Paterson reels quality

Paterson reels quality

  • Squeeze it and pull out as gently as possible

    Votes: 72 35.8%

  • Pull the reel apart

    Votes: 81 40.3%

  • I use either method at times

    Votes: 11 5.5%

  • I use steel reels

    Votes: 37 18.4%
  • Total voters
    201
I have 3 Paterson tanks with their reels, and 1 JOBO 1500 series tank with its reel and 1 stainless steel tank[general brand] with Hewes 120 SS reel, from all of those, JOBO tank wins my vote as a tank, but HEWES reel wins my vote, now not sure if i really should buy a SS reel for JOBO to have the best combo.
 
Well, I was actually gonna ask how people pull film off reels, but I came upon this reincarnated thread.

I have Paterson reels. I take them apart to unload film because I've never been able to convince the film to unspool. Always feels like it's catching on something.

And, yes, my reels are a pain to pull apart, too. That's not good, because they often come apart with a violence that can damage wet film. If there was money to be made with such things, someone might have designed plastic reels with a simplified release mechanism.

To make matters worse, I could never load film on a steel reel correctly. But, a few days ago I picked up a steel reel yet again, vowing to master it. This time I rested the reel on a hard surface, feeding the film with one hand and rotating the reel with the other. Works pretty good. Maybe that's considered using training wheels, but c'est la vie.
 
Never seen a thread about unloading a film reel before! I simply find the end and pull, letting the reel spin in my other hand. If the film catches at the loading point where the outer rim has the projections, a little wiggle of the hand holding the reel will free it up.
Best advice about Paterson reels I have is for loading them. Always use them dry, and always move the ball-bearings back and forth in their slots before you start (they get stuck sometimes after they dry out from the last use, and then you will never load that film!)

Chris
 
chrism said:
Never seen a thread about unloading a film reel before! I simply find the end and pull, letting the reel spin in my other hand. If the film catches at the loading point where the outer rim has the projections, a little wiggle of the hand holding the reel will free it up.
Best advice about Paterson reels I have is for loading them. Always use them dry, and always move the ball-bearings back and forth in their slots before you start (they get stuck sometimes after they dry out from the last use, and then you will never load that film!)

Chris
Click to expand...

Thats what I do always have.
 
Never liked those Paterson reels and tanks. Always got air bubbles no matter how many times I rapped the tank. Stainless steel reels and tanks are so much easier to maintain. All it took was a little practice in the beginning to get the technique down in loading them. Plus the stainless tanks took less chemistry then the plastic ones.
 
I've always used Paterson reels both for 135 and 120 film and never had any problems. Tried a stainless steel reel once and found it much more difficult. I guess it's about what you're used to.
 
These threads continue to amaze me. I've used metal reels, plastic reels, brand name reels, generic reels. They all work.

This is not rocket science, people.

Only three pieces of advice:

1. If a metal reel is bent and does not load reliably, it is irredeemable. Throw it in the trash.
2. Plastic reels should be washed in a dilute vinegar solution from time to time, and scrubbed with an old toothbrush.
3. Loading both metal and plastic reels sucks if they are not dry.
 
Plastic reels are just about impossible to load wet. Metal reels, particularly 135, aren't a big deal when wet. I'm serious on this - a typical metal reel isn't going to be anywhere near as difficult as plastic when wet. By plastic I'm talking the ball bearing type.
 
Breaking news: "Detachments of the 1st Breaking Reel Militia have trapped the main body of the Film Pulling Army in Big Tank Valley. It is alleged that guerrilla forces of the 2nd Stainless Steel Brigade are engaging both sides with snipers and Improvised Extraction Devices. Casualties are heavy on all sides."

:cool: :angel:
 
Sejanus.Aelianus said:
Breaking news: "Detachments of the 1st Breaking Reel Militia have trapped the main body of the Film Pulling Army in Big Tank Valley. It is alleged that guerrilla forces of the 2nd Stainless Steel Brigade are engaging both sides with snipers and Improvised Extraction Devices. Casualties are heavy on all sides."

:cool: :angel:
Click to expand...

... it looks like Jobe have committed their tanks now
 
With plastic reels, I always just pulled the film out. Taking them apart is easy, putting them back together was not always so easy. I'm using steel reels now, but looking to replace them with plastic.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the old Kodacraft film aprons. Easy to load, easy to unload, but impossible to find these days.

My favorite reel of all time was an old Ilford one. Made of plastic, but it loaded from the center and fit into steel tanks. It was made for their 72 exp HP5 loads. Wish I still had it.
 
I have always pulled them apart to remove the film and then let properly dry before reassembling. Though lately I have been wanting to move to steel reels for 120 as I find I keep getting 120 rolls jammed half way through loading.
 
Good point. I haven't used an acetic acid stop bath in the last 5 years, since I switched to the Formulary TF-4 and TF-5 fixers.
 
I only develop 120. Paterson reels I pull the roll out from the end in one smooth motion, never does any damage. If I pull the reels apart the film roll collapses and the emulsion touches the opposing base in places, I want to avoid that.
But for the last six months I exclusively used Maruni SS reels, easier to load and I can reload when they are still damp. A lot quicker and less fuss than drying out the plastic reel.
 
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