My reels are driving me nutz. Plz help.

[Joe]

I like the plastic idiot-proof reels with the large loading flange(?) but they need to be bone dry to work. But I've been using a Hewes steel reel lately and have yet to see any "kisses". The salesman at my favorite store showed me the proper technique. The cheap steel reels are bad news. If I had a picture of Ruby shooting Oswald I'd take it to a lab. I'm looking into these aprons.

 

[Joe]

I take that back--I wouldn't take it to a lab

 

[jmcd]

As mentioned above, practice with a "daylight" roll, in daylight, on the stainless reel. When you get it down, close your eyes. Pretty soon by feel you will know positively when loading is going well, and when you have a problem that requires you to back up.

With the film started in the reel, and with a slight curve across its width, you can push/roll the reel with a 3-4 inch length of film.

I have Hewes reels, and also the house brand from Freestyle Sales. The latter have also worked great for me.

Some of my 35mm reels have two tabs that catch the sprocket holes. These work well. As for the spring clips on my others, and on the 120, I insert the film just ahead of the spring, and hold this leader in place as I get the coil going. I find it much harder to get the roll started properly when using the spring, and I have never had need of the spring, either, so I just use it as a starting point.

If a reel is dropped and bent, you either need a new reel or a good reshaping to get the old one working well.

I have never used the plastic reels.

 

[moonwire]

AP reels with the wide tabs - easy breezy... though the paterson plastic reels work for me too. more than the reels, i find it essential to clip the corners of the film a 45 degree angle (nail clippers are perfect for this). ever since i've been doing that, i've never had a problem loading the reel.

 

[RayPA]

I didn't read all_the_posts, but make sure your reels are square and clean and that the reel is oriented correctly. There is only one correct direction to roll the film, but it's possible, but ugly to do it wrong. Here's a link to an old post on my blog. It's a post with pictures showing how to load ss reels (scroll down). It might help.

http://thereforeiblog.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_archive.html



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[TheHub]

I've never used plastic reels either. I don't know how they work ...

I have two 135 reels & a 120 reel (with tanks) from LPL (I think they're Japanese.) With 135 I practiced on a sacrificed roll, first while watching. Then I practiced while watching TV. I learned to feel the film and the reel edges and find problem spots. Knowing what an improperly loaded reel feels like had helped me immensely.

 

[Jonathan R]

Just a small thought that hasn't been mentioned yet. Do you give the film plenty of time in the cassette to curl itself emulsion side in? On the camera take-up spool it acquires a curl in the opposite direction, which will make it lie very awkwardly in any spool. Best to rewind from the camera into the cassette and leave overnight at room temperature (not in a cold car) before loading the spiral.

 

[ibcrewin]

I find that if you mangle the film near the sprokets from a couple of failed attempts it become impossible to load them correctly.

The reels with the tabs in the center are awesome.

 

[Roger Vadim]

As much as I admire hard work to develop some real skill- such as eating with flat, heavy, steel chopsticks- I prefer the easy way. The AP compact set with big, wide, tabs, makes it effortless, without practicing. Here is the link to these plastic 135/120 reels and tank.
See right side of page...

http://www.frugalphotographer.com/catChemicals.htm

Hope this helps.
Subhash

The AP reels once and for good sorted my problem- in 35 as in 120. You can change the diameter. Really easy to load. The container, though, is leaking ... well, you can't have everything😎

A recomendation. And quite cheap.

-Michael

They are the one with the tabs some others are also refering to & that's how they look:

This shows it with a 120 film, but as I said you can use the same reel for both formats.

They are around 9 Dollars for one. Two with tank for 21 bucks.

 

[spyder2000]

Every person I've helped learn to load ss reels had the same problem. They were loading them backwards, i.e. against the spiral. Even those with clips in the center can be confusing in the dark. Yes, ss should be undamaged but simply dropping one usually isn't enough to make it unloadable. Dropping and then stepping on it is.

SS reels can be loaded wet so even if you have only a small tank, you can process lots of film in an evening, And the Kodacraft tanks are simplicity themselves. The aprons will get stained but that won't hurt anything. If you go that route make sure you get the weights. They keep the apron from floating on ya.

