Excuse me if you've read this on another group but I would like to spread the word
Usually the advice is to 'crack' the cassette and roll up the film and paper and put it all back together in the dark. I have figured a better (to me) way of doing it. Hope there are some 110 fans here!

I managed to crack open a few cartridges without ruining them but getting it all back together and sealing the edges was a bit too much. I cannot get the sticky black paper recommended to reseal the cassettes. I do it now without breaking the glued edges.

I drill a 9mm (3/8") hole in the center of the supply side (top or bottom) and grab the paper end with a pair of locking forceps. I then wind the paper up until I get to the place where the film is started in the photo frame. It is a notch on the edge.

I must add that it is ' imperative' to wind the leader paper back into the take-up side first - it buckles and twists until you tear it trying to get it straight and that would be almost certain in the darkroom. Better to do it in the light! To wind the cog on the take-up side I use the center from a failed attempt to crack open a cassette. Undercut the cog a little on the old hub against the body with a saw, and take a few thou off the face and it will drop down onto the cog on the cassette easily. Practice a little and you'll soon get the idea of which way it rolls. Clockwise to roll the paper back in onto the hub which is going anti-clockwise. This first step is vital to avoid tearing the paper in the dark.

Having started to wind in the paper on the supply side, at the point where the film starts, (the notch) turn out the lights and take your 80+cm of 16mm film and push it (right way up of course) into the spool in front of the paper and continue to wind. I have found no sticky tape is necessary. YMMV. Trim it as a '<' to make things easy.

It is very easy to wind in too far and lose the other end (the start, frame #1) so I put a small safety pin or file clip on this end to stop it getting drawn in and lost. Then unwind the locking forceps backwards for several turns to allow it to open, unlock and be withdrawn without pulling the paper and film out thru the hole you have made.

Apply a pre-prepared square inch of gaffer tape or your choice of light-proof tape over the hole - you can trim it neatly later.

Turn on the lights and trim the film at the start point. I find a ')' works best.
Wind in the paper and film into the take-up side either by turning the cog wheel or load it into a camera until you see the arrows on the backing paper.
Don't worry about handling the film at the start and finish - there are no images taken on the ends.

Trim the gaffer tape neatly with a sharp blade.

All done.

The forceps can be bought at electronic hobby shops. They are useful for holding small items to be soldered. Also to wind up Minolta cassettes. Maybe you could use tweezers with a rubber band wound round and round or long nosed pliers with a band around the handles to keep them clamped. Anything that doesn't need you to keep a continuous grip, otherwise that tail will certainly get lost and you will have to start over,
:-(

My slitter finally got a run and I have some B&W to play with in the Rollie-110 etc.

Murray

I wish you had some pictures illustrating this! Thanx anyway.

Erik

Look at this: I have spoiled you:

http://www.apug.org/forums/members/murray-kelly-albums-reloading-110-cartridges.html

Needless to say I somehow got the order completely reversed. Start at 11 and work down.

Comments welcome.

Murray

Murray, I've been playing with some 35mm film this afternoon and a 36 exposure film cut in half will give two lengths suitable for 24 exposure 110.
I was pleased that it worked out so well, as I now have two split cassettes ready to load.

Dai.

Dai. Lottsa luck!
I have never tried the split cassette load and reassemble. I would be interested to know how it works out and what tape you use to keep it together. Here in Oz, as you may have discovered, the ones suggested aren't readily available.

Murray

Murray, just an update.
I have two different types of cassette, the Fujifilm and one generic brand. The generic brand was much easier to split, the Fujifilm appears to be too well assembled, ie more glue and therefore more difficult to open.

I will try the "Murray method" on the Fuji cassette, I've chosen that one because it will not need the opening and closing of the other method.

I keep asking myself why would I be bothered going to all this trouble when I have so many 35mm cameras I can use, so far I haven't got a good answer !

Any help would be appreciated.

Dai.

