PDA

View Full Version : loading 120 film to developing reel


peterlg
12th April 2011, 03:08 PM
to make this easier in the dark, I made a box of five pieces of cardboard. Now the reel does not roll away and the two notches rest aligned, ready for the film to go on. The reel (and its tank) is a Paterson Universal.
Peter
1098

Mike O'Pray
12th April 2011, 05:58 PM
Looks like a good tool, Peter. Aligning the openings and keeping the reel stationary can be problems. You've solved both.

Mike

Paulographic
12th April 2011, 07:13 PM
Why I prefer stainless steel reels though getting the end onto the clip is a pain sometimes.

Maris
13th April 2011, 02:40 AM
to make this easier in the dark, I made a box of five pieces of cardboard. Now the reel does not roll away and the two notches rest aligned, ready for the film to go on. The reel (and its tank) is a Paterson Universal.
Peter
1098

Great idea! My much less elegant method is to hold the reel against the edge of the darkroom bench with my belly. The reel stays in place, one hand holds the film roll, and the other forces the film end (it never goes without some fight, but I always win!) into the first turn of the spiral.

Keith Cocker
13th April 2011, 08:36 AM
Good idea. I got a "thing" from Nova that did a similar job. I don't think they make them anymore but if they can be found I recommend one for those less skilled with their hands


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

photomi7ch
13th April 2011, 11:17 AM
Great tool, I always have trouble with this part of the loading. Will you be showing us how you made it?

peterlg
13th April 2011, 04:36 PM
Great tool, I always have trouble with this part of the loading. Will you be showing us how you made it?

cardboard used : 3.5mm thickness. 2 pieces 4cm x 7cm; 2 pieces 3.5cm x 8.5cm; 1 piece 7cm x 8.5cm. The glue was the ordinary white stuff used for assembling wood.

photomi7ch
13th April 2011, 08:04 PM
cardboard used : 3.5mm thickness. 2 pieces 4cm x 7cm; 2 pieces 3.5cm x 8.5cm; 1 piece 7cm x 8.5cm. The glue was the ordinary white stuff used for assembling wood.

Thank you Peter :)

Andrew Bartram
13th April 2011, 09:07 PM
Recently bought Hewes Stainless reel and Calumet tank. The first roll was abit of a fumble in the dark but. Ok from there on, like anythig practise makes perfect.r

Jeff Kubach
14th April 2011, 04:35 AM
Great idea, I think I'm going to make me one.

Jeff

PaulDiz
15th April 2011, 10:23 AM
Having just spent Sunday dropping and fumbling film, I can see a glueing session ahead.
Thank you

Diz

Martin Aislabie
18th April 2011, 10:00 PM
cardboard used : 3.5mm thickness. 2 pieces 4cm x 7cm; 2 pieces 3.5cm x 8.5cm; 1 piece 7cm x 8.5cm. The glue was the ordinary white stuff used for assembling wood.

I thought the cardboard looked like it was foamcard ? :confused:

Using foamcard would make the chances of loose paper fibres a lot less

Martin :)

GeorgeH
20th April 2011, 09:37 PM
I like this idea! I finally realized that putting the tank, top, reel(s), film, etc in a 11x14 developing tray would avoid those awful searches for the lid or whatever in the dark.

Interesting comment on the SS reel for 120 use. I have no problem whatsoever with 35mm and SS reels, but with 120 all too often I don't really have the film secured to the core clip. It all loads on beautifully, but the last frame or two end up with subtle scratches in the base from rubbing the tank. So I've been using the Paterson instead.

I've heard good things about the Hewes reels. Are they worth the premium, $35 vs $10 or $12 here in the states?

Dave miller
21st April 2011, 06:53 AM
I like this idea! I finally realized that putting the tank, top, reel(s), film, etc in a 11x14 developing tray would avoid those awful searches for the lid or whatever in the dark.

Interesting comment on the SS reel for 120 use. I have no problem whatsoever with 35mm and SS reels, but with 120 all too often I don't really have the film secured to the core clip. It all loads on beautifully, but the last frame or two end up with subtle scratches in the base from rubbing the tank. So I've been using the Paterson instead.

I've heard good things about the Hewes reels. Are they worth the premium, $35 vs $10 or $12 here in the states?

