How to clean reels?

joeswe said:
Michael, how much rolls of film do you usually send through a liter (or gallon) of fixer?

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To answer the OP's question, here are my 2 cents

(1) I do not use any kind of mechanical/abrasive device for cleaning reels, as I am not sure if this will harm the material in the long run and possibly worsen the tendency to build up gunk

(2) for general cleaning, every once in a while I put the reels in a 40°C solution of common cleaning tabs for dental prosthetics

(3) if necessary, build up of silver compounds is easily removed by bathing the reels in a c41 or ra4 bleach/blix (or simply using the reels to process CN film)
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I usually mix up 20oz of fixer and put 15 rolls through it max. If I notice it getting dirty I dump it. So anywhere from 5-15.
 
gns said:
I always used steel reels. Never cleaned them... don't they get "washed" with the film??? I always just gave them a quick rinse after the photo-flo and done.
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The same here. Been using Nikor and Kindermann steel reels for 25 years, never cleaned them, they never got dirty, they never became a film loading problem.

Good luck with the cleaning too.
 
Seems like those reels require so much fussing that it would drive any reasonable person to digital.
 
mpaniagua said:
I think that most people that do film do it for the "fussing" :)
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True, yet "fussing" may not be the appropriate term. "Handling" would be closer. If you work cleanly and quietly there is no "fuss" of any kind at processing films and darkroom wet-printing... ;)

And in spite of what some people unable to consider anything else than what they do might say and/or write, the feelings aren't the same - how could they - as those you have by spending hours in front of a screen at properly post-processing digital images files.

The film photography processing chain is something some people really like. And liking what you're doing isn't a bad thing, in general.
 
At our school we use the Jobo reels and tanks. They are used by everyone (the few Kindermann tanks and reels we have are ignored, I have never seen someone use them, although one day I will try them just out of curiosity) and hardly anyone ever cleans them after use. The only precaution is that the flo is in seperate trays in the developing chambers, so they never get soapy. Once or twice a semester I flood the big sink they are dried and stored in.

Anyway, when I pick them out of the pile of reels (honestly, the mess there is one exceptional example for the tragedy of the commons phenomenon), I take the darkest ones I find, because they are the easiest to load. The two new ones I use at home in emergencies have seen 3 or 4 rolls each and are substantially harder to load. I have never seen differences in development between the old and new reels, but also never did density tests about that.
 
All the years I've had steel reels, I've never had to clean them. Everything was done from developing to wash on the reel. Then into a Kinderman film dryer. I've had the same reels for 40 years. I tried Paterson when I first started developing on my own. I hated them. Tanks took too much chemistry, and I always got air bubbles no matter how hard I tapped those tanks. Sometimes those little ratchet balls on the reels would go missing rendering them useless. Steel reels and tanks are so easy to maintain.
 
I tried loading 35mm and 120 on Paterson reels back in the 1970s, and it was a PITA, so I have stuck with SS for the past half century. I've never cleaned my SS reels and tanks. There has been no need. Think of all the time and aggravation I've saved. Not to mention toothbrushes.
 
Pioneer said:
I think it may have a bit to do with dilution xray. I definitely do not use white vinegar at 1:1 as a stop bath.
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Actually full strength white vinegar is 5% acetic acid which is roughly the same dilution as working strength stop bath. White vinegar is nothing more than synthetically produced acetic acid as is the acetic acid that's used for stop bath. Indicator stop is 28% undiluted and if I remember correctly but memory might have failed, has potassium permanganate in it to indicate when the acidity is depleted.

Before I started using TF4 fixer I used to dilute glacial acetic acid from 98% to 5% to use. I don't recommend this for people not trained in handling strong acids. If you should use glacial handle it with extreme care. It can cause severe burns. Also ALWAYS add the acid to the water slowly. Never add water to acid as there is a great deal of heat released as it mixes and there's a good chance you'll get a face full of acid.
 
The only thing I hate about SS is slow filling and draining times (and no, dropping the eels into the chemicals is not an option, I don't have a darkroom)

I wash the plastic reels in as hot of a water as I can and scrub it with a toothbrush - is Photo Flo better removed with a base or an acid?
 
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