Anyone know how to load these Kodacraft Aprons?

[bmattock]

I aquired a venerable Kodacraft tank (and only one apron, thought there were two) from eBoy recently. I understand that Freestyle sells a new version of 'em too. The idea was that I could use them to load my very curly and hard to handle Forte B&W film.

But I find I don't know how to load these aprons. Not as intuitive as I thought, or I'm simply an idiot.

Anyone ever use these? How do they work?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[GeneW]

Anyone ever use these? How do they work?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

If they're the ones I used some 40+ years ago, you match up the start of the apron with the start of the film and roll them up together into a spiral, then put them into the tank. I think the film went on the inward side of the spiral, and there are little nubs on the apron to provide room for solution to flow around the film. Does this description resemble what you have?

Gene

 

[bmattock]

If they're the ones I used some 40+ years ago, you match up the start of the apron with the start of the film and roll them up together into a spiral, then put them into the tank. I think the film went on the inward side of the spiral, and there are little nubs on the apron to provide room for solution to flow around the film. Does this description resemble what you have?

Gene

Gene,

That sounds exactly right, thanks! I was looking for something to, um, snap the film to the apron or make it hold on in some way, if you know what I mean. So, is the apron just meant to keep the film from touching other film while developing? Not to actually hold the film? I still feel like I'm missing something.

I mean, if that's all there is to it, why not use these all the time instead of steel or plastic reels? It can't be that easy, can it?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[GeneW]

Gene,

That sounds exactly right, thanks! I was looking for something to, um, snap the film to the apron or make it hold on in some way, if you know what I mean. So, is the apron just meant to keep the film from touching other film while developing? Not to actually hold the film? I still feel like I'm missing something.

I mean, if that's all there is to it, why not use these all the time instead of steel or plastic reels? It can't be that easy, can it?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

That's right, it just keeps the film separated so it doesn't touch itself during development. It doesn't really 'hold' it the way a Paterson reel does. It was considered the easiest tank to use, back in the day ...

Gene

 

[bmattock]

That's right, it just keeps the film separated so it doesn't touch itself during development. It doesn't really 'hold' it the way a Paterson reel does. It was considered the easiest tank to use, back in the day ...

Gene

Are there any drawbacks? Why would it not be preferable today? I mean, this doesn't make sense. I was thinking I had it wrong because it was too easy. But no, it is that easy. So, um, why would any other system be preferable?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[jlw]

Are there any drawbacks? Why would it not be preferable today? I mean, this doesn't make sense. I was thinking I had it wrong because it was too easy. But no, it is that easy. So, um, why would any other system be preferable?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

The main disadvantage was that you couldn't develop another roll of film until the apron had dried out, which can take a long time.

Other than that, no drawbacks. Just one of those simple, nearly foolproof, subtly brilliant ideas -- like the Automatic Tray Siphon and Tri-X -- that used to be a Kodak specialty.

All that clear thinking never got Kodak much respect in the community of "serious photographers," who would start dissing the Yellow Father as soon as they felt they were out of the beginner stage, and desert to more "professional" alternatives such as mistake-prone, dent-attracting, hard-to-load stainless steel reels.

 

[jlw]

That sounds exactly right, thanks! I was looking for something to, um, snap the film to the apron or make it hold on in some way, if you know what I mean.

Doesn't one end of the apron have one turn rolled into it and riveted in place? That's how I remember mine. The idea was that you'd tuck the end of the film into the nook of the rolled end and then roll it up from there.

The riveted end wasn't essential to having the thing work correctly, but it made it easier to match up the ends in the dark.

 

[GeneW]

Are there any drawbacks? Why would it not be preferable today? I mean, this doesn't make sense. I was thinking I had it wrong because it was too easy. But no, it is that easy. So, um, why would any other system be preferable?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

What jlw said. Also, if I recall correctly, they only came in one-roll tanks -- you couldn't stack them to process more than one film at a time. Some people claimed that development wasn't as even as with SS tanks and reels, but I never noticed that myself. Haven't seen one of the Kodacraft tanks and aprons since high school. I always thought they were pretty cool!