 

[fbf]

Thank you all for answering my noob question.
From Ray's instruction, I am sure I load the film in the correct orientation. I had practised many many times before I started loading film in changing bag. I still don't see where the problem is, maybe the design and maybe some defects on the reel. I don't know but I am ordering new reels today. I will be doing 120 b&w soon and I don't want the same thing happen to my 120 film any more...

Again, thank you all.

L.

 

[drewbarb]

One tip that might help is this: every so often, as you are rolling the film on to the reel, push it gently back into the spiral. If it's going on correctly, it'll slide back a little, opening up away from the film next to it on the inside of the curve. This is hard to explain, but try it in the light with a roll of practice film. Once you've got it going on the reel correctly, and you you've got the roll maybe halfway on, try pushing the film back against the tension into the reel. If all is well, the film will slide back a little, and push the base side against the outside of the reel. This pulls the emulsion away from the steel, and each coil away from the piece of film next to it; this effect continues a ways down the roll, around a couple of coils. I do it once or twice each roll to make sure the whole length of the roll is pushed to the back of it's slot. Once you've got this trick down in the light and can do it in the dark, and you can feel the correct tension on the reel, you shouldn't have anymore of the film sticking to itself, no matter what quality of ss reels you use.

 

[underbyte]

One more point about technique. The changing bag may make it more difficult too. I have never used one so I can only speak from table experience. Once I have the sprockets lined up on the Hewes reel, I put the reel horizontal on the edge of a table (enlarger table, bathroom counter, use what you have) Then, I spin the reel counter clockwise with my left hand, and simultaneously cradle the film in my right while curling it slightly as it leaves my thumb and index finger. This has worked really well. It did not work for me with the generic reels.

For 120 film, I keep the reel vertical on the table and use the technique in the last post about pushing back on the film to make sure it is moving freely and not kinked up somewhere. I have tried to apply the same technique with 35mm but the film doesn't move on my reels so it is a waste of time. Fortunately, the 35mm Hewes reels don't make a problem that has to be fixed by pushing back on the film.

 

[RayPA]

Thank you all for answering my noob question.
From Ray's instruction, I am sure I load the film in the correct orientation. I had practised many many times before I started loading film in changing bag. I still don't see where the problem is, maybe the design and maybe some defects on the reel. I don't know but I am ordering new reels today. I will be doing 120 b&w soon and I don't want the same thing happen to my 120 film any more...

Again, thank you all.

L.

If you've got that right then it's probably that you're pulling too hard or the film isn't square as you load (one edge is higher [on a different rail] than the other).

Don't try to load in one turn, turn the reel one-quarter turn at a time, stop, and check the looseness of the film in and out of the reel. If the film is square, you should have about 1/8" of play in-and-out of the reel. (Basically, what Drew stated).

Also turn the reel not the film. Squeeze the film and let the turning reel pull it through your fingers as you help in a little.

One thing you may want to do is bulk load your film and start with small rolls (12-20 exposures), and work your way up. I think it's worth the effort to learn to use SS reels. Also, 120 is MUCH easier to load.

good luck.

 

[fbf]

One thing I just noticed. Should I clip the film into the center of the reel? It seems like if I do clip the film in, 99% of chance I will have trouble loading it ; However, if i simply hang the film to the edge of the reel, 99% of chane I can load it with ease. So, which way is right?

 

[drewbarb]

The way that gets it done correctly is the right way; if using the clip helps, good. If not using it gets the film on without sticking together, fine.

 

[RayPA]

One thing I just noticed. Should I clip the film into the center of the reel? It seems like if I do clip the film in, 99% of chance I will have trouble loading it ; However, if i simply hang the film to the edge of the reel, 99% of chane I can load it with ease. So, which way is right?

Even though I have reels with clips, I prefer the clip-less reels, and I don't always use the clips. I forget, because I learned on clip-less reels. When the film isn't clipped, it's easier to feel that it's loading correctly.

I agree. Do what works.



.

 

[fbf]

Thanks, Drew and Ray. THat's what confused me because I clearly remembered my teacher emphasized on clipping the film. Anyway, I am glad it works well the other way around

L.

 

[Chris101]

Photo teachers will often tell you to do what works for them as if it is the only way. Feel free to circumvent their habits.

 

[dll927]

My reels and tanks are Nikkor stainless steel. Don't they make them any more?

Admittedly, it's been years since I've done any home developing, (at one time I did almost all of my own slide film), but I still have those tanks and reels.