35mm Film Cartridge Problem

[bvy]

I recently exposed a roll of 35mm in a way that required me to rewind the cartridge by hand (in the dark, of course). Not sure what happened, but the roll jammed just as the last inch of leader was about to go in. I can neither push the remaining leader into the cassette, nor pull it back out. While rewinding, I experienced no resistance, but now there is some resistance. It turns but not freely. In any case, I don't want to mess with it much more for fear of breaking or tearing something. Maybe I rewound it backwards. I doubt it, but I really don't know. It was a fresh roll of Fujifilm Superia 400/24.

Is there something else I can try to fix this? Or more to the point, can someone suggest a lab that might be able to special handle it? I don't fully understand how the big automatic machines work; I'm thinking it might have to be cracked open by hand. Dwayne's is my mail-to lab of choice at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bdial]

With only an inch of leader sticking out, it's not a problem. Just pack it off to the lab the leader shouldn't be a problem, though it might not hurt to put a note in that it's jammed in the cartridge so they know to open it, rather than just pulling the leader. If you have someone local to take it too that would be a bit better so that you can explain in person, but it shouldn't be a problem either way.

As for what happened, it sounds likely that you may have wound it backwards causing the initial loops around the spool to be too big. There isn't much else that could go wrong.

 

[Rick A]

Did you possibly rewind the film the wrong direction? Only an inch of leader is okay, you waste more than that loading the camera.

 

[Sirius Glass]

An inch of leader is okay. Just do not confuse it being an unexposed roll.

 

[bvy]

Thanks everyone. I was actually more concerned that if the film is jammed or wound backwards or something else -- that whatever processinng machine is used might do further damage to the film. Like I said, I don't have a good understanding of how the film is retrieved from the sealed cartridge in a lab setting.