dfoo
Well-known
Ok, just made a big mistake. I was loading up some film, and thought I had reached the end of the reel. Opened up the loader, and oops. Quite alot of film was left! Looks to me I blew about 4 rolls. What a turkey!
blowing a bulk load
- Thread starter dfoo
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jbf
||||||
Your title is easily....misconstrued. Hah.
oftheherd
Veteran
You might be surprised. Often the anti-halation backing gives a lot of protection. I once had some film in my camera and was changing the film as I had come to the end of the film. Somehow I didn't do the rewind trick first and opened the back to bright sunlight. I immediatly snapped the back shut, knowing I had ruined all those good shots. When I developed the film, I discovered I had only lost about 5 or 6 shots. It might be worth giving a try.
dfoo
Well-known
The film is in the trash now. I wouldn't want to go out for a bunch of shooting and find out later that the shots were trash.
russianRF
Fed 5C User
I've opened bulk loaders in a dark bag before, just to avoid the very problem you've brought up. It's a hassle, but I think it's worth it. An alternative is to keep loading until you SEE the film has run out in the loader. Granted, you might over wind into your last cartridge, and have to fish out a leader from that...
dfoo
Well-known
Yeah, I simply lost count 🙁 How stupid is that.
newsgrunt
Well-known
I now keep a piece of tape on the loader and mark off how many rolls have been loaded. When I get to what I think is the last one (18 or 19), I wind slowly until I get the 'end of roll' snap.
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Dont worry about opening the bulk loader pre maturely! I suspect most of us with decades of experience shooting still screw up. Popping the back of the camera or the baseplate of a M and "Oh hell" when you see the full take up spool and that nice gleamy film surface! Bulk loaders are a nit of my nemesis. I keep track of the film wound and then switch to another film stock in an other bulkloader. Pop the first one open, thinking it is empty!
That is why I now "hand load" in total darkness - full stretch of the arms gives me about 38 frames and if I persists I can load 70 rolls (400 ft) in one sitting. Center spools are pre- taped, old 11x14 paper boxes on the enlarger table. One for scissors and "twirl" stick to speed up winding the film on. one with empty cassettes and one for loaded ones.
The twirl stick is a piece of brass tubing with a slot cut in it - springy enough that you can stick a center spool on it, tape the film down, pull out the required length and cut. Then all you have to do is spin the stick and with your right hand, feed the film with the left so that it is properly seated between the flanges. Pop it into the cassette and dump into the "loaded" box. Faster than a bulkloader any time and you don't have to count turns!
That is why I now "hand load" in total darkness - full stretch of the arms gives me about 38 frames and if I persists I can load 70 rolls (400 ft) in one sitting. Center spools are pre- taped, old 11x14 paper boxes on the enlarger table. One for scissors and "twirl" stick to speed up winding the film on. one with empty cassettes and one for loaded ones.
The twirl stick is a piece of brass tubing with a slot cut in it - springy enough that you can stick a center spool on it, tape the film down, pull out the required length and cut. Then all you have to do is spin the stick and with your right hand, feed the film with the left so that it is properly seated between the flanges. Pop it into the cassette and dump into the "loaded" box. Faster than a bulkloader any time and you don't have to count turns!
dfoo
Well-known
Thanks Tom! I saw the video on youtube where you show your loading process. Perhaps I should have practiced with that dead film! 😀 I'm not sure I'd have the patience for that all the same. Especially this time of year, my darkroom is damn cold.
Tuolumne
Veteran
A link to the video?
/T
/T
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The dumbest thing I've managed to do bulk loading was cutting the film leader back to front on ten rolls in a row and not discovering it until I was out shooting one day and didn't have a pair of scissors on me.
feenej
Well-known
The worst thing I have done is not tape the end on the spindle in the cassette well enough. I managed to get a roll of film stuck in my OM-1 on the take-up with no way to wind it back into the cassette. It was at the EAA Fly-In. No back up, so I had to open the back and pull the film out in daylight. Tossed it in the drum, went back to re-take photos of "Glacier Girl", the P-38 salvaged from inside a Greenland Glacier.
martin s
Well-known
This happened to me before as well, I didn't use sticky enough tape. I learned though, and now I struggle to tear it apart in the darkroom.
I don't get the bulk thing though, why would you open up the drum before you hear the rattle of the plastic?
martin
dfoo
Well-known
In my case my defense is strong. Stupidity!
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