Welcome George. :)
Your idea of using a tray is a good one, many is the time I’ve knocked something out of position whilst groping in the dark for the next piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
The question of value with respect to reels rather depends on which type you are used to using, as a plastic man the thought of changing to S/S has little appeal, primarily because of the cost involved, but also because the plastic reels do the job for me.

Martin Aislabie
22nd April 2011, 11:18 AM
I like this idea! I finally realized that putting the tank, top, reel(s), film, etc in a 11x14 developing tray would avoid those awful searches for the lid or whatever in the dark.

Interesting comment on the SS reel for 120 use. I have no problem whatsoever with 35mm and SS reels, but with 120 all too often I don't really have the film secured to the core clip. It all loads on beautifully, but the last frame or two end up with subtle scratches in the base from rubbing the tank. So I've been using the Paterson instead.

I've heard good things about the Hewes reels. Are they worth the premium, $35 vs $10 or $12 here in the states?

Welcome to FADU George

IMO Film Reels are just a means to an end - if Paterson Reels work for you - then great - stick with what works for you and spend the savings on materials

Personally, I have never understood why some get so excited about Reels - its not as if more expensive reels give a couple more stops of tonal range or Ansel Adams quality landscapes :p

Martin

Larry
22nd April 2011, 03:56 PM
I too use 120 from time to time and my workflow is to place all the components of the developing tank into a a3 size cat litter tray (clean no cats by the way) with my reels in either corner of the tray so i know where to find it with the feeding lips positioned ready. To this i add, scissors, and a bottle opener if I'm doing 35mm. I learn't long ago to get organised, too many times reels rolled off my worktop or lost the scissors in the dark.

Tried steel reels once, a pain to load, gave that up, then went to plastic patterson (average) and now only use the AP plastic wide-lip reels (so easy) to load with or without the backing paper attached.

Best of all, is that after processing you just seperate the reel in half and remove the film, no need to pull out of the reel.

walsh
2nd May 2011, 03:58 PM
I dont find loading 120 film a problem, its 35mm I sometimes have difficulty with. Too fiddly for me!

Richard Gould
2nd May 2011, 04:34 PM
I dont find loading 120 film a problem, its 35mm I sometimes have difficulty with. Too fiddly for me!

With my ''pencil trick'' I never find loading either 120 or 35mm film a problem,
Richard:D

peterlg
13th June 2011, 09:19 AM
Richard hi,
I came past this thread again and saw your reference to a "pencil trick". I imagine you're a magicien http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif and would like to know what your trick is. Will you tell me?
peter

Richard Gould
13th June 2011, 09:54 AM
Peter,
If you run a pencil around the groves in a plastic reel you leave a layer of graphite from the lead in the groves, which '' greases'' for want of a better word, I was taught this trick many years ago by a photographer of many years standing, and doing this every 2 or 3 films, either 35mm or 120 I have never had a film stick in the reel, they just go in as smooth as silk,
Richard

peterlg
13th June 2011, 11:38 AM
thanks Richard, this sounds easy - I always have a load of pencils around in the darkroom.
peter

Phil
3rd August 2011, 07:09 PM
I know I read somewhere on FADU about bending a small portion of the start of the film you are loading in the opposite direction to the natural curl of the film, so basically you have a fold of a piece about 5mm at the front of the film you are loading - hope that makes sense - you don't fold it completely over, just enough so that there is a a pronounced 'tick' if you are looking at the side of the film (though obviously you would have to judge this be feel!). The forward edge of the film is still the forward edge. You know it works like a dream - 120 AND 35mm just seem to slip onto Paterson reels with no troubles at all.
Whoever suggested it - a great big thank you!
Phil

TareqPhoto
5th August 2011, 03:39 AM
I have a dark tent, there i place 2 reels, one plastic and one steel, both for JOBO 1500 tank, i start with the plastic, if i could do it fine then i use it, if not i just take the steel one and ignore the plastic, many times the plastic reel take the film just fine, and sometimes i find difficult time to load the film on the plastic reel so i swap to the steel one, i have 2 Paterson tanks and i used them [one of them] only twice, JOBO tank is no brainer, even a steel tank i have is way better than the Paterson one, not sure if i prefer it over JOBO but i am so comfortable to that JOBO tank, wish if i bought two of this tank before.

I develop only 120 for now, in the future i may do 35mm if i bought a 35mm film camera.