Dai, as I said I never got past the splitting stage . It seemed like a
lot of work to me. You need to disassemble one anyway, to get the hub
out as a 'rewind' helper. You will have to undercut the cog a mm or 2 so
it fits snugly down on the cassette. Try and you will soon see what I mean.
Also there is no reason you have to have a 9mm hole. It can be as small
as you like, just so long as you can grab the paper end ans lock onto it
. Small needle nosed pliers with a rubber band round the handles to keep
locked. Tweezers would do or a split chopstick and rubber band. You must
lock it because you'd need 3 hands otherwise!
I have only the Fuji cassettes so that may account for my inability to
come to terms with the split and reassemble technique.

Good luck.
Murray

Dai, how are you making out with the reloading? If you want to take pictures send me 4 cassettes and your 120 roll film of choice and I will reload them for you, and that way you will get the taste of 110 fun.
Google "qrz vk4aok" for details.
Murray

Murray, thank you for that offer, I have a friend with a darkroom who is interested in the Pentax auto 110 I have just received.
I am now in the process of making a slitter from 9mm mdf that I can use in his darkroom, (rather than trying to slit the film in my black bag) I will then load the cassettes the "traditional" way. I plan on using Lucky 400 asa from 35mm 36 exposure film, I've used this before in my film cameras and the results are acceptable.

I figure if I do bulk loads of say 10 cassettes per session that will workout quite well.

If you like I'll post the information on my film slitter and keep you updated as to my progress.

I must admit to finding these little cameras addictive.

Dai.

Well I've just finished making my splitter. It seems to work well in the light of day, I just hope I don't lacerate myself too much in the darkroom. I will be visiting my friend on Monday to try it all out.
For winding the film I have made myself a spindle that works but it needs a modification for use in the darkroom as it's still a little fiddly.

I have two cassettes split ready so one 35mm 36 exposure film should just fit.

More as it happens, I did take photos during my construction so if anyone is interested just let me know and I'll post them here.

Dai.

Go for it, mate!
Getting 2 from a 35mm film means you have a rough edge and a smooth one, I presume? Which way up will you put it in the cassette? There are 6 35mm perfs per inch so you'd have to click and wind past each one until you get to the right spot with a camera that senses the holes, and most do. Pictures would be good.
Did I mention that the small alligator clips from Jaycar or Radio Shack make a pretty good clamp-on film/paper holder while you wind things up? Martin Tai suggested it and it looks good to me at first glance.

Dai!

By all means publish the photograps! There are newbies all the time and all help is appreciated.

ErikP

Erik, I have uploaded 8 pictures to show my construction of the film slitter.
It has worked out very well I think. I have made some minor modifications, such as 16mm of self adhesive felt between the scalpel blades to hold the film flat whilst cutting, I also measured the length needed for 24 exposures and cut grooves across the top of the angled plastic, this is to aid me in getting the right length of film in the darkroom.

The big plus for me is my friend who has the darkroom is quite excited by my venture so I now have an ally in 110 photography. I have modified 4 developer tank spirals and will split two more 110 film cassettes so that we can both make some test exposures using my Canon 20Ed and my Pentax auto 110.

I am hoping to post some photographs in the next few weeks. I still have to come up with a negative holder for my scanner.

Dai.

I've never had such a splitter but it looks good to me!
All mine have been blades in a group and a 'guide' to keep the film straight. Not as in a 'channel' where the film lay waiting to be cut. My only error was to use plain razor blades, not stainless.
Like me, you found the pictures came out in reverse order. Irritating.
Murray

Very interesting indeed!

Also interested in modifying developer tank spirals, but not for 16mm, that is already covered well and truly in some of my old tanks (Jobo 11xx and 12xx series among others). But modifactions that can be adapted to a semi-subminiature format, namely APS, so far I havent found spirals for that format, surely someone, somewhere must have been developing their own films for the format?? (sorry for the sidetrack).

I will be loading casettes for my Pentax & Minolta SLR's in 110, unbelieveable what people sell off for next to nothing these days, this digital fad will soon go over and everything will be back to normal!
)

Yes I have been very pleased so far with my efforts, I have posted a picture of my latest triumph, namely the tool for spooling 16mm film into the 110 cassette. It's simple to make and it fits perfectly.

