Why can't I load my 120 film onto my stainless steel reel properly?

N

Negative

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I picked up a stainless steel reel a while ago, and I've ruined four out of five rolls of 120 film because I couldn't do it properly. I keep getting the film stuck to itself and the chemicals don't reach all over it.

The problem is, it doesn't even load properly when I'm using an old roll and looking straight at it in the light.

What the hell keeps going wrong here?
 
I have the same problem with my metal 120 tank from craigslist. I have given up and am looking for a plastic one...
 
The reel could be dented. If a steel reel goes bad through dents or deforming then the will film loaded on it will suffer a similar fate.

Try rolling a sacrifice roll with some light to see if there are any areas that cause film to touch or derail.
 
is it a hewes reel?
I had a cheaper stainless reel and had the same issues . The hewes reel just works better , the design seems to center the film and allows it to go right on.
 
-doomed- said:
is it a hewes reel?
I had a cheaper stainless reel and had the same issues . The hewes reel just works better , the design seems to center the film and allows it to go right on.
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No, it's a reel I got off Adorama, not really a brand, I guess.

Looking at it now, I see that the reel is bent. As in, the edges are like this: \-/ but less severe. I never dropped it or anything, how did this even happen?

To add: the clip really sucks and tears my film at the edge. Anyone out there wondering if they should buy this: don't even look at it.
 
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I used to have trouble loading 120 onto Paterson reels!

It's pretty snappy stuff when it comes off the spool and one attempt in the light with a practice film and a stainless reel was enough to convince me it was risky.

Once you damage a film when loading it there's no way back and muphy's law guarantees that the best shot on the roll will be the one that's totally ruined! 😛
 
-doomed- said:
Those seem pretty simple to use .

If those arent available the hewes reels are available from freestyle as well
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I've been using aprons for years in lieu of reels (plastic or steel) and I love them. They are dead easy to use. No manual dexterity or cooperative film required.

There are some drawbacks that some may object to. For one thing, the tanks don't hold more than two rolls of 35mm (or 1 roll of 120) at a time. This is not a problem for me, but it is for some. The original Kodacraft tanks could not be inverted - no cap and no liquid-tight seal on the top. The Freestyle tanks can, but they are limited to one roll of 35mm. And agitation is important to get even development along the edges where the plastic aprons contact the film (the have wavy edges that resemble lasagna noodles). However, I don't have a problem with those limitations, and I never ruin a roll of film by not being able to get it on a reel. I suggest it for all beginners.

Oh, they aprons are really cheap too.
 
Hi all, I just joined today as I'm considering joining the RF club, but wanted to chime in on development.

Negative - I had the same frustrations starting out, just about 6 months ago. I do 35mm and 120, and mucked several frames on my first two rolls of 120. That was with an undamaged stainless reel and screwing around for 15 minutes in a dark bathroom trying to get it to wind properly.

So yeah, I know it sucks, but it's not uncommon starting out. For 35mm, I don't even screw around with anything other than the Peterson compact plastic ones.

Anyhow, cheers and good luck.
 
Yeah... it doesn't take much for those steel reals to get bent enough to prevent film from going on properly. I bought a dozen 120 and 35mm reels at a garage sale a couple years ago and even though they all looked good when I eyeballed them I was ruining film after film. after taking a level to them I found that only 3 of the dozen or so rolls had perfectly parallel reel ends, and testing with film they where the only ones that didn't give me any trouble. I do find the steel reels are easier and quicker to use than the plastic ones but they have to be in mint shape. I find that with my plastic reels if the camera I shot the roll in winds the film the opposite way it's rolled in the canister (which is most of my cameras) I have to leave it rolled in the film canister for a while as any amount of curve against the direction of the plastic reels causes it to jam near the end, especially with 36 shot rolls.
 
Adorama sells stainless Kalt reels that are bent, new in box. I ruined 3 rolls using them. Bought Hewes and haven't missed a frame since. Adorama is doing themselves and film shooters a huge disservice selling those cheap, defective reels.
 
Yeah, I think I'm going to get a Hewes reel. I've heard good things about them and this is seriously pissing me off; I lost a lot of good photos due to this
 
Loading stainless reels can be a pain but once you get it, even 120s it rocks.

The biggest guidance I give you is to make sure your eyes are the same when you are loading the reel (my assumption is in a darkroom) as when you practice. It may sound strange but I found it a big deal. When I was learning to load reels I did it in the light with my eyes closed. I screwed up the first few times I did it in the dark room and could not figure out why. My eyes were open, even though I could not see anything, I messed it up. I closed my eyes in the darkroom and it went very well. Once I figured that out I changed my practicing to do it with my eyes open and not looking at the reel.

Another tip is to run your fingers over the top and bottom of the reel to see if you feel any film (pointy sharp) edges. All you should feel is smooth steel if your film is loaded correctly. Run your fingers over it when it's not loaded and that's what you should feel when it's loaded. If your reel is messed up take the film off and try again.

Look for some out of date film to practice with. The main thing is practice. I liked to do it when I was watching TV.

Hope this helps, good luck.

B2 (;->
 
I remove the spring clip on all my 35mm and 120 SS reels, they are more trouble than they are worth.
Loading 120 film on a 120 SS reel is actually much easier than loading a 35mm film on a 35mm SS reel.
 
Negative, where did you learn the technique to load the film on the metal reels? There are lots of tips online. The biggest impact on my results was to keep the film bend (curved) along its long axis while rolling it along its short axis. The bending must start from the very beginning. You may have to trim the corners of the end that goes on the clip to be able to bend it at the start.

Also, as others said, keep checking your work with your fingers and back out as necessary. Finally, do not expect to do it in the dark if you are having difficulty with the lights on.
 
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