Developing Tanks...

I recently switched to SS reel's (Hewes brand). The 35mm reels are simply the best thing since sliced bread. I've never times it but I'm sure its under 1 minute to load a 36 exp film. Extremely easy to clean and I can reuse them within a few hours as they do not trap water and dry quickly.

The 120 Hewes reels are also very good, night and day compared to the cheap 120 reel's I first bought however there is a bit more of a knack to loading the film, the most important part is to get it central on the reel.

Previously I used "AP" brand plastic reels. I can't say that they were bad but normally 1 in every 10 films would jam. I always make sure there is a spare reel to hand and never fight with it as it normally leads to disaster and a damaged film. The secret with the plastic reels as others have said is to keep them clean. I used a nail brush to scrub the grooves after every 4 or 5 uses. I also use Photoflo but once the reel is used I drop it into a bucket of soapy water until I've finished all film and start to wash the gear.

I never use a squeegee on my film, Photoflo ensure there is no water marks.
 
It is hard to better my old Nikor tanks and reels I been using since 1965. Imitation stainless don`t make it for various reasons.

I have a new Patterson SS 4, and it makes smooth clean negs , I just don`t like it.
Keep Photo Flow away from it or it gets sticky and won`t load, Cut off the sharp corners on the lead so it will load. It take an odd amount of chems and plastic is an insulator so water baths do not work as well.

Today I would get a Kindermann steel.
 
Toothbrush and hot water or alcohol go a long way in getting these reels clean. I do use photoflo with the film still in the reels so they tend to need cleaning sooner than TomA has mentioned. My reels get a cleaning every three months or after 50-60 rolls of film.
 
When I wash the film - the tanks sits in a small plastic basin. As I usually do 5-10 rolls at a time, I leave the reels from the first batch in the basin and they get a 20-25 minutes "wash" from the tank overflow.
The last reels are usually left in the basin, with running water for 10-15 min while I make futile attempts to clean up the sink and put stuff away.
Photo Flo is sticky stuff! There must be a better way for cleaning the reels than the tooth brush! So far I haven't found any though.
The Dishwsher helps - but even so, you need to brush and scrub them too.
 
I vote for steel reels (HEWES) for 35mm format. Once you get the hang of loading them it's a no brainer and they never stick like the plastic reels. One big advantage of steel reels is that you can quickly wash and dry them for another round of developing. You can even load them while they are wet, but i advise against that due to potential damage to the film. As long as you don't drop them, they should last a lifetime.

Interestingly I can't seem to manage loading 120 on to steel reels. Never had any luck with that, so i use plastic Patterson reels for medium format.
 
After a one-minute tutorial, all my students came to love the Jobo reels - specifically the DuoSet 1501.

The Paterson reel with the ball-bearing (and the earlier design with "fangs") grabs hold of the film at the entry point and pushes it in, as the amount of film in the spiral increases, the friction also increases. The Jobo works in a different way: with the right coordination involving both thumbs and forefingers, the film is actually pulled from the far end.

A segment of the Jobo reel has its sides cut out, so both edges of the film are exposed: this is the place where your forefingers are meant to be. The thumbs placed at the entry point of the reel hold down the film sequentially as the spiral is turned to and fro, and at the same time the forefingers does the same thing with the edge of the film already loaded into the reel. A little practice is all that is needed to get the hang of that coordinated action, and I have loaded Jobo reels, even if stained and dirty, with no problem whatsoever.

But then, for large amounts of film to be processed together, I use RoSet reels, but that's another story!
 
I tried stainless reels years ago, and probably if I'd practiced and practiced and stuck with it I'd think they are easy as pie today. Just like someone who's been playing an instrument for years thinks it's easy. But I didn't. I happened on Kinderman reels. They're look at first glance like normal stainless reels, but they have 2 slightly different features. One is a prong in the hub that engages the film. The other is at the outer rim of the wheel, the last spiral extends at 90 degrees like a little stub. Kinderman makes a plastic jig that the reel slips on like a wheel on an axle, and there's an apron that curves the film and a place to hold the jig. Slip the film through the apron and down into the center where it engages the hub prong, grab the little stub on the edge of the reel, and turn the reel like a crank. The film winds into the reel in about 10 seconds and never slips the track. Ingenius as they come.


