Bulk Loading for the first time: Trouble with Plastic Cassettes

[ak1]

I got my first bulk roll of film into my Watson 100, hopefully

correctly. Loaded up a test roll on plastic screw-cap cassettes bought

from B&H.

 

There is something different about these cassettes compared to the usual

film rolls. I had trouble putting the cassette

inside my X-700. It just wont go in, and when it did, it wouldn't go in

the right position: I could not align the felt trap to be facing the

take-on spool...it would keep facing skywards. I forced the casstte in

somehow, and closed the camera

back, but then I had trouble winding the film, so had to open the back

up again.

 

Then noticed this tiny plastic notch on the side of the cassette, and

it seemed like that was what was causing the trouble, so I knifed it

off. The cassette loaded into the camera peacefully now, but when I

finished shooting it today, I had some trouble taking

it out.

 

Am I doing something wrong? How are plastic cassettes to be used?

 

Thanks in advance.

[frank.schifano]

You had the little screw on cap screwed on incorrectly. When done right, that little tab is supposed to be lined upwith the slit where the film comes out. Don't be too surprised if your film is a bit fogged around the edges.

[peter_kim2]

Its much easier and more realable to use old film canisters. Go to your local lab and ask for a handful for free. Then just use a peice of masking tape to tape the little film sticking out of the old canister to the film in the bulk loader...

[josphy]

That plastic notch is meant to cover the side of the felt trap. It's possible to screw it on the (incorrect) way that you did, but you want to screw it on so that when the top is on tight, that little plastic notch is covering the side of the felt trap. Anyway, don't give up on bulk loading yet -- I've only recently gotten into photography and got the same Watson loader you did along with some super cheap plastic film cassettes, and they have been great since they've allowed me to shoot a LOT more film than I would normally be able to afford (~$25 for 100ft of film) and also make short rolls when I just wanted to practice my development techniques etc. Good luck!

[lex_jenkins]

Get some good metal snap caps. I've used 'em for 30+ years, never a single problem.

 

Occasionally you should take a bit of masking tape and dab at the light seal on the snap cap to pick up any debris that might accumulate there and cause scratches.

[michael_gatton]

I had trouble with the plastic cassettes as well. They are a breeze to load & unload, but the my camera had a hard time with them. There may be some plastic-to-plastic friction issues, or maybe the slightly thicker cassette causes alignment problems. In my case it was most noticeable in the rewinding phase where there were some noises I didn't particularly like, so I stopped using them.

[ak1]

Thanks a lot for all the comments. This was a life-saver.

 

Seems like I started out with doing the dumbest thing possible.

I cannot give up on bulk loading right now, I am just about to start on a trip and I had decided to load film for it myself, and as of now I am not thinking of giving up on that...I dont want to leave tri-x behind, and I have it only in bulk.

 

Could you help me with any other things to be careful about when using reloadable cassettes?

 

Lex, I do have a couple of Kalt (metal) snap caps (and can get more) - are those good enough? They have the top part of the felt slit "unprotected" by any plastic notch...is that likely to cause light leaks? And if it is, what precautions do you take against it?

 

I normally load my camera in as subdued light as I can manage, would that be good enough?

[lex_jenkins]

Ak, the Kalt or any metal snap caps I've used have always been good enough. Just inspect them occasionally to make sure they're in good shape - light seals intact, no dents or bends around the rims that might interfere with a good seal, etc.

 

Keep in mind that if a snap cap is dropped it may pop open and ruin the film inside. They can even pop open in a camera bag or pocket if mashed just so. That's the downside of convenience in the darkroom. Store your loaded snap caps in plastic film containers when not in the camera. If you don't have enough plastic film containers handy just ask for 'em from any one hour photo place. Sometimes customers will bring in their film with the cannister in the plastic container.

 

Also, keep in mind that because of the way the Watson bulk loader operates the last couple of frames will be fogged. Unlike commercially loaded film, which will often let you "cheat" and get an extra frame or two from the roll, most bulk loaded rolls will have two or three black frames at the end where the film is taped to the spool in daylight. So keep an eye on the film counter. Make sure that you actually did capture that important shot on good film and not on the fogged end of the film.

[robert_davis2]

I have to say that personally I like the plastic cassettes better then the Kalts. The metal cans can accidently open. They can be a pain to close. The plastic are just great IMHO. It's not like I haven't used metal cans before. I've still got some old ilfords that must be close to 20 years old. They work but plastic is better.

[scott_walton2]

Throw the plastics away and use the metal. Just buy a box of the snap caps

as Lex mentioned and you'll have them for years!

[photojim]

Sounds like there's some dissension. :) I use both types of cassettes. I use metal ones for my ISO 400 bulk film, mostly because it's easy to get them with DX coding on them. I haven't found a source for 100-speed cartridges. I like the metal cartridges, but I'm always worried about the ends popping off. They never do, but I am careful.

 

I use plastic cartridges, primarily, for my 100-speed film. I bought labels from Porter's Camera Store to DX-code them. They seem to create greater resistance in the camera (you can particularly hear it when rewinding with a motorized camera). They work fine in all my cameras (from Nikkormat to F100).

 

Which do I prefer? I like the convenience of the plastic ones, especially in the darkroom. But I don't like the increased drag, which makes me a little more concerned about scratches and about battery life (if you shoot in manual cameras, this is a non-issue). I guess I like them both about equally.