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  #1  
Old 15th October 2020, 04:23 PM
Collas Collas is offline
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Default Ilford on film

Behind the scenes at Ilford's Mobberley factory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXpoALotxf0
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  #2  
Old 15th October 2020, 06:13 PM
Quendil Quendil is offline
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Thanks for sharing that I really enjoyed it

David
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  #3  
Old 15th October 2020, 08:22 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Very watchable. It was the same emulsion manager who gave the talk on the Ilford tours I went on

Very knowledgeable. He like most of the rest there have Ilford running through their veins. That kind of dedication was very comforting

Mike
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Old 16th October 2020, 07:40 AM
John King John King is offline
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The video was not that clear. The original factory which was in use was actually in Ilford - not Mobberley in Cheshire. They had a small facility there until at least 1969. That I know because the company used to give the staff a day off as a sort of thank you and organised outside displays by other organisations. One of these was a military motorcycle display team of which I was a member.

Never the less it was a good film of the process and it shows why film costs so much to buy.

Last edited by John King; 16th October 2020 at 07:51 AM.
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Old 16th October 2020, 03:48 PM
Molli Molli is offline
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I watched this when it came out. I honestly felt the same way watching it as Charlie seems to have felt upon entering the chocolate factory.
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Old 16th October 2020, 04:50 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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John's first sentence reminded me of the comment by the narrator close to the start about Mobberley's range of production facilities.

He seemed to be suggesting that Ilford make film, paper and chemicals on its site but this is not the case. There are no chemical making facilities as far as I am aware and certainly none that I can recall being shown on the 2006 and 2008 tours

It might be that I simply misheard the point he was making but it certainly left me with the impression that there were facilities to make chemicals as well

I have just replayed the video and at about 2 mins 20 secs the phrase he uses is "chemicals for photographic use" This may be chemicals needed in the production of the film and paper only but if so he should have made this clearer Someone who has never visited the factory might well assume that the phrase covers the whole range of Ilford chemistry for users of its films and papers

Mike

Last edited by Mike O'Pray; 16th October 2020 at 04:59 PM. Reason: Addtional info provided
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  #7  
Old 16th October 2020, 09:12 PM
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DaveInElland DaveInElland is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Collas View Post
Behind the scenes at Ilford's Mobberley factory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXpoALotxf0
Really enjoyed that - thank you!
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Old 18th October 2020, 01:13 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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I've just finished watching the film and enjoyed it again, the second or third time.

Right at the end of it though, seeing all the 35mm cassettes on the line, it made me think how much film is wasted en mass, just with the loading of a 35mm film into a camera. At least 2 to 3 frames each time, on average I would think. That would soon add up to millions of frames worldwide, which in turn being and an awful lot of silver wasted.

Of course it would cost money in setting up, but it must make financial sense to cut the above cost. I'm not sure how, but I envisage some form of paper or acetate end being attached to the start of the roll, thus saving the wasted frames. In a way, similar to one end of a 620 roll of film, but with sprockets.

I'm sure Ilford and other manufacturers must have thought about this over the years, and it's not possible, or on the other hand maybe they haven't?...

Terry S
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Old 18th October 2020, 03:12 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John King View Post
The video was not that clear. The original factory which was in use was actually in Ilford - not Mobberley in Cheshire. They had a small facility there until at least 1969. That I know because the company used to give the staff a day off as a sort of thank you and organised outside displays by other organisations. One of these was a military motorcycle display team of which I was a member.

Never the less it was a good film of the process and it shows why film costs so much to buy.
Ilford had various sites around the country as the results of mergers over the years, the Mobberly site was originally Rajar Ltd ans became part of Ilford in the mid to late 1920's however it had been part of APM later APeM who had formed a consortium with Ilford to manufacture Selo films.

The old Rajar Works buildings were still standing when I visited Ilford a few times in the early 1980's, I think it was redeveloped not long after the factory tour I went on in 2008. Part of the frontage of the Rajar 1903 film works is still there.

Ilford once had plants making Graphics materials and Xray films, they sold this side of the business to Agfa-Gevaert in the late 1970's and closed the factories that had made them, this was part of the rationalistion shortly before moving everything to new facilities at Nobberly and closing the factory in Ilford. They still had a small operation in London but this closed by the mid 1980's

Ian
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  #10  
Old 18th October 2020, 09:27 PM
John King John King is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
I've just finished watching the film and enjoyed it again, the second or third time.

Right at the end of it though, seeing all the 35mm cassettes on the line, it made me think how much film is wasted en mass, just with the loading of a 35mm film into a camera. At least 2 to 3 frames each time, on average I would think. That would soon add up to millions of frames worldwide, which in turn being and an awful lot of silver wasted.

Of course it would cost money in setting up, but it must make financial sense to cut the above cost. I'm not sure how, but I envisage some form of paper or acetate end being attached to the start of the roll, thus saving the wasted frames. In a way, similar to one end of a 620 roll of film, but with sprockets.


I'm sure Ilford and other manufacturers must have thought about this over the years, and it's not possible, or on the other hand maybe they haven't?...

Terry S
With the change from cameras with a manual wind on to those with an auto load and wind on, the section of film at the start which is cut away could be omitted, but there are still a significant number of cameras where this leader strip is almost a necessity for some folk.

If the film did not have to be trimmed they could save between 2-3 frames that way, so this would be nearly an 8% saving. When I load bulk film I never cut a leader, even for my MF cameras. A straight cut is all that is needed and line up the sprockets to ensure the film advance is equal on both sides. No need for an acetate leader either.

I do trim the leading corners to ensure the loading into the spirals are as trouble free as possible
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