Dai.

Maybe its been said before, but how long is the 24 exp 110 film?

A bit under 70cm.

I have just measured a 24 exposure film and it's 76 cm total length.
That includes the lead in and lead out for the cassette.

Dai.

I am also thinking of using a length of the backing paper to cover the slot in the rear of the cassette that gives the exposure number, this will give me more room to roll more film in to space.
The only issue I can think of is that of scratching the emulsion, but as my patent roller is from a 35mm cassette it feel it's worth trying. This should give a 36 exposure load to the cassette, of course the down side is I'll have no idea how many exposures I'll have left as I normally loose count after 10.

Dai.

Sounds about right to me, too, Dai. I had snipped a bit off the end and guestimated how much it should be. I do remember the slit 120 was almost exactly right at 80cm to give me 4 films per roll.
"I normally loose count after 10." - what about your toes?
I doubt you'll have trouble with scratching as the Minolta/Minox breeds have no backing. They do have a pressure plate however that opens and closes as one winds on.
Murray

Murray, the cameras I have are a Canon20D, Minolta 460T and a Pentax auto 110. I will probably not be using the Minolta as the other two I am expecting to give superior images.
In a couple of weeks time we are going to Lake Eyre for five days, I am hoping to have film loaded by then but will only be taking the Pentax 110 along with my Canon DSLR.
I do find it distracting when I have a camera with me that I'm not used to, it seems to side track me from the main aim of taking photographs.
I started my photography at the age of 8 with a VP Twin (Google them to find out what I've progressed from) it's a far cry from complaining of having too many cameras!!!

Dai.

I belong to a group that specialises in old abandoned cameras and I well know the Kodak VP. I was also intruiged to learn how early on 127 film was introduced.
My Yashica 44 LM is playing up and I'm unsure I will send it off for fixing. I can doubtless get one off the net for half what that would cost.
On trips I tend to finish up using my wife's Lumix so I bought a Canon G11 for myself and I don't have to ask her for the camera.
I took a FED-2 to Cairns/Darwin/ Alice springs last year and got home to find I had a light leak problem. The Rollie-E 110 was fine on another trip so it can work both ways, I guess.
Murray

Spent the w/e fixing the Yashica 44. Success! It was no holiday, I can tell you. A peculiarity of this camera (the 44LM) is the front plate has a slot for the shutter to move along but it's too narrow to go over the knob on the end! Try and dis-assemble that!
Had to resort to a bit of butchery. :-(
Final result is a working camera, but.

Your widget to wind up 110 looks good but from my point of view it has no relevance to my non-splitting technique. Just me - no insult intended. Horses for courses. Anything that helps the reloading 110 is a boon however you do it! I made a widget to wind Minolta 16mm, from a chopstick, that was my #1 device until I discovered the clamping things. Now I use that on Minox, too.
Things have been so image-acquiring quiet round here of late I have no news. Not even one new. (Journalist joke)
Still licking my wounds over a 40 yo film (v slow but obviously not kept cool) I spent a lot of time getting images on, only to find that it was fogged hopelessly. Kinda takes the edge off your enthusiasm a bit.
The PanF I have reloaded with should be OK. Make that 'will' be OK. New stock, newly slit. etc. Plan to use FX-1. It WILL work!!!
Murray

Murray, I now have 9 cassettes split ready to load film, 6 keyed for 400 asa and 3 left as is for 100 asa.
I collected my new negative holder yesterday and now need to find some old 110 negatives to use as a template when I modify the 35mm holder.
I have made a second film splitter, from the parts I had left over from the first, to slightly different design (I always double up on parts for a new project).
I have discovered that my Canon 110 ED is set for 80 asa film only, and the Minolta for 100 asa only, I had assumed that they both were dual speed (wrong).
I will be loading cassettes with 400 asa and 100 asa film tomorrow and then need to use one of each speed for testing exposure purposes which will leave me with ample film for my Lake Eyre trip.