How to slit and roll your own film.

<h1>How to Use Minox Slitter </h1><P><UL><LI>How to use it.

<li>Other slitters.</UL>

<h2> How to slit and roll 9.2mm film</h2>

 

<p> Minox film is technically specified as 9.4mm wide. But for

self loading, it is better to slit it slightly narrower to 9.2mm

to prevent jamming the casette.

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7506795-lg.jpg" border=3>

<p>

 

<UL><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="GREEN"> Get ready</FONT>

<LI> Clean the MINOX slitter with a rubber blower to remove dust

<LI> In daylight, put a 35mm film cartridge at one end of MINOX slitter, pull out the film lead,

slide it into the film channel, passing it under the blades, tape it to the take up

cylinder with a piece of 3M tape.

 

</ul>

<UL><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="RED"> Slit film into 9.2mm strips</FONT>

 

<LI> Go to dark room ( or dark closet), push down the blade assembly with one hand,

and crank the handle with another to pull the film through the cutting blades until the

film stops. Do not rewind the slitted film strips

back into the 35mm cartridge, as the strips can easily tangled and jam up.

<LI> Hold the cut film strips tight on the cylinder with one hand,

cut the film strips loose from the slitter, remove the take up spool with the slitted film strips

on it, remove two perforation strips, discard them, save the cylinder with two long film

strips tightly wound into a 35mm film canister for next step.

<LI> Keep only the film canister with slitted 9.2mm film in the darkroom, remove

the MINOX slitter from darkroom.

 

</UL>

<UL> <FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="GREEN">Preparation</FONT>

<LI> In day light, get four empty Minox cassettes, open all caps of the four cassettes,

put four supply side caps, four open casettes without caps and one crocodile

clip( from Radio Shack) in an empty photo paper box( for example, Agfa RC paper box ) ,

another spare photo paper box and a pare of scissors; bring them to the darkroom.

</ul>

<P><UL><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="RED"> Roll 9.2mm film </FONT>

 

<LI> In total darkness. Remove the cylinder with cut film strips out of canister,

cut the films strips loose from the cylinder at very ends; now you have two long 9.2mm

film strips, save them in a storage box.

<LI> In total darkness. Take one piece of long

film strip from the storage box, fold it up at two ends, hold these two ends with one hand,

pull the film into a long U shape with thumb and index finger, let go the two free ends,

you are now holding the middle point of the long film. Cut the film at that middle point

to get two equal length short film strips, put them into the other empty storage box.

Do the same with the remaining long strip in the storage box. Now you have four short strips

of film, about 42 exposures each. With this " double up and cut in the middle " method,

you do not need to measure film length in the dark.

<LI> In total darkness. Put aside one opened film cassette,

take out a piece of short strip from the storage can, hold one end with a alligator clip, <center><P><P>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7506650-lg.jpg"><p><font size=4>Radio Shack alligator clip makes an effective film winding tool </font><p></center><P>

wind the film emulsion side inward into a roll; hold the rolled up film, remove the

crocodile clip, slip the film roll into the supply side of Minox cassette, make sure to

leave an one inch and a half lead outside;

<LI>snap close the supply side cap.

<LI>Repeat the same procedures with the remaining three short strips.

<LI> Darkroom work now done, the remaining procedures is in day light.

</ul>

 

<UL><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="GREEN"> Pack film into cassettes.</FONT>

<LI> In subdue light. Attach the film lead to a MINOX cassette 10mm spool, with a piece about 40mm long 6 mm Scotch tape (available from art shop in a roll ) make sure the film strip aligns with

the film take up spool perfectly;

<LI> Insert the take up spool into the take up side chamber of cassette,

slide the film carefully into the cassette door, snap close the take up side chamber.

<LI> In day light. With a one-hole punch, make a half moon shape cut out at on the film

between the two chambers of cassette, to indicate unused film.

<LI>In day light. Blow off any dust on the film with a rubber blower, store

the film cassette into the cassette box. Do the same with the remaining three.

 

<LI> Mark the film type on a stick on the cassette containers.

Now you have four 42 exp 9.2mm film cassette, ready for use.

