go to the LDS (Mormon Church) geneoalogy department and use their's. It's on a hour meter so you pay accordingly. Good Luck!

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:57 pm

So far I haven't found a decent method yet. Take a good look at the films you get though, because if they are of high enough quality there are some services that will scan them from film to digital. My Fairchild and Vultee films are of such variable quality that it isn't worth trying to have someone do it. Right now I just use a viewer at the library and do a partial print of what I need or make dimensional notes and a sketch. I've tried a couple of scanners at home and even a 2400dpi optical resolution wouldn't do it well enough to spend the time with it.

I checked several years ago about just having all the films printed and from the estimate that I got it was definately the wrong direction to go.

If you find something that works, let us know.

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:10 pm

I just cranked out about 300 sheets worth of microfilm at the local library. Most decent libraries have a genaeology department and a microfilm viewer that's linked to a printer.

Dan K · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:14 pm

Thanks John, Craig, & Rob. I sort of figured this is what the rest of you were doing. Needless to say I'll probably/definitely be picking all your brains again as this project evolves.

Have a GREAT weekend and thanks again.

helinut · **Joined:** Tue May 25, 2004 11:57 am **Posts:** 168

What I have just started to do , because the qualitiy of the image isn,t that good photo copy, and now i also take a digiat picture, bring it home put on the computer and make working drawings from those, you can also save the picture to cd.

Dan K · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:14 pm

Thank you, gentlemen...keep the ideas coming.

WIX rocks (again)!

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Dan:

To my surprise, last year when I went to the public libraries close to my home, they had no microfilm readers anymore.

Somehow, they decided to just get rid of them.

This opens the possibility that most libraries may be going digital, and thus, somewhere, someone has a warehouse full of microfilm readers/printes, and then you can buy one for a low price, and print your own stuff at home.

If you decided to go this way, make sure that you buy the type that has a plain paper printer, and not the old-style with heat activated paper.

Good luck!

Tulio

Mick Grinter · **Posted:** Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:36 am

We get most of our film put on CD,most photo centres can scan 35m microfilm but get it scanned at a fairly high resolution or they are hard to read on the PC or off your printer.
You can have them run off on a bubble jet plotter to AO or on continious length.

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:01 am

Tulio..I have surmised by your postings, "you are out of town a bit"....
remember, aren't the local municipal auctions in the early Spring? I'll
keep my "eyes" peeled, if you guys are looking for such equipment!

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Don, you may surmise. Go ahead, surmise! : )

Yup, I am out of town a lot actually; rarely I spend too long at home, and for this reason I have had a hard time conducting a lot of the research I would like to finish, because not only of lack of time, but access to micro-film readers.

I am looking for one, but I have not really applied myself to finding one. Eventually, I will hope to find one that is affordable, and then I'll read a few rolls of microfilm that are waiting for me.

If you come across something interesting, reader-wise, let me know.

Saludos!!!!

Tulio

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