DavidH
6th August 2011, 08:09 PM
Keeping everything together is never a problem for me as I always use a changing bag when loading a film spiral.
I have never found Paterson spirals any problem to load, either with 35mm or 120 size. My Son has a tank marketed by Jessops and although the spirals look much the same as those made by Paterson, they are very awkward to load.

GeorgeH
6th August 2011, 08:23 PM
An earlier post mentioned rubbing the spirals in a Paterson reel with pencil lead, i e, graphite. I wonder if running the reals through a :) dishwasher would remove the discoloration - deposits? - that builds up. I very much doubt that the temperatures on the top rack would be damaging, and the drying aid used in many diswashers is actually a wetting agent, which in any case could be rinsed off.

cliveh
7th August 2011, 06:50 PM
In relation to this post, how many favour central load tanks in preference to spiral? I prefer spiral, but have only used central load a couple of times.

Miha
7th August 2011, 07:30 PM
In relation to this post, how many favour central load tanks in preference to spiral? I prefer spiral, but have only used central load a couple of times.

Me. I find it faster to load with zero hassle. SS was the choice of busy professionals for years.

Paulographic
7th August 2011, 08:07 PM
I prefer SS since first trying as a student, as the college pro did.

A chap, camera mechanic, who stood our local SH/flea market for some time and some camera fairs reckoned on spraying gently from not too close silicone furniture polish onto plastic spirals to aid smooth loading.

(Off topic the same chap had two Olympus XA2s mounted together and cross wired for stereo).

timor
8th August 2011, 06:16 AM
I would not use silicon furniture polish for smearing plastic reels. Who knows, how it will react with developer. Graphite is non reactive and is naturally slippery, it will provide good lubrication, but then not to much of it, as it can get loose and stick to emulsion when it is soft. The problem maybe is the fact, that 120 film is sometimes not stiff enough to get it into the spiral easy. Try this: unroll film first and separate it form the backing. The far end with the tape glued to the film is much stiffer and much easier to introduce into the spiral. The whole operation from "lights out" to "lights on" takes me about one minute. The rule is as always that the spiral has to be dry.

Paulographic
8th August 2011, 06:41 AM
Neither would I do that myself.

I do fold over the tape at the leader end after detaching and attach to the clip in the spiral center assuming it detaches cleanly from the backing paper. Some brands such as Agfa don't.
After drying the tape still retains moisture so have it at the bottom weighted clip and snip off without touching.

DavidH
8th August 2011, 12:03 PM
I have used both SS and plastic centre load spirals. I have found no problem with 35mm film, but 120 has occasionally had two parts touching, and hence an undeveloped patch. For this reason I only use edge loading for 120 film.
I don't find the material the spiral is made of makes any difference either, but of course I haven't tried all makes.

timor
8th August 2011, 03:31 PM
I don't find the material the spiral is made of makes any difference either, but of course I haven't tried all makes.
One thing I can say about that spirals, the plastic used for them is of high quality. Fifty years old Yankee and yesterday's Paterson have the same functionality, no signs of deterioration, Yankee is not even discolored.

Keith Tapscott.
13th August 2011, 06:22 PM
I have not tried it personally, but this author shows how he removed the ball bearings from a Paterson film reel which he claims makes loading the film much easier.

http://web.me.com/johnfinch/PictorialPlanet/beginner_photography/easy_reel_loading.html

Mark J
19th May 2012, 05:20 PM
I learnt to use the stainless steel centre-starting reels years ago because I could never get a full roll of 35mm or 120 to go onto any of the plastic reels . I still don't fully understand why - maybe something to do with the humidity up here in N. Wales ? - more likely not keeping them 100% clean . Anyway, I get on well with the SS ones - for 120 . Ilford rolls are by far the best as far as the quality of the masking tape on the end of the film, its folding-back & sticking performance, and grip under the centre clip. It's amazing other manufacturers can't get this simple bit of manufacturing design correct.

Oh, one tip I can think of - if you load film in a dark-bag as I do, don't leave your watch, with a luminous dial, on your arm !

CambsIan
20th May 2012, 07:37 PM
I have to agree with Phil. I bend over the first few mm of a 120 film and it works like a charm. I think it probably has something to do with stopping some of the "flexing" across the film when trying to load it onto a reel.