The internet is silent on this subject. It took hours to find any useful information about the rarity of disposable cameras. After sifting through almost a dozen pages of Google search results, I finally stumbled across a forum thread that was discussing this problem. A person by the username venchka shared the following information:

Walmart sends the film to the nearest Fuji lab. Fuji process the 35mm C-41 film. Everything else goes to Dwayne’s.

Source: Ranger Finder Forum – Walmart stopping film processing?

Assuming venchka speaks the truth, this is exactly what we’ve been looking for! Apparently, the cameras either go to someplace called Dwayne’s or they get sent to the nearest Fuji lab. What are those places?

Dwayne’s Photo

Dwayne’s Photo is a photofinishing lab located in the middle of nowhere. More specifically, they reside in a “small town in Kansas” according to their web site. Their history page more or less explains why Walmart sends some of their film to them:

With over 50 employees, Dwayne’s is one of the largest specialty labs in the United States.  We are very proud to have been the last lab in the world to process Kodak’s iconic Kodachrome film.  We are one of the few labs that still offer processing for a variety of film types that are no longer manufactured, including Disc and 126 films.

Dwayne’s is quite literally one of the last places on the entire planet that still develops certain types of film. It seems that Walmart has no choice but to send some types of film off to a tiny Kansas town for processing. The only place that still  has the technology required is a tiny family owned company smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

Also, forgive me, but I find it quite hilarious that “one of the largest specialty labs in the United States” only has around 50 employees.

Unfortunately, unless you happen to live in Kansas, Dwayne’s camera doesn’t seem like a good choice for getting a bunch of free disposable cameras. Even if the company were kind enough to mail them to you, it would defeat the entire purpose. We want to get the cameras for free. Stupid shipping costs. Fortunately, we still have one more hope: Walmart also sends cameras to Fuji labs.

Fuji Labs

What the heck is a Fuji lab? After doing a bit of research, I found out. Fujifilm is a company that makes photo-developing equipment for businesses. A Fuji lab is any location that owns Fujifilm photofinishing equipment. Essentially, Walmart just sends the cameras off to the nearest place that still has photo equipment.

How can you find these locations? Conveniently, Fujifilm has an index of every Fuji lab in the United States! Score! This list is probably everything you need. In fact, there are two Fuji labs within just a few miles of where I live. These places almost certainly have disposable cameras ready for the taking. You can view Fujifilm’s list of labs here.

This is the information we needed! All that’s left is to visit my local Fuji labs and do some smooth talking. Will it work? You’ll find out in the next post.

The post Hunting for Disposable Cameras: Locating Them appeared first on Blasted Science.

Somehow I get the feeling that it’s not going to be this easy

In the previous post of this series, we complained about the scarcity of disposable cameras, which makes many electronics projects much trickier to complete. Now, we’re going to find a solution to this problem, starting at the source: business.

Where are the cameras going?

Many places that develop film no longer possess the necessary equipment to develop it. Instead, they ship the camera off to be developed elsewhere. The first step to finding the El Dorado of cameras is to find out where they all get sent. I reached out to about a dozen companies, including Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, and Walmart, and asked them something similar to the following:

I am interested in acquiring a large number of used disposable cameras for a project I am working on. I have visited many of your physical locations and have been unsuccessful. According to the employees, your stores no longer develop the film on-site. They ship the cameras away to be developed somewhere else. I am wondering if you could tell me where they get sent off to. Thank you.

It’s been weeks and I’ve only gotten one response. Target replied to my email within the hour. Loosely paraphrasing, their reply stated “No, we won’t give you any cameras. Shut up,” which, needless to say, disappointed me greatly. At least they didn’t totally ignore me like the rest. Why haven’t I gotten any more responses? Maybe this is because all the customer service employees at every single contacted company simultaneously took a month-long vacation. Maybe it’s something far more sinister. That remains to be seen. Although it’s entirely possible that I get more responses later, I’ve jumped to the conclusion that I won’t get any. In any case, on the off-chance that I get another response, expect this post to be updated.

Where to from here?

If companies insist on ignoring me, there’s only one other option: the internet. Unfortunately, when it comes to locating disposable cameras, the internet is a barren place. In spite of this, after hours of research, I managed to find a few bits of useful information. I will share everything I’ve learned so far in the next post in this series.

The post Asking Companies About Disposable Cameras appeared first on Blasted Science.

In this modern world, many aspiring budget DIY enthusiasts will run into a problem: finding used disposable cameras is almost impossible. There are a ton of DIY projects that require disposable cameras. There’s no substitute for them: they contain a specific part that’s almost impossible to find elsewhere.

The Flash Capacitor

The prize inside every disposable camera is the flash circuit. Flash circuits contain two useful parts: a capacitor and its charging circuit. The capacitor is usually between 100-200 µF at around 300-400 Volts. In other words, this thing packs some serious juice. Common uses include tasers and coilguns, both of which you can expect to see on this site at some point. The problem is, disposable cameras are getting harder and harder to come across.

In the old days, one could walk into a local photo development center and simply ask to take all of their used disposable cameras off their hands. In most cases, the store would happily give them away for free. Nowadays it’s not so simple. Few places still develop film on-site. Every single store I’ve tried so far, Walgreens, Walmart, etc., ship the cameras off to be developed somewhere else. Getting free cameras just doesn’t work anymore.

