So on Friday I dabbed some of the paint on the frame and the next morning I went for a hike to take some test shots. I got mixed results - I could sorta see the problem occurring but to a lesser degree but since I dabbed on the paint with a Q tip I had some hairs on the edges and it looked a bit rough.
This morning I got rid of a lot of that paint, masked off the area and just spray painted on the film gate directly. This afternoon I took some tests and I think that problem was resolved.
I couldn't see the issue here on a bright subject, where the problem was most prone to occur. The edges are a bit more rough, but this is a non-issue I think, if anything it may add a bit more to the aesthetic.
They weren't visible in these two high-contrast shots either.
I saw no problem in the subdued light shots either.
HOWEVER I have been noticing an increasingly troubling problem. It looks like a light leak, usually in between negs. This is especially troubling because I just replaced the light seals. I added additional light seal before this shoot and the problem seems even worse than previously.
These pretty much always happen in the middle of the neg, frequently in between the frames like on the far right (or at least that's where it's most noticeable).
Before I pin this on a light leak, could chemicals be a problem? Maybe I need to make fresher Fixer? I bought my bottle of liquid 76 months and months ago, could that be a problem as well?