Cutting down 8X10 film

[jim_becia]

I have ordered a box of 8X10 E100VS so I can cut it down to use with my Canham 5X7. I have a rotary trimmer that I bought at an office supply store and have been "practicing" with it. However, I am not getting good "cuts" with it. Should I be using a typical paper cutter with the blade that comes straight down, or do just need to get a better rotary trimmer. Suggestions and help appreciated from those who are cutting down their own film. Thanks. Jim

[pete_andrews]

I don't think that rotary trimmers are suitable for cutting film. You

always have to slide the sheet(s) under a location strip, and this is

asking for scratches and slippage to occur.<br>I've got a small

(unguarded) guillotine type cutter that I use in the darkroom. I

stick markers on the bed of it with a couple of layers of plastic tape

for repeatable and accurate cuts. And yes, I still have all my

fingers, thanks. Your mileage may vary.

[stevewillard]

I plan on doing this as well. I have heard that knife trimmers are

subject to paper creep. That is, as you cut the paper or film, it

will creep slightly inward. There is a posting under 5x7 call "5x7

instead of 8x10" that talks about this.

 

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Please let me know what you finally end up doing so that I may

benefit from your efforts.

 

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Thanks.

[clayton_tume]

Jim

<p>

I cut down film all the time, most of it 9 1/2" aerial film on long

rolls, the stuff is quite thin and tricky to deal with but once you

get the hang of it, it's easy.

<p>

I use a craft knife and always cut at least two lengths at a time,

usually four to six. I have a board set up for cutting, that has a

metal strip taped down as a back stop, this gives me my film width,

I'm usually cutting 6 foot long lengths. The back stop is set to 1mm

less than the width I want, I lay the film down and push it against

the stop, I always have the top film facing down and the others below

facing up, never have problems with scratches or damage.

<p>

The I lay down another metal strip over the film and tape it to the

edge with 1mm sticking out, this is my cutting edge and I run the

knife along the metal strip as a guide. I hold the knife underneath

the board, blade facing up and carefully run it down the length of

film making sure the blade touches the metal strip all the way.

<P>

It can be tricky at first and you have to be aware of where your free

hand is all the time, I've never had any accidents or even close

shaves.

<P>

You can also do something similar by using a board with a back stop

and two front guides fixed in the right position at either side of

the film, push a steel ruler against the guides and run your knife

along the ruler. The guides are fixed at the correct length minus

ruler width and you can run a groove through the board for a gap for

your blade to run along. This is probably the easiest way for cutting

down small film, just remember to do two at a time, emulsion facing

in so you don't damage it.

[david_nash]

Hi

 

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I've recently had a couple of goes at cutting 10x8" film down to

10x4". I bought a 12" (maximum cut length)Rotatrim Professional

trimmer (made here in the UK). It has a calibrated 'stop', so that

you can accurately set the width of the trim, and keep everything

square. The reason I bought the smaller one was so that it would fit

in my Harrison tent. So far, I've been exposing a shot for the

centre part of a full 10x8" sheet, then trimming both edges off to

retain the central portion. This means resetting the stop for each

cut, but it's accurate and repeatable. I take care to clean the

trimmer and wipe with an anti-static brush before cutting the film,

and I haven't seen any evidence of scratching so far.

 

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I will eventually modify a 10x8" holder so that I can insert a 10x4"

piece of film in the centre portion - I've bought some brass strips

that I will need to cut, paint, and fix into the darkslide.

 

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Because I've got a Jobo CPE2 processor, I can't use an Expert drum,

but I've always had good results processing 5x4" film in the 2509

reel. I decided to experiment with this, and I've cut away one of

the film stops and a guide rail to allow one sheet of 10x4" film to

be inserted on the inner track. It's a bit complicated to explain,

but the results appear to be great - even development. Before I

start to load I put the black plastic retaining clip on the side

opposite to where I need to start loading the film (as a reference),

then I remove it once I've started to load the film, then replace it

at the start/end position. The only 'problem' is only being able to

process one sheet at a time, although I suppose I could open out the

other two tracks. I might even look at making a central core

extension to allow me to process a 10x8" sheet in a bigger drum but

with the same reel - not sure if the size of the film will work

against me.

 

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Sorry if this is a bit long and confusing, but I thought I'd share it

with you.

 

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David Nash

[jim_becia]

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I am going to try a friend's

rotary trimmer that is supposed to cut better than mine. If that

fails, then I'll try the paper cutter with the blade that comes

straight down. Thanks again for the help and suggestions. Jim