Bottom fed loading problem.

[fidget]

Hi,
At last I'm having a go with a bottom loader. A nice Zorki 1 with what looks like the correct spool. My film slots under the tab. When wound, the direction of movement is for the tab to move away from the film, so if it's not gripped tightly under the tab it simply pulls out. Am I doing something wrong? Should I "adjust" the tab?

Dave..

 

[fidget]

OK, I feel more awake now. So I tried folding a little of the film back where it fits under the tab. Feels much better but still drags it out when winding on. Maybe some part of the film is catching on something as I wind to the first frame. I have cut a leader for it, and it fits in quite well.

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
The spool looks correct for me. Here are some hints :
1) the spool turns counterclockwise, so help it a little by curving the film to the correct shape prior to inserting into the camera.
2) cut your film with the correct size/pattern (see http://www.jay.fedka.com ) and try to find a copy of the Leits ABLON on E**y (I was told there are some for 15 $ each)
3) put the film cartidge with it's opening right into the corner made by the mechanism and the film rail. This way, the film will be puller straight from the cartridge without effort.
Hope this helps

 

[fidget]

Thanks Georges,
I tried again, as you suggested. This time the film got onto the spool but jammed after a couple of frames. It would move if I "jiggled" the rewind crank. I opened the bottom and could see that the film was on the spool as it should be, but that something at the cassette side was locking up. I am using plastic reloadable cassettes with bulk film, so suspect that either: It don't fit this cam, or: There's a problem in the cassette.

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

I, too, use bulk film but I do not use the cheap plastic one which came with the AP film loader. I've bought the (also AP) DX coded metallic ones ! (it is mandatory to have Dx coded films canisters otherwise you fool the Zorki-1 meter ;-) ))).
My Zorki is loaded now, but if you can wait a couple of weeks, I can run a test with the plastic canister and a fake film. You may also consider buying a factory packaged film, it could even be color film and see if it fits.
BTW, look when inserting the film at the take up sool that it goes OK on the sprockets of the "cabestan" (I do not know the English correct word) and try to arm the camera without the bottom to see what's going on. You'll loose a couple of frames, but ...

 

[bachjo]

Hey, fidget:

I've encountered a couple of film loading issues with two of my three bottom loaders (both Fed 1's with the same style spool/tab). In one case, the rewind knob spindle was binding with gummed up 50 year old lube and grime. A drop of oil freed it up and all is well. On the other, the locking mechanism on the bottom plate has a little metal tab that had gotten bent enough to bind on the spool. That was maddening because the film would load fine, then I would put the bottom on and I could hear that awful crunch of sprocket tearing the film apart. I'd open it up and everything would work fine again....

In both cases the result was much as you described with either the film pulling out of the spool tab or the sprockets tearing up the film.

 

[fidget]

Thanks for the input. I noticed that when the film is loose in the cassette it winds on fine. When the slack in the cassette is taken up and the rewind knob starts to move as film is wound on, it jams, or is very hard to wind on, so hard that I have no wish to excert more force to shift it. From this point rewind is also much more difficult than expected.
I tried a scrap commercial cassette (my wife says they're all scrap)(Fuji colour) and all is well if just a little more firm to wind on and rewind than the easiest of FSU cameras, quite usable.
So, why? Well as Georges pointed out, the commercial one is DX coded?.....hmm, the one that works is colour?.....hmm, It doesn't like plastic bulk load cassettes?...oh, maybe I do need some nice metal reloadable cassettes. Is there a recommendation for a brand? Maybe a brand as rare as hens teeth? Bet they're not easy to come by these days.

Dave....

 

[fidget]

Bachjo, thanks for the help with only your second post.
The rewind post is a little stiff and had some oil. Perhaps this slight resistance starts a problem inside the cassette. It's OK for now, I just need to stay away from the set of plastic cassettes I have.
OT, does anyone have a handle on how good or bad any reloadable cassettes are for scratching film? Any tips on keeping the seals healthy? The film is dragged past the slot up to 4 times before it gets processed.

Dave

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
"The film is dragged past the slot up to 4 times before it gets processed."
You can gain one pass by dismantling the cassette for loading the developping tank.
As to clean the felt of the cassettes, some type can be dismantled by removing the other end of the cassette. After doing this, you have a better access to clean the felt and even replace it from a "new" felt from a pre packaged cassette..