UGH !!! Help with the wheels of steel !!

dcsang

dcsang

Canadian & Not A Dentist
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I obviously need to practice more.

Question for those of you using stainless over plastic.
In loading your film onto the reels.. how do you know; in the dark, that the film is loading "just right" so that you don't get the film stuck to itself during the development process.

I just tried out the steel and while I could load the film fairly easily, I obviously didn't load it correctly and hence...I now have two rolls (I used two rolls that I knew I didn't care about per se) that have HUGE blotches of undeveloped areas because the film was touching itself (teehee :D) within the reels.

HELP!!! :)

Thanks,
Dave
 
first thing, practice alot with the lights on.
watch what you're doing.
when you feel confident with that then start loading while you watch tv and try not to look.

everything must be bone dry. anchor the film firmly under the spring, gently bend the film so it curves just a bit as you load. turn the reel slowly and stop to check the 'feel' of the film occasionally.

there is no shame in using the plastic paterson reels. they are much easier though as with everything once the technique is down it's much easier.

joe
 
I load film for half a revolution, go back with 2 fingers of the hand that is holding the reel and double check by feel, load another half revolution......then when I develop the film and find I still screwed up, switch back to plastic reels.

I can see the point to steel reels and tanks-my patterson plastic tank has electical tape over all the cracks I made when making sure no air bubbles stuck to the film.

Roy
 
Dave,

I bought a tank and two reels a couple of weeks ago and sacrificed a roll of Walgreens 200 to the cause. I have been practicing dilligently ever since, but I can not say that I have yet gotten a roll of film onto a stainless reel correctly yet. This sucks, hard... :(

If you find the trick, please tell me...

William
 
I think practice is indeed the key. But two things are needed to make it work. First, the film has to be straight inside the reel. It cannot be turned more one way than the other. Sometimes being sure the scissors have cut straight across helps. Then it must be curved correctly as you rotate the reel and allow the film to position itself into the wires of the reel.

Keep trying that in the light with a film you can sacrifice. It may seem impossible, but eventially you will get the hang of it. Good luck.
 
dcsang said:
I obviously need to practice more.
Click to expand...
Practice is the key. Keep the film slightly bowed (thumb on one side, first finger on the other and apply light pressure across the film) and it will almost roll itself onto the reel.
Feel the force, Dave, and let it guide you.

Peter
 
Who was it that made those stainless steel 35mm reels with the two prongs rather than the clip? They were heavier reels and I remember using them -- sooo easy. You just slipped the film end in there and the prongs engaged the film sprockets on either side.

But when I used the SS reels with the clip, i always kept my fingers on the edges -- thumb on the bottom edge, index and middle finger on the top edge -- guiding the film, slowly turning the reel until you got to the end of the roll. You would feel and hear if the film kinked. Then you just unrolled partially and did it again. But if you clipped it correctly and rolled slowly and centered, it will not kink.

Good luck.

Charlie
 
There is a trick that no one mentioned and I foung VERY important. The starting 3-5 inches need to be rolled along the LONG axis, emulsion inside. Once you establish some "resting" curvature on that part of the film, do as Joe wrote: "gently bend the film so it curves just a bit as you load". Again "curves" refer to along the length of the film, emulsion inside. You do so with the proximal part of your index and your thump while holding the roll of film in your palm (all in one hand). The other hand turn the wheel. Helps to have the film in tight roll so you can control the tention of the load.

If you start right (with a pre-curved portion), maintain the feed in a curve manner AND do so with some tention. The film will load fine.

Last note: I assume you prep the starting edge AND that you are using GOOD steel (i.e. Kinderman)
 
The BIG problem I have with plastic is that sometimes I can not get it started. When that happens there is nothing I can do to load it. The starting part of the film gets bend and it becomes impossible to load. For me, this problem occurs A LOT with 120 film. Very frustrating. With good steel, 120 is a breeze. 35mm is a bit more difficult -- longer, and needs small fingers to get it started.
 
Don't forget that film behaves differently according to brand and atmospheric conditions (especially warmth and humidity). I find FOMA loads onto reels (I do use the plastic type) easily all the time, as does Ilford. EFKE curls a lot but is easier to load on a warm humid day. Sometimes I just let it warm up in the changing bag before attempting a load.
 
My trick with Jobo and plastic for 120:
Detach the film from the paper back. A small paper strip will remain on the film.
Insert this side first into the reel.
Advance the film with your fingers, not the click-click prcedure. The Jobo reels have 2 notches for that purpose.
Result: the film stays nicely in the grooves

Wim
 
Steel reels need to be dry as well, no? A friend, who was a pro wedding photog for 40 years, made a drying unit for his reels out of pvc pipe with a small fan at one end. Works great.
 
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