8x20, 20x24, ULF Film Avalibility--GOOD NEWS!!

[reinhold_schable]

I just found a source for Ilford HP5+ film at very reasonable

prices, off the shelf, with no minimum order.

 

Call Jeff, at William Paul & Associates, White Plains, NY, at

800-962-4050. He stocks HP5+ in sizes up to 20x24 , as well as

cuts to special sizes on order. Jeff says they cater to the graphic

arts industry as well as schools. (And, as of now--- at least one

ULF photographer)

 

Since I'm shooting 8x20, I'll buy a box of 25 sheets of 20x24 at

$265.00 and cut them into 75 sheets of 8x20 for a cost of

$3.533333 per sheet. Wow!!! 400 speed film at $3.53 each.

Wow!!! HP5+, at that. Wow!!!

 

I cut film to size using my mat cutter with an accurately placed

stop, so handling is minimized and accuracy is "right on". To

notch the film, I use a simple triangle shaped paper punch from

Office Depot. Works great.

 

For those who are uncomfortable cutting film, I've been informed

by the local Ilford salesman that HP5+ (25 sheets 8x20) is

available from their warehouse as a limited stock item under

their part # 1786024. Your local Ilford dealer/photo shop should

be able to get it .

[jorge_gasteazoro4]

Reinhold I have tried cutting 12x20 into 8x10 and it is not an easy thing. I hope you have more success than I did.

BTW photowarehose are also very good if you can live with 125 ASA film. They are incredibly fast, put your order in the UPS truck the same day you order. Anyhow thanks for the tip I will give them a try.

[reinhold_schable]

Jorge:

 

You're right, cutting film is tricky, as you know. I find that a true

mat cutter, with a pivoting hold-down bar and a sliding blade

holder keeps the film from shifting. ( I have a C&H cutter). I fix a

metal straight edge to the base at exactly 8.0" from the cut line,

slide the film against the stop, lower the clamping bar down onto

the film, and hold it down with gentle pressure. (I also make

darn sure there's a clean piece of matboard as a supporting

surface under the film). The film stays put, guaranteed.

 

The sliding blade holder keeps the razor blade precisely located,

and is totally safe in the dark. It takes only one pass, and the cut

is clean and smooth, with no emulsion chipping such as

happens with a traditional lever type paper trimmer.

 

I use anti-static gloves that are thin, smooth, and let me feel the

film easily without making me nervous about static, dust, cat

hairs, etc.

 

For notching the film, I made a hand held doo-dad that fits over

the edge of the film, and limits the size of the "bite" that the

triangular paper punch takes. It keeps the notch size and

location consistant.

 

Have fun...

[jorge_gasteazoro4]

Thanks Reinhold, sound like you have it well thought out. Unfortunatelly I only have a rotorim paper cutter so that is what I used. Althought it was ok, I thought for all the hassle I rather someone else to do it. My mat cutter is the logan cheapo one, great for mats, but I am sure it would not cut it for film. I will give Jeff a call an mention you reffered me.

[a._goldeneagle]

<P>Do a jig!</P>

 

<P>get a piece of plywood the right thickness to ( with the

cutting-mat ) go from table-height to

supporting-the-blade-of-a-try-square</P>

 

( by-the-way, it's <A

HREF="http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=32599&category=1,42936,42941&ccurrency=3&SID=">these</A>

things I'm talking about... )

 

<P>put down the cutting-mat on it</P>

 

<P>put down the try-square with the thick-bar across the top, and the

straight-edge coming down ( or with the thick-bar across the bottom

and the straight-edge going up, you try it both ways and choose your

own answer )</P>

 

<P>put a "filler" cutting-mat from the try-square's blade back ( to

support the film, so the try-square-blade's inside-edge doesn't

scratch anything )</P>

 

<P>put grippy-tape ( or even good masking-tape ) on the blade of the

try-square</P>

 

<P>put a Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight plastic bar 10" back from the

far-edge of the blade, screw/bolt everything down to everything</P>

 

( <A

HREF="http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=3&page=32045&category=3%2C43576%2C43581">This</A>

stuff, and no I'm not affiliated with LV, they're just an excellent

source for ideas, is all, and the <I>reason</I> I'm recommending this

stuff is because it doesn't scratch anything, is keeps very clean

very easily, and it is incredibly simple to work and distinctive in

feel/touch, which can matter when one is, ahem, in the dark )

<P>lights-out</P>

 

<P>put sheet of film against the try-square's thick arm and the UHMW

plastic, hold it down on the straight-edge-arm, roll your

rotary-cutter along, cutting/shearing between the cutter and the

straightedge.</P>

 

<P>This means that the rotary-cutter is being-held against the

straight-edge as one rolls it along, so one is duplicating the

professional rotary-cutter table rigs by hand... I've tried to

illustrate what-it-looks-like from the perspective of the "lower" end

of the table..., showing where the rolling blade shears

cleanly...</P>

 

<PRE>

UHMW

UHMWfilm...film...film...film...film...film...film...film...film...film...film...film...

UHMW...cutting-mat...cutting-mat...cutting-mat...try-square-blade#

UHMW...cutting-mat...cutting-mat...cutting-mat...cutting-mat...cutting-mat

</PRE>

 

<P>Voila: cut ( perfectly ) film.</P>

 

<P>Whatever size you want.</P>

 

<P>Make the jig for the larger size you want and use mini-magnets in

a spacer-plastic to "move" the stop-plastic's edge closer to the

try-square, for the second-cut series ( I find it makes more sense to

do only one thing at a time, therefore, for me, long-end cuts first,

then short-side cuts )</P>