Is there a solution?

There’s no way to solve this problem for everyone. Some people may still have access to film development centers. However, it’s a safe bet to assume that many people have no local access to old disposable cameras in bulk. This is because local stores send the film off to be developed elsewhere. Purchasing new disposable cameras is still possible in many stores, but what idiot would spend upwards of four bucks for something they should be able to get for free? Spending money, obviously, is not an option. The solution? Find out where all of the cameras get sent.

Where do they get sent?

I have no idea. But I’m going to find out. As editor-in-chief and hottest member of Blasted Science, I consider it my duty to solve this mystery. I’ve spent weeks crawling the darkest corners of the internet and contacting companies, gathering all the information I can. Blasted Science will be updated in real time with all the information I find.

The post Disposable Cameras Are Too Hard to Find appeared first on Blasted Science.

But not everyone can afford them. If you’ve been feeling particularly anarchist lately, this list of easy homemade weapons supports even the tightest budgets.

5. DVD Burner

These devices are built into just about every computer made within the last decade. Tearing one apart reveals a laser more than powerful enough to instantly blind anyone foolish enough to look into it. There are quite a few tutorials online detailing exactly how to extract the laser diode and build a laser pointer with only a few dollars’ worth of parts. A fog machine is optional, but

The laser’s power varies depending on the write speed of the burner. Output ranges from about 100 milliwatts (mW) to 400mW. At least 250mW is preferable for burning, meaning you’ll want a burner rated at least 16x.

It’s possible to see the beam in a dark room, but adding little fog turns it into a lightsaber.

Using a laser this powerful without any kind of eye protection is a seriously bad idea. If any amount of this futuristic weapon’s beam happens to hit your eye, you can expect permanent eye damage. Capable of burning a wide variety of materials, including flesh, you definitely won’t want your cat chasing this thing.

4. Styrofoam

Styrofoam is perfectly harmless by itself. However, dissolving it with gasoline yields a gooey, sticky substance remarkably similar to the napalm infamously used by the US military in the Vietnam War.

Napalm is an extremely long-burning substance that burns at up to 1,200° Celsius and adheres itself to skin. Many nations have signed an agreement to no longer use it in warfare, due to its horrific effects, such as causing death by burns and asphyxiation.

You’ll need quite a bit of styrofoam to make anything more than handful of napalm. It’s surprising how much Styrofoam can be dissolved in less than a cup of gasoline. Store your napalm in a mason jar to keep it from drying out. Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous (and have a lot of styrofoam), use something larger, like an empty paint can. Be careful when lighting any amount of napalm; once this stuff is lit, good luck trying to put it out.

The official Blasted Science can of napalm, which seems to be leaking gasoline.

3. Disposable Camera

It’s difficult to find disposable cameras these days, but it’s well worth the effort. Camera flashes use a circuit that increases the voltage of an ordinary AA battery from 1.5 volts to almost 400 volts, charging a capacitor to potentially deadly voltage levels. Definitely a weapon.

It’s possible to use more expensive cameras, too, but the circuitry is usually more complex. Disposable cameras use a simple circuit board that can easily be salvaged and repurposed. Extracting the circuit is incredibly simple and, with some minor changes, can be used as a taser. For the budget-conscious, many stores will happily give away used disposable cameras for free, and a single battery will last for a long, long time.

Try not to touch it. Brushing a hand against the business end stings like crazy. Touching it with both hands is a mistake you’ll never want to repeat. Licking it is highly recommended, just don’t expect to taste anything for a few weeks.

2. Super Soaker

Super Soakers are already entertaining, but it didn’t take long for people to figure out that they can shoot more than just water. Filling one with lighter fluid or alcohol is an easy way to make a cheap flamethrower. Simply attaching a candle in front of the nozzle and pumping it as normal can shoot flames at long-range. Not bad for less than thirty dollars.

Source

Using gasoline as a fuel is NOT recommended. Gasoline and plastic don’t like each other. The plastic used in Super Soakers isn’t particularly vulnerable to gasoline, but using a melted squirt gun would definitely cause problems. It’s be best to avoid gasoline altogether and use something like isopropyl alcohol instead.

This project is particularly dangerous. Depending on the design of the squirt gun, there is a chance that the flame will travel back into the tank and explode. As always, be extremely careful if you decide to build one for yourself.

1. Propane Torch

A self-igniting propane torch could already be considered a weapon, but to turn one into a sci-fi propane rifle, all you need is a few feet of plastic tubing and an empty soda bottle. Simply attach the propane torch to one end of the tubing, and the bottle to the other. Pressing the torch’s button will shoot a flame into the tube. When the flame reaches the bottle, a small explosion occurs.

Plenty of modifications are possible. For example, The Backyard Scientist added boric acid to color the flames green. And modifying it into a cannon capable of shooting golf balls 600 feet into the air.

Do-it-yourself weapons don’t get any easier. For just a few dollars you can own an incredibly powerful (and incredibly futuristic) propane-powered rifle straight out of Halo. Destruction has never been this easy.

The post Top 5 Household Items to Turn into Weapons appeared first on Blasted Science.