 

</ul>

 

 

HOW TO AVOID FILM SCRATCHES DURING SLITTING.

Since the Minox slitter is made of metal, it does not produce dust of its own, dust particles are external.

Before use, blow the slitter bed with a rubber blower bulb, use a magnifier to check of any remaining dust particles then blow again util clean.

There are replacement slitter blade assembly available from Minox GmbH.

Blunt knife blades will produce film chips.

ECONOMY OF SLITTING FILM.

Slitting your own film not only vaslty exppands your choice of film for Minox, but also lowers the cost dramatically.

One roll of 35 exp Agfapan APX 25 is about $2, from which you can slit into four rolls of 40 exp Minox film, at a cost of only $0.50 each.

As for the Minox casssettes, they are reusable. You can buy it from Minox Processing Lab, at 10 pieces for $10.

If you think Minox slitter is expensive ( available at Minox Processing Lab ); you may find slitter kit sold

at SUB CLUB SWAP MEET site.

Martin, you said there are replacement blade sets for the Minox

slitter? Great news. I was told by Minoxlabs that they didn't offer

them at the time I asked in September.

Tony, I got mine sliiter replacement blades about a year and a half ago,

from Minox GmbH; I knew some others got them from MPL; may be they are out of stock at the moment.

In Subclub website, SWAP MEET, jb007 has a for sale ad, in which he offered replacement slitters.

His ad title "tones of MInox stuff".

Fuji Super HR comes in a variety of thicknesses. Only the thinnest

stocks should be used in a Minox IMHO.

Your film wasn't harder, it was thicker.

The drag that occurred in your film splitter is the same drag that

will occur as you pull thick stock through the fabric light traps of

the cassette. And each time you advance 5mil thick stock (HR-21)

through your Minox, you decrease the amount of time till the next

trip to the repair shop. If you load 7mil stock (CF-100) you'll never

be able to get off the first shot because your camera will make a

sound like it bit a rock. Then jam tight. If this is what you have,

you can still use it in a Minolta-16P, or GaMi-16.

 

<p>

 

Here are the safest stock numbers for Super HR/Minox:

HR-38 16mmx65.5m(125 ft) thickness 2.5mils.

HR-70 35mmx65.5m.........thickness 2.5mils.

 

<p>

 

Al Doyle

When punching the marking hole at the end of slitted film, be very careful

not to let the piece of film "chad" stick to the film, which may find its way into your camera.

<a href="http://www.pathcom.com/~vhchan/slitters/slitters.html">Vincent Chan's camera turned slitter </a>

Scotch 1/4" tape for holding Minox film to spool, available from

art shops (not in stationary stores)<div></div>

Minox cassette spool (with 1/4" Scotch tape for attaching Minox film strip )<div></div>

<p>I slit a full roll of Ilford Delta 100. I folded a strip in half and cut. Each half measured 29.25 inches. While I was able to spool the film on the supply side, there is no way that much film could be wound onto the 10mm "36 exposure" take up spool. I guess the Delta 100 is a bit "fat". Trimming to 23.3 (probably 36 exposure) was about the most without making the camera strain to turn the take up spool. Perhaps there is a thinner film that would allow me to actually load 50, can someone advise? Want 100ASA B&W with reasonable results.</p>

<p>Keneth, check out<br>

http://www.photo.net/minox-camera-forum/003HBM</p>

<p>Ilford PanF plus is a good choice</p>

<p> </p>

Thank you Martin, fortunately I live in Manhattan and can get to B&H Photo which stocks most everything. Will certainly give it a try, don't like having to measure the 23" length, would like to just snip in half. I would like to share a find for the tape used to attach to the takeup spool. For about 8$ (including shipping) this tape appears identical to the pale yellow used by the factory, it's 1/4" and 36 yards long. THAT should do many reloads, also seems just right for securing the lids of older cartridges that do not snap on. It held tight to the Delta 100, and peels off easily.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ROR6JQ/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

If the link don't work search Amazon for: 1 Mil Kapton Tape (Polyimide) - 1/4" X 36 Yds