Gene

 

[bmattock]

The main disadvantage was that you couldn't develop another roll of film until the apron had dried out, which can take a long time.

Other than that, no drawbacks. Just one of those simple, nearly foolproof, subtly brilliant ideas -- like the Automatic Tray Siphon and Tri-X -- that used to be a Kodak specialty.

All that clear thinking never got Kodak much respect in the community of "serious photographers," who would start dissing the Yellow Father as soon as they felt they were out of the beginner stage, and desert to more "professional" alternatives such as mistake-prone, dent-attracting, hard-to-load stainless steel reels.

OK, fair enough - I note that I have to let the plastic reels dry too before I can use them again, or they also get kinda twitchy. The steel ones are hard to use no matter if wet or dry. However, I have noticed that the steel ones get easier to use with practice. Still not as dead easy as this looks to be, however.

I'll try this with a roll of film tomorrow and see how it goes. If I like it, I'll order some of the 'new' stuff Freestyle is selling.

Thank you!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

What jlw said. Also, if I recall correctly, they only came in one-roll tanks -- you couldn't stack them to process more than one film at a time. Some people claimed that development wasn't as even as with SS tanks and reels, but I never noticed that myself. Haven't seen one of the Kodacraft tanks and aprons since high school. I always thought they were pretty cool!

Gene

Mine appears to be a two-roll tank with a metal spacer disk in between. But it only came with one apron - there is clearly meant to be another. I think I can still use this with one as a test, though.

And Freestyle appears to be selling their successor now, but like yours, they are single roll:

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=5628

Still, I am guessing their replacement apron would be fine in my two-roll tank, eh?

Thanks!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[GeneW]

Mine appears to be a two-roll tank with a metal spacer disk in between. But it only came with one apron - there is clearly meant to be another. I think I can still use this with one as a test, though.

Right! I remember seeing those. It's been a long time ...

Gene

 

[richiedcruz]

I've picked up a couple of these myself. Mine came with 120 reels. I have not used them yet so I am looking forward to seeing how you do with yours. These tanks were being discussed on photonet a while back, and people referred to the reels as ravioli style aprons.

Richie

 

[bmattock]

I've picked up a couple of these myself. Mine came with 120 reels. I have not used them yet so I am looking forward to seeing how you do with yours. These tanks were being discussed on photonet a while back, and people referred to the reels as ravioli style aprons.

Richie

I can understand why people would call the apron 'ravioli'! I'm ran mine through the dishwasher last night - it was still covered in chemistry from the last time it was used, who knows how long ago (made my hands burn). I'll run a roll of B&W through it today and report back on the results.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[djon]

When I was 8 (I'm 62) my mother showed me how to develop film in an open tray full of chemistry, rocking it back and forth in the dark. Then everything got sophisticated and I got one of those Kodacraft things. Yes, they made roll film easy to handle and were more durable than plastic reels that followed them.

SS reels are necessary if you're to process Ektachrome up through E3 because more space was necessary for the reexposure light.

As well, SS tanks are manditory for replenished chemical tanks with nitrogen burst agitation, which is what professionals who ran their own chrome used to get the best possible agitation in E4 and B&W. This was the ONLY way to rival dip and dunk processing machines.

As well, SS reels actually ARE easy for a person who bothers to learn the basics and takes reasonable care of equipment...they're just like light meters, manual focus, rangefinders and processing your own film in that respect.

Think how hard it would be to load the Kodacraft aprons in a changing bag, especially with 120...you have the film, the backing paper, and the apron, all snaking around inside the bag. YIKES!

 

[jlw]

SS reels actually ARE easy for a person who bothers to learn the basics...

True enough. Then again, so is brain surgery, or so I'm told...