Plastic reel driving me crazy

[soonchunglim]

hi,

 

i'm having lots of trouble loading 120 roll film onto my plastic reel.

It loads from the outside of the reel.

 

Are there plastic reels that load from the centre? Or is SS the better

way to go, for 120 at least?

 

thanks,

sc

[michaelging]

Soon, to me metal reels are easier to load than plastic. If the reel you are using is one that you load from the outside through slots then I suggest that you clean and dry the reels very well. Any left over photo flow or moisture on the reels, will cause them to stick. Of all the film I have loaded over the years,120 is the worst.You might try stainless steel ,or borrow one and see if it works better for you. good luck

[will_legge]

Round the corners of the film slightly. Make sure the reel is dry. I practice with old undeveloped film each time to get the feel of it.

[richard_wasserman1]

I had the same problem with plastic reels. I tried everything and could not get them to

work. I would watch other people load them with ease, but I could never do it. I switched

to metal reels (Hewes) and now never have a problem

[paul_sorensen]

What are you having trouble with. Are you able to get it started but it stops after a bit? That would likely be moisture or junk on the reel. If you can't get it to load because the film wants to bow in the middle and you can't get both edges in, that is likely a technique problem. I still have problems occasionally with thinner films such as Efke, Foma, and Forte, and I avoid them.

 

I also have found it to be very helpful to use my right pinky to hold the roll of remaining film away from the reel. Sometimes it will roll right up to the reel and basically pull the film out. I think that practice is indeed key. Also, SS might work better for you, I have never tried them with MF fiolm and can't comment.

[chris_waller]

I load plastic reels with no problems. I put everything into a deep plastic tray. I put the reel against the side of the tray with the entrance to the reel facing towards me. Then I unroll the film and tear off the leading length of paper. Then, I hold the end of the film between my thumb and first three fingers and draw the film into the reel until it engages with the ball-bearings. Use your other hand to hold the reel and feel the lugs at the entrance to the reel. Then it's just a matter of cranking the reel. Make sure the reel is bone dry.

[j.baxendell]

As someone said the trick is to round the end of the film. I just cut the corners off. If you leave the end square you will never get it to load.

 

Jobo issue very strong warnings about rinsing their reels in photoflo - which causes a build up of gunk that makes the film stick. They advise taking the film off the reel for the final rinse.

[nikos peri]

The Patterson reels have ridiculously small flanges to feed the film into the reel. Not an issue for 35mm, but when the film becomes thin and wide, they become a nightmare. <p>

Try AP reels. They have really fat flanges (15mm on each side) that help rest the film onto, prevent it from buckling, and are easy to feel in the dark. The reels fit the Patterson columns and tanks.<p>

Of course, if your reels are wet, all bets are off.

[ken_kuzenski]

I prefer the plastic "auto-loading" reels very much; the two key points are A.) rounding the corners just a bit (I give each corner a snip with the scissors) and B.) Making sure that reel is BONE-DRY. If it's wet, the film will not want to go on. It also helps sometimes to provide a bit of a push to the film, with my right hand, as I'm beginning the "twist-twist" turns to load the film. I find these much easier than the stainless wire ones. (FWIW)

[mdanger]

I vote for stainless steel reels; easy to clean and unbreakable.

[andrew_hull]

Try the Jobo reels, they are very easy to load with 120 film.

[Ed_Ingold]

Stainless steel reels are the only way to go for dip and dunk processing, 35mm or 120. With practice, they are easy to load, even if damp. Furthermore, they are rugged and easy to clean (unlike plastic). I use stainless tanks, but I believe you can get s/s reels to fit JOBO tanks as well.

 

Film will stick if plastic reels are the slightest bit damp. Also, the plastic tends to craze with use, which makes the film harder to load even if dry. If you have multiple batches to process, it can take longer to dry the reels than to develop the film. Both 35mm and 120 are problematic. 35mm film is long (over 5 feet) - that's a long way to push a rope, so to speak. 120 film is very limp, and tends to stick or skip when loading.

 

The key to using s/s reels is practice, plus a few tips:

 

The loading tools are not needed, and tend to scratch the film. Use your hands to guide the film.

 

Use cotton gloves. The film has to slide smoothly through your hand. If you can't be completely dry (as in a changing bag), gloves make all the difference.

 

Don't use the clip at the center of the reel. The film has to bend so much it's nearly impossible to start the film without crimping it. Hold the film by the center of the reel until you have a turn or two.

 

Listen and feel the film as it loads. If there is any roughness or sounds, you are probably crimping the film. Back up and repair the wind. Once you crimp the edges of the film, it is very difficult to repair the wind.

[luciano_capitanio1]

AP reels are very easy to load and you can use them with Paterson tanks ...No truble. I never used Paterson reels, they are much more expensive and difficult to use.

[eric_triplett2]

I'm going to vote for the Jobo plastic reels too. I've tried Patterson and those little ball bearings make the task twice as hard as it should be. They are great for 35mm though.

 

I usually unroll the film and completely remove the backing tape, not just fold it and stick it to the film. Then I pull the roll into the reel a little way. Using the pinky method that someone described earlier I keep the film away from the reel while I work it on. If I get stuck I'll push at the edge of the film with my fingers from outside the reel to make sure it's not hung up.

 

Whoa I just read that and I made it sound a lot harder that it is. Just practice...

[brandon_shahan]

I had the same problem. After 45 minutes in the dark I put the film in the tank and turned on the lights. Then I used a screwdriver to pop the metal balls out of the reels. Turned the lights back out, and the film went right in, haven't had a problem since.

 

Brandon

[Andrew in Austin]

On Patterson reels, make sure that the ball bearings move free before heading for the closet or changning bag. I bet if you went to check your reel right now, you'd see that they are stuck.

 

Next, I hold the reel in my right hand, then place my index finger and ring fingers over each inlet into the reel to help guide the film, which prevents it from jumping off the tracks.

 

I keep the film rolled up, no paper backing at this point, and push slowwwwwly while keeping my left index finger on the top surface of the film to prevent buckling.

 

Removing the film, before the photo-flow rinse is a very good tip.

[dougsmiley]

When learning to load the Paterson reels the first thing you need to keep in mind is to GO SLOWLY. If you can, use a practice roll of film, and not in the dark, so you can see what's happening. Follow the tips previously posted here. For 35mm I trim the leader on a radius with scissors; for 120 I cut a bit off each corner. Be careful that you don't cut yourself doing this in the dark! As you gently pull the film onto the reel, try wiggling it a bit from side to side. Once you have pulled the film about half way or a bit less around the reel, the film will begin to self-feed as you rotate the two sides of the reel in opposite directions. If the film should jam or hangup (generally because the reel has some moisture somewhere) try rapping the reel several times on a hard surface. If it still won't budge, you may have to (gently) pull the film out and start over.

 

Paterson reels are at least as easy to load as the steel reels, once you get the hang of it.

[anthony_brookes5]

Dry your reels thoroughly. On the Patterson plastic reel I always tap the balls before starting to load. Very satisfying, and makes life easy.