Bulk Loading How-to

LeicaFoReVer

LeicaFoReVer

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Is there an online site explaining this step by step? I have been always afraid of as everything is done in dark and there are more steps fiddles than film loading to the developing tank. Years ago I bought the bulk loading tank but I dont know how to use it. Could someone please explain it, preferably by photos. :bang:
 
Please do, ask questions.

Please note the other videos you might be interested in after clicking the link in my fitst post.

Nice photograph of the young girl in black and white titled, "Happiness."

I'm here to help.
 
well for me the scary part is to load the bulk into the bulk chamber. As it is the part done in darkness. Where (which way) does the leading end go, how the end is pulled towards the canister side etc. I have never seen a bulk film roll that is also why I have those questions.

What if I screw up or cant do it after opening the bulk film? Does it come with a resealable zip lock so that I put it back and turn lights on??
 
LeicaFoReVer said:
well for me the scary part is to load the bulk into the bulk chamber. As it is the part done in darkness. Where (which way) does the leading end go, how the end is pulled towards the canister side etc. I have never seen a bulk film roll that is also why I have those questions.

What if I screw up or cant do it after opening the bulk film? Does it come with a resealable zip lock so that I put it back and turn lights on??
Click to expand...
Imagine a paper till roll in a shop cash register. It's that simple. You can feel the end of the film by running your fingers over it. With the film end at the top, you want it pointing left. Detach and remove the little bit of tape holding it down; feed it through the slot on the loader.

Suggestion: sacrifice an old roll of film. Strip off the cassette. Use the unrolled film to practice feeding the film into the loader.

Bulk rolls are normally packaged in a heavy black plastic bag (no ZipLoc) which in turn is inside a light-tight tin or black plastic drum sealed with tape to stop the lid coming off. It's very easy indeed to put the film back in the bag and the bag back in the tin. Tape the tin shut so the lid doesn't come off! You can put the tape on in daylight.

In the last picture in the link to my site, you can see an almost-finished (and by then hopelessly exposed!) roll of bulk film on its centre core, which will be either plastic or cardboard.

Cheers,

R.
 
Hi Roger,

Thank you very much for your nice explanatory procedure. I also watched a video in which he rolled an exposed film around the bulk film center for practice and it started to visualize in my mind now. After some more acquaintance, I think I will be ready to buy my first bulk film from internet. I will post some photos.
 
Make sure you are sitting while loading bulk into the the bulk loader.
Also, before loading actual bulk, have a seat with closed eyes and bulk loader.
Do it all without bulk film, but with regular already developed film roll.
Depends how crappy bulk loader is. Some of them are super easy. But some will have it not straightforward to bring bulk film from the dark camber to cassette loading part.
 
I'm glad the question was asked. I have a bulk loader but never got around to figuring out how to use it.

If you guys don't mind, can you direct me to re-usable film cassettes?
 
Ko.Fe. said:
Make sure you are sitting while loading bulk into the the bulk loader.
Also, before loading actual bulk, have a seat with closed eyes and bulk loader.
Do it all without bulk film, but with regular already developed film roll.
Depends how crappy bulk loader is. Some of them are super easy. But some will have it not straightforward to bring bulk film from the dark camber to cassette loading part.
Click to expand...
I always do it standing up, but then, at the dry end of the darkroom I have a high work surface designed for working while standing up.

Cheers,

R.
 
Have you ever yanked the end of the film off the spool at the end of the roll? I have.
When this happens the only way to safely unload the film from the camera is a changing bag.
That's often convenient if not impossible in the field.

Once I started using high-quality electrical tape to fasten the film end to the spool
I never experience this failure again.

I recommend 3M Scotch Super 33+ electrical tape, the kind professional electricians use.
It costs a little more but one spool will last for many bulk-loaded rolls of film.

This tape can be repositioned and removed without damaging the emulsion or leaving a residue.
It is very strong, can stretch a bit under load and will remain secure and flexible at all temperatures.
Using this or an equivalent product your advance will never yank the film off the spool,
even when using a motor drive.

Chris
 
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