loading 220, steel vs. plastic reel

[Chad]

Is 220 film easier to load onto steel or plastic developing reels? I have heard that 220 is hard to load onto plastic reels.



~Chad

 

[sepiareverb]

I've been using metal reels for nearly thirty years and have never, ever, ever been able to load 220. Spent a long time trying- sat in front of the TV in the evening practicing, but nope, not this monkey.
Couldn't load plastic reels until three years ago (try teaching someone to load plastic if you can't do it yourself!) and I still find metal easier for 35mm and 120. Just never shot 220 b&w because I could never get the hang of it.

 

[Chad]

I've been using metal reels for nearly thirty years and have never, ever, ever been able to load 220. Spent a long time trying- sat in front of the TV in the evening practicing, but nope, not this monkey.
Couldn't load plastic reels until three years ago (try teaching someone to load plastic if you can't do it yourself!) and I still find metal easier for 35mm and 120. Just never shot 220 b&w because I could never get the hang of it.

Thanks for the information. I need to get a bigger tank am on the fence as to wether I should buy metal or plastic.


~Chad

 

[sepiareverb]

See if you can try out the two types. There were (maybe still are) some plastic reels for Paterson tanks with very large tabs or guides that make loading the 120 a lot easier. My students find these the best way to go with 120. We only have 5 of them and I don;t find them new from our suppliers, but check around for them.

 

[sepiareverb]

ManGo- I've got two or four of 'em if you're interested- have to take a look in the store room.

 

[Nokton48]

I've used Paterson plastic reels with boku amounts of 220, never had any problems in the past (?)

I can also load 220 onto metal reels without incident.

Guys, If you think loading 220 metal reels is -fun-, you should try loading a metal 70mm reel 🙂 I've been using my Kindermann Daylight 70mm Tank quite a bit recently, again withut incident.

 

[rodneyAB]

great post, thanx, for tips on 'cool environment' for the film...

 

[clintock]

The big-tabbed reels are Samigon brand, look just like the other ball-having plastic universals, but they have a huge tab so the curly fighting film has more than 1mm on each edge of guidance to the balls.
Ah they even have a fan page-
http://400tx.blogspot.com/2006/06/fool-proof-samigon-reel.html

 

[T_om]

Is 220 film easier to load onto steel or plastic developing reels? I have heard that 220 is hard to load onto plastic reels.



~Chad

All film is easier to load on stainless... once you learn how.

This comes up, what?... three or four times a month now? 😕

Tom

 

[nikon_sam]

I have never used a metal reel only plastic and for the last 25+ years Paterson reels and tanks...sometimes loading two rolls of 120 on one reel...
That reminds me...I got a roll of 120 to develop...

 

[oftheherd]

Well, I haven't processed 220 film in a long time. I used to load both. I remember a preference towards the Patterson type plastic, but I could and did use metal. It just took more care. One of the things to be sure of, 35mm or 120/220, is to used unbent metal reels. When they get dropped, there is the danger of gettng bent. I doesn't just have to be the end either. If the whole thing gets bent it can cause problems.