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-   -   120 film - do you remove the tape from the film ? (http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=13987)

Martin Aislabie 1st November 2021 04:12 PM

120 film - do you remove the tape from the film ?
 
I have been doing a fair amount of 120 film development recently.

As I load the film, I am always most careful to remove the tape from the film that attaches it to the backing paper.

I have always done this but I'm wondering need I bother.

Anybody's thoughts and experiences ?

Martin

Molli 1st November 2021 04:15 PM

I always remove it, but I have had it tear in half with one part remaining on the backing paper and the other remaining on the film.
It didn't cause any issues at all and made absolutely no difference whatsoever to the film's development.

Bill 1st November 2021 04:22 PM

I usually remove the tape from the backing paper but leave it on the film then fold it over the end of the film to stiffen the leading edge to get it into the spiral. That worked fine until recently when it appears that Ilford now run the tape the whole width of the film where previously it was slightly narrower. It makes getting the film fed into the Paterson ball bearings harder if not impossible. IF I remember I now tear off a corner each side and it feeds in quite easily.

Nat Polton 1st November 2021 04:40 PM

I used to leave it on until one time in the eighties the adhesive dissolved into a slimey substance and ruined the first few shots as it ran down the film when hung up to dry.
Shame I cannot remember the film or process, but I should think adhesives have been improved upon since then.

Cheers.

Svend 1st November 2021 04:46 PM

Martin,

I cut a little strip of film off where the tape is attached, and then use that strip for doing developer and fixer activity tests... after peeling the tape off of course. If my developer and fixer are both fresh then I don't bother and just peel the tape off in the changing bag.

Lostlabours 1st November 2021 04:53 PM

I never removed the tape from 120 or 35mm film. Once when I tried it with 120 I notice just visible static so never bothered trying again. Been processing 120 for over 50 years . . . . . . . . and just rear the tape where it joinds the backing paper.

Ian

Nat Polton 1st November 2021 05:07 PM

I have also seen the static on 120 tape, and when I pulled film out of a 35mm cassette with too much enthusiasm.
After developing I found the little spark flashes on the 120 film, but could not find them on the 35mm. Probably because I knew where to look on the 120.
Scissors are the answer.


Cheers.

photomi7ch 1st November 2021 05:19 PM

I used to cut a bit of the film off with the tape on. until I got the cut wrong and took part of the last negative with it :o now just cut the tape in two. have no problems so far.

MartyNL 1st November 2021 05:40 PM

I'm a trimmer, too.

Flack 1st November 2021 06:17 PM

I always peel it off from both the film and baking paper, I left one on once and it came off during development and ruined a couple of shots.

skellum 1st November 2021 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostlabours (Post 142060)
I never removed the tape from 120 or 35mm film. Once when I tried it with 120 I notice just visible static so never bothered trying again. Been processing 120 for over 50 years . . . . . . . . and just rear the tape where it joinds the backing paper.

Ian

Yup. Year ago I saw a weird green flash of static as I peeled the tape of the film. Ever since just ripped it off the the backing paper.

Mike O'Pray 1st November 2021 07:10 PM

I have only been home processing since about 2005 and have nearly always torn the backing tape from the backing paper and like a few others here simply attached the loose end to the film

I have never noticed any problems to the film from whatever the tape is made of. It's only masking tape really, isn't it so given that it's easily detached from the paper I do wonder if there is anything in the adhesive that can contaminate the developer anyway

Mike

Paulographic 2nd November 2021 10:41 AM

I tear the backing paper away from the film keeping the film steady in the other hand. If the paper hasn't torn in two I fold it over the end of the film, snip a bit off the corners and feed the taped end into the clip in the centre of the spiral, I use stainless steel spirals. When hanging up to dry I attach the weighted bottom clip to the taped end and when dry cut off without touching as the tape retains moisture.
I use a changing bag so have a small pair of round nosed scissors to aviod piercing the fabric.

Terry S 2nd November 2021 12:33 PM

Sounds like I may have been lucky over the years, as I've always left the tape on the film being put into the reel and then dev tank.