I also have one plastic reel, which I think is second to the Kinderman in ease and consistency of use. I'll leave the plain stainless to the guys who've been using them for a few decades. I marvel at how adept they are at loading, but at this point in my life I'm not up to the challenge 😀
 
Ben Z,

I am familiar with the Kindermann system as well. A less-known system based on the same principle was sold by both Durst and 3M. A plastic reel is fitted into a gadget where the film is curled up slightly and pointing straight at the clip at the central shaft. Once attached, the small handle at the edge of the reel can then be turned to load the reel from the middle as per stainless steel reels. I had a 3M-branded 35mm tank, my personal record for loading a full 36-exposure roll of film was less than three seconds.
 
After a few mishaps with plastic reels, I switched to Nikor stainless reels and tanks in the 1960s and have never had a problem with them. One big advantage is that they load from the centre outwards, so if there should be a problem with the way the film is loading, it's easy to feel where it's gone wrong and you can correct it.

Cheers 😉

Paul
 
I have a Jobo and a freesytle, both plastic. I use the Jobo for 120 and the freestyle for 120/220, Ive only done about 40 rolls, but I am not having any real trouble.

However, I cannot for the life of me get the 4X5 to develop evenly with the plastic spool. I have been using some mesh tubes that I made, and they work great

Dave
 
One thing not yet mentioned, and may have a bearing on ease of use. Who is loading their reels in a changing bag, and who is doing it in a dark room? I've had no trouble at all since I stopped using a changing bag.
 
ChrisN said:
One thing not yet mentioned, and may have a bearing on ease of use. Who is loading their reels in a changing bag, and who is doing it in a dark room? I've had no trouble at all since I stopped using a changing bag.
Click to expand...

I have both a changing bag and a tent, no darkroom. I use the bag, even with 5 reel tanks, most of the time just because it is no setup. I only use the tent when I have several tanks to load.

However, I have used a special 1+ meter square room, with a 1/2 meter by 1 meter table and shelf. It was made specifically just for loading film and sure is nice. But it is not in my house.
 
RE: Developing Tanks...

Yes, I left out that I am using a changing bag; a HARRISON. It is big, but not the tent model. I am building my dark-room as we speak.

However, I have accumulated so much undeveloped negative that I do not want it to back up on me.

In closing, thank you Tom & ALL others who have given great advise & practical knowledge.

Best,

LV1
 
djonesii said:
However, I cannot for the life of me get the 4X5 to develop evenly with the plastic spool. I have been using some mesh tubes that I made, and they work great
Click to expand...

Dave,

You really need proper sheet film "reels" for the purpose, such as Jobo 2509 or earlier versions in a suitable tank.
 
I've used steel reels since the beginning (way back in the 90s!). I could never, EVER get a plastic reel to load, even in daylight. That's why I use steel. Moving parts are hard for me.

It took me a roll to get the hang of it again (and remember which direction they load...) when I picked up developing my own again this year. Now it takes no time at all to get it in the tank.

An added benefit of steel tanks is the ability to change and control temperatures more easily. You can heat/cool faster and your tempering bath

I use plastic lids on my steel tanks, though, and change them out when they crack or go bad. I can never get steel lids back off without resorting to some overly-serious effort.
 
ChrisN said:
One thing not yet mentioned, and may have a bearing on ease of use. Who is loading their reels in a changing bag, and who is doing it in a dark room? I've had no trouble at all since I stopped using a changing bag.
Click to expand...
I use a changing bag and steel reels, for 35mm and 120. No worries. The only suggestion I would make is to buy the largest bag you can find.
 
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