35mm - cut off spool before or after?

mesh · Apr 3, 2010

Just completed my first batch of 35mm developing at home. The 120 has been going OK, and I was quite happy with the 35mm also.

I am using a Paterson system 4 tank and I prepare everything in a dark bag. I wondered if it may be easier to actually cut the end of the film off the spool AFTER I put it onto the reel - you'd 'wind' it on and then when the spool gets close you'd cut the film off. Things just seem to get messy when I do it first. Is this a silly idea?

Thanks, and sorry for the silly beginner question.

Rick A · Apr 3, 2010

Actually a good idea. I do that when I remember to not rewind the film all the way back into the casset. Somewhere in my youth, I had read to rewind completly into the casset to recognize exposed film from unexposed, and its a very hard habit to break.

palec · Apr 3, 2010

Sometimes if I want to reuse cassette for bulk loading (I reuse only once to minimize dust scratches), I wind the film onto reels right from it and cut at the end. I do it 30% of time, no problems with it.

phaedrus · Apr 3, 2010

In the cramped environment of a changing bag, I'd also cut off the spool on the last few millimeters and not have an unmanageable snake of film in the bag. On the other hand, the spool attached to the end of the film has sometimes pulled the film out the groves of Jobo reels on the last turns. Then I'd still have to cut it off and start anew with the whole film loose in order not to have two turns of the film misplaced in one grove.

Sjixxxy · Apr 3, 2010

I do this all the time. Works very well in a changing bag. I use a film retriever and keep the whole roll inside the canister. In the cases when something does happen and I need to pull the film off the developing reel, I'll just wind it back up into the canister.

Makes working in a bag much easier I've found.

eddym · Apr 3, 2010

After.

Sim2 · Apr 3, 2010

Hallo,
This is probably a hang over from when I used to load commercial E6 dip & dunk, but the cassette is opened up, film dropped out, loaded onto the spiral with the spool still attached. The little bit of wieght seems to aid loading and gives a big clue when the end of the film is approaching!
Another habit is that the leader is left out after shooting (easy to square up in the light) but a bit torn off the end. This is from the press agency days when the ident of a film/photographer could be written on the leader easier than the cassette itself.
Sim2.

mesh · Apr 3, 2010

Thanks very much for all the replies. Have a great Easter!

Shangheye · Apr 3, 2010

After..the weight stops the film curling..K

John Koehrer · Apr 3, 2010

after.

Mainecoonmaniac · Apr 3, 2010

I'm too lazy to use scissors when I process film. I usually process the whole roll leader and all. If I were to cut the film I would trim the leader. More room for error.

Steve Smith · Apr 4, 2010

Sjixxxy said:
I do this all the time. Works very well in a changing bag. I use a film retriever and keep the whole roll inside the canister. In the cases when something does happen and I need to pull the film off the developing reel, I'll just wind it back up into the canister.

I do this too. When the film is loaded onto the reel I just tear the dil against the opening in the canister.

Keeping the film in the canister also allows you to start the film into the reel in the light before putting it in the changing bag (or turning the light off).

Steve.

michaelbsc · Apr 5, 2010

Sjixxxy said:
I do this all the time. Works very well in a changing bag. I use a film retriever and keep the whole roll inside the canister. In the cases when something does happen and I need to pull the film off the developing reel, I'll just wind it back up into the canister.

Makes working in a bag much easier I've found.

I do this all the time as well. Works like a champ for me. Just rewind the film into the cassette when done in the camera, use the film picker to retrieve the end in the light, trim the end nicely and get started on the reel, then turn out the lights. (I don't use a changing bag. I have a room that's dark and I just use the table.) Then when it's at the end of the spool I take the scissors out of my pocket and cut the film off. Obviously if you were doing it in a bag you can't keep the scissors in your pocket like I do. But for me, if I lay them on the table then I have to hunt for them in the dark.

Keeps the cassette intact to use for reloading also. just cut a tail that's long enough to tape the new film securely.

And I use childrens scissors with the round nose so that I don't poke myself in the dark. They're long enough to cut the film, and they're safe enough not to cut me.

I also save the film tongues I cut off before starting the film on the reels in a box to check my fixer.

2F/2F · Apr 5, 2010

I wind most of the film onto the reel, and then chop the spool off only when it starts getting in the way (on the last couple of turns of the reel). I find this easier than unrolling the whole thing to chop off the spool, then recoiling it, and then rolling it onto the reel. While rolling, I hold the spool between my palm and little finger, so it can rotate, and I arc the film between my thumb and the other three fingers. The film goes straight from the spool to the reel this way. No fiddling about that could introduce fingerprints, scratches, dust, cause you to accidentally drop the film, and what have you.

35mm - cut off spool before or after?

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