Terry S

Mike O'Pray 2nd November 2021 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry S (Post 142090)
Sounds like I may have been lucky over the years, as I've always left the tape on the film being put into the reel and then dev tank.

Terry S

I fear you'd only know if you have been lucky if at least a hundred or more of us had replied. Much short of those kind of numbers tend to indicate nothing that reaches statistical significance

I love what I see often on another forum where no matter how many say they have never had problem X in response to a query and that for reasons unknown the person had maybe done something or had experienced another hidden cause for the problem X and so his was almost certainly a one-off, there is always one who responds that he has experienced exactly the same problem to the letter and that convinces the originator that the other 100 must be wrong.:)

Mike

Keith Haithwa 3rd November 2021 08:35 AM

I have never removed the tape from the film end and I only ever saw issues back in the early 1960's when the tape tended to go a bit soft and wrinkly (a bit like me now :D) but at some point technology advanced and the tape/adhesive has improved to what we have now. I think that would have been about the mid to late 1970's. :confused:

Bob 7th November 2021 10:18 PM

I tend to leave it on and hang the film so the tape is at the bottom after washing... Ilford tape is pretty well stuck on and I am worried about damaging the film if I get ham-fisted in the dark trying to remove it.

Quite like the idea of trimming it off that some have suggested - I never thought of that!

JOReynolds 8th November 2021 12:40 PM

To respond to this thread, I have had, for the first time since 2012, to input my user name and password. Is this new?

I have processed many thousands of rolls of Ektachrome E1/E2/E3/E4 - Kodak tape is slightly narrower than the backing paper and I always removed it in its entirety - no problems. Static sparks were visible towards the end of one batch of ten or twenty hangers (by which time the eyes are dark-adapted) but it never showed up on the film.

The respondent whose tape floated off was very unfortunate - perhaps using east-bloc film such as Orwo.

By the way, our 'elf and safety lady forbade scissors in the darkrooms. I think she must have read somewhere of the risk - she had no darkroom experience.

Bob 11th November 2021 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOReynolds (Post 142172)
To respond to this thread, I have had, for the first time since 2012, to input my user name and password. Is this new?<snip>

Nothing changed at the forum end as far as I know - possibly the cookie that tells the forum to keep you logged in got deleted or corrupted in your browser. As long as the "Remember me" tick-box is checked, it should log you in automatically every time.

Cheers, Bob.

JulioF 13th November 2021 02:33 AM

I cut the film, as close to the tape as possible. Never took the tape out.

John King 13th November 2021 05:47 PM

Tape. Fixing, for the use of.
 
I have always left the tape on but clip the corners about 1/4" in. 120 film is thinner than 35mm and the tape being more or less bonded to the film, it makes a good support to to the leading edge of the film and makes it much easier to load onto the spiral without the film kinking as you do.

Tom Kershaw 17th November 2021 09:46 AM

I carefully pull the tape off; at one time I tended to leave it on but suffered some kind of tape related problem on one or two occasions.

big paul 2nd December 2021 11:18 AM

I have always taken it off ,its something I have always done for no reason , but now I could never develope a roll of film with it left on

Terry S 2nd December 2021 01:02 PM

Interestingly, since this post started and since my previous post, I have changed my habit when it comes to 120 film.

I now carefully cut the film as close as I can to the masking tape, whilst loading the film in the changing bag usually. I then tear off the tape in the light and like some others, I then use this to check developer and fixer usability. It's strange, as I have done this with the 35mm leaders for decades but never thought about also doing it with 120 film...?

Also, I have just found out, that if the tape is left on with the film and put through the whole development to wash process, the strip can still be cut off when the film is hung up to dry and used as above. The tape is obviously thick enough to stop the chemicals getting to the emulsion underneath.

Terry S

Uwe Pilz 2nd December 2021 01:19 PM

I always hang the film with the remaining tape at the bottom. There may run out contaminated fluid which I dont want having at the film.


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