How should i get the film on a stainless steel tank spiral

nikon_sam said:
Hey Chris...
Just watch your video on film developing agitation...it would appear that comparing how I do it to how you do it...I'm way too gentle with my film tank agitation...I'm going to try being a little more aggressive next time and see how that goes...
I do get good results my way but I'm always willing to learn/try something new...

Thanks for the lesson...

As far as loading SS reels I find it easier to load 120 film...I have some decent Brooks reels for 35mm and have been successful loading them but not every time...guess I just need more practice...I've been using Paterson reels for over 35 years and am very sure with them...
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Gentler agitation produces slightly finer grain, but I have never had luck getting it to work. I always get uneven developing. If what you were doing is working, and giving even developing, I'd stick with it. Agitation is kind of an imprecise thing because each of us will do it slightly different, even if using the same technique, and differences in water quality too can affect how much agitation is really needed to get the chemicals on the surface of the film broken up and replaced by fresh chemical. For me, harder agitation is needed; for you maybe it isn't?
 
splaaash said:
... I dont think China existed then??It was part of the English Empire:rolleyes: ...
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Great Brittan merely had a 100 year lease on Hong Kong. They never "owned" any portion of modern day China. They were only tenants of a very very small portion.
 
I've used both plastic and SS reels over the years. With good SS reels, and a little practice, I can load four reels in five minutes. Doing the same with anything but Paterson or Jobo plastics has proven impossible, for me anyway.

The key for both is good quality reels, understanding the right way to do it, and practice. I will say it's much easier to load SS reels in a real darkroom ... Which I haven't had for over 25 years. I find it easier to load plastic reels in a changing bag.

G
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Gentler agitation produces slightly finer grain, but I have never had luck getting it to work. I always get uneven developing. If what you were doing is working, and giving even developing, I'd stick with it. Agitation is kind of an imprecise thing because each of us will do it slightly different, even if using the same technique, and differences in water quality too can affect how much agitation is really needed to get the chemicals on the surface of the film broken up and replaced by fresh chemical. For me, harder agitation is needed; for you maybe it isn't?
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Some films, like TMax 100/400, were designed for continuous agitation in processing machines. I think it's mostly T-grain emulsions that are like this ... they don't vary contrast too much with continuous agitation vs light agitation. Other emulsions, like Tri-X and HP5, respond better to light agitation with respect to contrast and grain.

What I've found over many years of processing film in tanks is that you can reduce grain and contrast, for most films, with very light agitation and get consistent processing if you a) use a pre-wet water bath, and b) make sure that your time/temperature/dilution is ensuring at least 8 minutes of development time. Shorter development times lead to inconsistent results.

Of course, nowadays I'm shooting film for its aesthetic difference from digital capture so I'm more likely to go the other direction and push additional contrast and grain ... I can achieve utterly smooth, clean results with any of my digital cameras at ISO settings that make 35mm film seem silly, so why work film for ultimate grainlessness and low contrast? Run the processing to enhance the difference and make it worthwhile getting something out of a film image that a digital image cannot achieve easily... :)

I mean, in the end, it's the results that I'm after and I don't really care whether I use film or digital means to get them.

G
 
One small thing to consider... Cut the leader clean and square.
Makes your initial wind so much easier.
Remember that with ss reels, you can stack them if you have multiple rolls.
Two 35 mm reels fit nicely in a 120 tank,..four in a big tank.
 
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This is wonderful,watch youtube to show how its done to:)

Better still ive just bought a darkroom:eek: My equipment is at home 900kms away on the other side of France,i will go back there this year before the snow sets in:confused: Trouble is i like it soooo much down hear near Spain & Andora i keep putting off the trip.

Now i have or will have tomorrow an old Durst M370 amongst all the other items is a double Patterson tank :)

Next ill look at ebay to see if there is a stainless tank

I also found a Besseler 67c but its a bit expensive:mad:
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Here's a video I made showing how to do it. https://youtu.be/HHLvxVDUZHE

I'm using Hewes reels, as others have recommended. As my video shows, Hewes reels are designed in a way that makes it IMPOSSIBLE to screw up, unless the reel has been dropped or bent. They're expensive, about $30 each new, but WORTH IT.
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Nice one Chris. I noticed you had more. This one was well done, leaving no chance for misunderstanding.
 
helenhill said:
Simple: BUY Paterson Plastic :p
then its a piece of Cake
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Helen...I agree whole heartedly...
I've been using Paterson reels & tanks since 1977 and have not had the problems others talk about...recently, I was given a bunch of SS reels (120 & 35mm) plus a nice SS tank...
I've started using the SS 120 reels and do like them but the 35mm reels still give me a bit of trouble...
With the Paterson I can load a roll of 35mm in seconds...:cool:
 
Obviously you don't want to bend reels but they can be straightened out.

The only issue with reels:
-- the ones without a clip in the center are easy to load
-- the ones with a clip are a PITA.


If there is a clip the film must be centered or they simply will not load properly. The ones without a clip self-center, and are easy to load.

The original Nikors have no clip (Nikkor is a lens by the way). There are lots of Nikor copies IMO they are all awful. I have heard there are Nikors with a clip, but have never seen one in a box to confirm it.

If you load a reel and can feel the film as you brush your fingers across the flats then the reel is not loaded properly, a good loaded reel should feel empty.
 
mfogiel said:
To make things REALLY simple for you, buy the Hewes 35mm steel reels and make sure you don't drop them on the floor, as any bent reel is useless. Hewes reels let you hook the film by the sprocket holes, and subsequently film winding is a breeze. Any other steel 35mm reel is a PITA in comparison, because it is impossible to load the film exactly parallel.
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Very true, I sadly enough have only one Hewes reel and the rest are the knock offs so I can confirm this from expeience.
 
I have both SS and plastic
With plastic- I've had humidity jams
With a Hewes reel- I'm always afraid that I hooked the film one one sprocket hole off- I've loaded reels completely- thought that it didn't feel right and had to unload and reload- also worried about the sloooooow chemical filling and pouring times
 
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