Do you Roll your Own film?

Do you Roll your Own film?

  • Yes, I own a bulk owner and rollout each and nearly every roll of film I shoot

    Votes: 41 37.6%

  • No, I don't roll my own film, prefer to buy already rolled.

    Votes: 26 23.9%

  • I go back and forth as I like the conveance of both

    Votes: 42 38.5%
  • Total voters
    109
  • Poll closed .
I have five of the bulk rollers with the film counters in them, that I have picked up in various deals.

I go to our local one-hour lab, and they save the spent cartridges for me. I use scotch tape to attach the film cartridges, then roll off thirty six exposures. When I go to develop the film, I tear off the end of the film, and throw the cartridge away. I think it's a thrifty way to load film, never had a bit of problem with any of those rolls. Recycling the cartridges makes sense, I use Kodak cartridges for Kodak film, and Fuji cartridges for Fuji film. Have hundreds of each in large ziplock bags.

To load Eastman XX film off the 400' movie core, I use "Kodak Snap Caps" which come apart. I have about 150 of those, from various deals. I use strips of masking tape to secure the film inside the snapcap. Stretching your arms wide apart gives you 36 exposures, plus a bit of leader on each end. Thanks to TomA for this "XX method" of handrolling.
 
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I have also used such an approach after I used up all my Freestyle purchased cartridges. I am this point now; I will go to Sam's Club and get film cartridges from them next.
 
I'm just starting. 100' rolls in the fridge: Arista Ultra 100, Arista Premium 100, Legacy Pro 400. Waiting on a back order roll of Arista 200. Two Watson 100's and one Alden 74, with my eye on another Alden. Got lucky on the FM forum and got 85 new cassettes at a good price.
I no longer have a darkroom, so keeping my fingers crossed that my scanner keeps humming (and scanning!).
 
I used to roll manually almost all film I shot with my Canon P cameras. I used 5 Canon metallic cassettes, similar to Leica IXMOO. I still have the Canon cassettes just in case.
 
I have 5 LLoyd bulk loaders . I usually only have film in 3 . Tri-x , pan f , and fp4 . I prefer to roll 30 exposure rolls because they are easier to load in my patterson developing reels .
 
Nokton48 said:
I spool off 36 exposures, right off the 400' roll, using the "TomA method".
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What is the "TomA method" ? I'm using bulk loaders now, but I'm thinking about rolling them on the central spool in the dark and only them put it in the cassette: one less go through the cassette-lips, hence less risk for scratches, so I'm interested in any other good method.

Stefan.
 
gliderbee said:
What is the "TomA method" ? I'm using bulk loaders now, but I'm thinking about rolling them on the central spool in the dark and only them put it in the cassette: one less go through the cassette-lips, hence less risk for scratches, so I'm interested in any other good method.

Stefan.
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Stefan, if you are going to do it "in the dark" - I recommend that you make up a small "dowel" - either wood or metal. Find a piece of wood, trim one end so that the center spool inside diameter provides a tight fit when you push it on it (and make a small slot to handle the cross bar in the center spool). This makes it much easier to wind on the film.
Center spools without the "winding stick" are slippery and keep popping out of your hand!!!!! Metal is nice - but you need some metal working equipment to do it (lathe, files etc). The wooden ones are easy to make - and cheap. You need about 4-5 inches long (10-13 cm) to get a good grip on it and put some cloth tape on it to improve grip too.
Leica actually made one, I think it was called ABLOON or something - made from brass (which is springy enough to hold the spool) - they are a bit difficult to find though - most are probably lost under darkroom cabinets by now.
 
I've found it easier to wind the film on the spool and then insert it into the cassette, each has its own...Then again I seem to do something different each time I venture to the dark-side. I'm a lucky man, 2 400ft cans of XX and no defects from the process.

Gary
 
I own a set of rewinds, so I picked up some 100' motion picture daylight spools and transferred film over to them for use in normal 100' bulk loader.


K14 said:
I've found it easier to wind the film on the spool and then insert it into the cassette, each has its own...Then again I seem to do something different each time I venture to the dark-side. I'm a lucky man, 2 400ft cans of XX and no defects from the process.

Gary
Click to expand...
 
K14 said:
I've found it easier to wind the film on the spool and then insert it into the cassette, each has its own...Then again I seem to do something different each time I venture to the dark-side. I'm a lucky man, 2 400ft cans of XX and no defects from the process.

Gary
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Gary, the biggest problem with the 400 ft XX is when you get close to the core. It has a pretty steep 'curve" to it and will unwind quickly if you are not careful. It also abhors going straight in the camera. It is usually just the last 15-20 ft that does it though.
 
Hi all
I don't bulk yet but have the cartridges and was thinking about buying some trix somewhere in the US and have a friend living there ship it to me, but it seems I could buy some film from Germany? I am in french part of Switzerland, so that order from photoimpex will require some google trad...
But I wasn't aware of film available in Europe as bulk, and don't know much of fancy retro cinema old stock fun.
Cheers
 
Still have the Watson 66B I purchased in the 1960`s. I modified it so it hold the film down against the counter like in the later Watsons, grey ones. It no longer pops open unexpectedly so I roll with the light on.

Last few years, I managed to acquire a bench winder. ABLON template, three dozen IXMOO brass cassettes for Leica M. This is now my preferred method of working.

I am forced to load some regular cassettes for Nikon or Leica R use.
 
I just picked up another hundred spent 35mm cartridges, from the local one-hour lab. They have been saving them for me. I use them when loading with my daylight bulk loaders. A particularly thrifty and safe way to load bulk film. My contribution to recycling.
 
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