Keeping snap-cap 35mm cassettes together?

[Dante_Stella]

If I want to protect hand-loaded reloadable metal film cassettes from popping apart when dropped, is there a good way to do that? A drop of hot melt glue? Asking for, uh, a friend who is going to hand over 25 rolls of film to an 8-year old.

PS: Plastic cassettes are not an option. The camera needs DX.

Thanks!

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Raid your local lab for pre-loaded cassettes from films they’ve developed with snipped off ends. Double tape the bulk roll to the stub. You can drop them ‘til the cows come home and they won’t pop. No leaks either providing you dice any obviously damaged or dirty examples. If it is important select spent ones with the same film ISO/DX. In this day and age it baffles me why anyone would prefer re-usable cassettes with all the liabilities they entail. The empties are going in the bin anyway—give them another use.
Cheers
Brett

 

[Shac]

Would a thin (1 cm) strip of gaffer or duct tape wrapped around the rim of each end work??? Perhaps worth a test

 

[Dante_Stella]

Raid your local lab for pre-loaded cassettes from films they’ve developed with snipped off ends. Double tape the bulk roll to the stub. You can drop them ‘til the cows come home and they won’t pop. No leaks either providing you dice any obviously damaged or dirty examples. If it is important select spent ones with the same film ISO/DX. In this day and age it baffles me why anyone would prefer re-usable cassettes with all the liabilities they entail. The empties are going in the bin anyway—give them another use.
Cheers
Brett

I don't have a local lab to raid, so that's kind of tough to do! I've never actually had a canister pop.

D

 

[Pentode]

Would a thin (1 cm) strip of gaffer or duct tape wrapped around the rim of each end work??? Perhaps worth a test

Yes. This works.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I dropped them couple of times at least and cap went off. Only few frames were affected, but not completely gone.
No need to leave gunk from gather tape, masking tape will do.

 

[Dante_Stella]

I dropped them couple of times at least and cap went off. Only few frames were affected, but not completely gone.
No need to leave gunk from gather tape, masking tape will do.

I'm a big fan of electrical tape!

D

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm a big fan of electrical tape!

D

Me as well, but it will also leave tacky gunk.

I was waiting for two weeks at Sony Basingstook to provide UK power cables. After two weeks we cut needed power socket from different cables and connected them to equipment power cables with insulating by electrical tape. I'm still glad to remember how it pissed off one English dude who was not providing us power cables. I was only needed one and just for few minutes.

I'm big fan of duct tape as well. In Red Green show, which was stopped shortly after we came to Canada.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Green_Show

 

[BillBingham2]

I'm torn between super-glue (nail polish remove removes that too) vs hot-glue.

At first I didn't like the hot glue, but that might be best. Get plastic film cans if you still can.

B2 (;->

 

[ChrisPlatt]

If I want to protect hand-loaded reloadable metal film cassettes from popping apart when dropped, is there a good way to do that?

How about using thread locking adhesive?
A single drop in one or two places should be sufficient.

Probably the least strong type would be best.
If Loctite brand that would be the purple variety.

I'm a big fan of electrical tape!

3M Scotch Super 33+ is the best thing I have found to attach the film end to the spool when bulk loading 35mm.
It is super strong (so film won't rip out), stays flexible at all temperatures, and peels off cleanly - leaving no residue.

Chris

 

[dourbalistar]

Might be a bit cumbersome for 25 rolls, but this might be an option for screw top plastic cassettes:
https://photothinking.com/2018-02-03-film-dx-coding-a-photographers-life-hack/
https://www.filmshooterscollective.com/analog-film-photography-blog/diy-35mm-cassette-dx-codingthe-hole-punch-method-6-24

 

[rfaspen]

I'm sad to hear the Red Green Show has been discontinued.


I could really identify with Harold....




BTW, good/real gaffers tape is not supposed to leave residue. At least that's what I'm told. I think my gaffers tape was a cheap knock-off, but it worked great for my purposes...

 

[zuiko85]

I don't have a local lab to raid, so that's kind of tough to do! I've never actually had a canister pop.

D

You've never had a cassette pop!?

Buy a lottery ticket now!

Just kidding, but...you are the only bulk loader I've ever heard that from.

 

[Bill Clark]

Don’t drop them.

 

[Dante_Stella]

You've never had a cassette pop!?

Buy a lottery ticket now!

Just kidding, but...you are the only bulk loader I've ever heard that from.

That's because I have concentrated all of my film dropping/fat finger incidents with 120 film!

D

 

[steveyork]

I had a few caps pop off. Most recently this last weekend. Surprisingly, when I developed the film, there wasn't much light leakage. In the past, the caps have popped off on unexposed film and that has led me to start accumulating reloadable cassettes. Haven't used them yet though.

 

[leicapixie]

The free advice of using "old" used original cassettes does NOT work!
IT is impossible to wind the thicker piece(tape + film) into cartridge..
I have tried various makes with nil success.
I ought some used cassettes that can open and CLOSE.
Buy new re-loadable cassettes.
Do not buy "Kodak cassette.
They open without dropping!
There is a no advantage in buying bulk at this time!
Yes! If bulk roll 100' is like $25.
Good luck!

 

[BLKRCAT]

The free advice of using "old" used original cassettes does NOT work!
IT is impossible to wind the thicker piece(tape + film) into cartridge..
I have tried various makes with nil success.
I ought some used cassettes that can open and CLOSE.
Buy new re-loadable cassettes.
Do not buy "Kodak cassette.
They open without dropping!
There is a no advantage in buying bulk at this time!
Yes! If bulk roll 100' is like $25.
Good luck!

Just because reusing old cassettes with a tail didn’t work for you doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I’ve done it just fine. If you put too much tape then it’s obviously not going to work.

There is an advantage to spooling your own. I want to spool 12 exposure rolls. If you aren’t shooting Kodak a roll of hp5 at downtown camera is around $80. 20 rolls is $4 a roll. I’m pretty sure the regular price of a 24 exposure roll is still more than that.

 

[retinax]

The free advice of using "old" used original cassettes does NOT work!
IT is impossible to wind the thicker piece(tape + film) into cartridge..
I have tried various makes with nil success.
I ought some used cassettes that can open and CLOSE.
Buy new re-loadable cassettes.
Do not buy "Kodak cassette.
They open without dropping!
There is a no advantage in buying bulk at this time!
Yes! If bulk roll 100' is like $25.
Good luck!

I don't know if the savings were greater in the past, but at the moment you can save around 30-40% by bulk loading Ilford or Foma films, by my ad hoc calculation. Of course not with Kodak films, their pricing is beyond ridiculous.
I haven't reloaded normal cassettes but was thinking about trying it... can someone who succeeded please explain how you overcome the issue leicapixie has had?

 

[zuiko85]

Bulk loading also runs a greater risk of contamination or grit in the felts of cassettes used over and over. Although you can make short loads if you bulk load, with the Watson style loader I have there is a 3 or 4 frame loss per roll due to length of leader and tail.

Back in 1970, when I started bulk loading, we never used loaders. Just step in the darkroom, have all your cassettes lined up, and pull out 5 ft length of film, tape to core, roll it up and pop it in the cart. Quite often I’d spool the whole 100 ft. In one go.

Now days, about the only thing I use bulk film for is slitting down for Minox 9.2mm or 16mm for other subminiature cameras.