Paterson reel hard to move and jams

cambolt

cambolt

Green Spotted Nose Turtle
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I bought my Paterson super system 4 brand new a few months ago, and must have developed about 6-7 rolls with it. I typically only use one of the reels, the same one each time, and I have notice recently that this reel is much harder to load than my relatively unused one. They feel the same with no film on them, but once you have loaded about 1/4 of the roll, it starts feeling resistant and squeaks a little. Sometimes it jams completely and I have to take the film off and start again. In contrast, I can load a 36 exp roll onto my other reel first go. I've tried scrubbing the reel with a toothbrush in hot soapy water, but it doesn't seem much better.
Oh and I've heard the "paterson is garbage, throw it in the bin and get metal tanks" rant.

Can anyone help?

Thanks
 
Are the ball bearings moving freely, or are they starting to stick? If they aren't moving freely, then it'll be a problem.
I'm using a Samigon reel at the moment, easier to load, would recommend it.
 
Even if the reel is dry, I always start to blow dry the whole thing including the ball bearings and my hands. Works perfectly.
 
Some advocate taking a tooth brush to the ball bearing area and giving a good scrub then rinsing in distilled water b4 drying.
Pete
 
I have a paterson tank and a jobo tank and when I first started tried both. I found the jobo much easier to load and it doesn't get stuck like the paterson one did. I think the difference in loading between the two is the lack of ballbearing in the jobo reels- makes it much easier and more consistent for me.
 
Try a dishwasher or a soak in dilute hypochlorite (bleach) followed by rinsing in distilled water and drying using a hair dryer or cool (50-75C) oven. Do not underestimate that "air drying" on the east coast of Australia right now actually means "equilibration with the incredibly humid air" (I've just escaped from Northern NSW) and that Australian tap waters typically have a lot of dissolved ions in them.

Marty
 
I've used the same Patterson reels since 1971 with no problems if I clean them and dry them completely. A toothbrush and hair dryer do help.
 
I had the same problem. The ball bearings were the issue. Make sure you clean the reels well. Do use your dishwasher if you have one, do use a toothbrush to make sure you get them, and do make sure they are dry.
 
Been having the same problem. I have a very old reel and I've never had a problem with it. Last year I bought two new reels and they have been nothing but trouble, interested to here of other brands people are using.
 
I used Patterson reels and tanks for 30 years with the same problems as the OP because everyone had told me that the SS Nikkor tanks and reels were hard to load. Then I bought a box of used Nikkors with lots of reels for ten bucks, and I've never gone back to the Patterson stuff again. I did get some Hewes reels for 35mm, but I LOVE the SS tanks!
 
I have had the sticking ballbearing problem as well. Is there anyway to lubricate them (ala WD40 or similar) that wont have an adverse effect on the film and development process?
 
Been using Paterson reels for years.
Two things - the nylon spools pick up residue from the chemicals and get a slight 'skin'. You need a much better cleaning method than just washing them. I usually scrub them with a Napisan or bleach solution every few rolls. Dishwasher probably does the job too but I've not tried it.
The other is that you can cause a problem quite easily yourself by inadvertently pushing in on the sides of the reels while trying to wind the film on and create a friction or pressure that starts to jam the film. A slight outwards tension on each side of the reel as you wind the film in has proven a good solution for me.
And as others have noted, moisture is a real no-no. I've sometimes dried the reels in the kitchen oven under low heat, but I now have enough reels that I don't have to do that very often unless I'm doing three films at a time.
 
Another +1 for the samigon reels. I have had fewer problems with these.

By the way, I have noticed that reels can retain moisture for a remarkably long time (although a week should be enough !)

Randy
 
rover said:
I had the same problem. The ball bearings were the issue. Make sure you clean the reels well. Do use your dishwasher if you have one, do use a toothbrush to make sure you get them, and do make sure they are dry.
Click to expand...

+1 on this advice. I don't use a dishwasher but I do scrub the reels in hot soapy water after each use, and allow them to dry completely before using again. Even so, some reels start to get sticky after a while, and when that happens I toss 'em and replace w/ new.
 
I use a mix of the Patterson reels and the AP reels which are near identical but, have a longer loading tab.
I removed the ball bearings completely. Always the trouble spot ......no longer.
Never have had a spoil uncoil in the tank although I have been nervous about it.
If you get the film rolled all the way in past the loading tab and "Gate" it should never uncoil off the spool.

Also I clean with a dry toothbrush to buff the plastic smooth right before loading.
Seems to help also.

Freestyle has the Arista Premium reels. They work great in the patterson and are cheap too.

Cheers!
 
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