Am I brain dead or what?!!

hyperfocal · Mar 30, 2008

I recently bought new 2502 reels for my Jobo to process 120 film. Having owned Patterson reels for decades I'm very familiar with "walking" the film onto the reel etc.

As I was checking out the reels and reaquainting myself to the loading process in the light of day, much to my surprise and frustrations the 2502s will not allow me to move the film onto the reel. The walking is being done backwards! That is, after I pull the film over the guide slots and seat it to begin the back and forth twisting of the top and bottom portions of the reel,...the film does one of two things.
(a) doesn't move or (b) walks itself right back off the reel towards me.

I'm stumped at how this could happen. For gosh sakes the reel only has two moving parts!

Anyone have a suggestion? I've gone thru Jobo manual, taken the reel apart and put it back together, and compared all three (new) reels to each other for parts and confirguration,...no luck.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

tim_walls · Mar 30, 2008

My Jobo reels don't have the Paterson style ratchet mechanism - instead you use your fingers in the recessed bit of the reel where you can touch the film edge to stop the film moving on the backstroke.

Erik L · Mar 30, 2008

I'm not sure of the number on my jobo reels, but there is a thin portion of the reel an inch or so from the insertion point that I use to flatten with my index fingers in alternating twists. It seems to hold the film edges and allow for forward movement. I agree that there are easier reels to use, but that's how I've overcome the problem.
regards
Erik

donbga · Mar 30, 2008

tim_walls said:
My Jobo reels don't have the Paterson style ratchet mechanism - instead you use your fingers in the recessed bit of the reel where you can touch the film edge to stop the film moving on the backstroke.

Yes Tim is correct. Practice with a scrap roll until you 'gey it'. Once you understand the technique loading is quick though not as easy as the Patterson.

RobC · Mar 30, 2008

Yes, on the opposite side (non backstroke side) from the backstroke, you place your finger on the edge of the film, which you can feel through the spool, and with light pressure, you can push it down so that it does not move backwards when you turn the otherside backwards. You alternate finger pressure from side to side. It will become second nature very quickly.
Also when starting, the corners can get caught on the spool. I usually cut the leader off straight across the film. That leaves 90deg angles at the corners on end of film. I just snip a tiny bit off each corner so that they are less likely to get caught as the film winds on the spool. But only enough to just take the sharpness off each corner at the end...

ricksplace · Mar 30, 2008

[QUOTE I just snip a tiny bit off each corner so that they are less likely to get caught as the film winds on the spool. But only enough to just take the sharpness off each corner at the end...[/QUOTE]

I do this with all of my films for Paterson plastic reels. It makes a BIG difference with 120.

tim_walls · Mar 30, 2008

ricksplace said:
I just snip a tiny bit off each corner so that they are less likely to get caught as the film winds on the spool. But only enough to just take the sharpness off each corner at the end...

Click to expand...

I do this with all of my films for Paterson plastic reels. It makes a BIG difference with 120.

- why on Earth have I never thought of that... I do it all the time with 35mm, but it's never even occurred to me with 120...

hyperfocal · Mar 30, 2008

Thanks everyone,....

Thanks to everyone for their quick and very accurate advice,....and thanks

to Homer Simpson for showing me how to smacked myself square in the

forehead and shout,...."DOAT"!!!

Uncle Dick · Apr 3, 2008

You might also like to try the experiment of giving the first few millimetres of the film a bit of reverse curl as well as the snipped corners. I find it helps to ease it down the spiral, particularly when it gets into the narrow centre part.

Uncle Dick

Fintan · Apr 3, 2008

I do this snipped corner thing on 120 film but instead of using a scissors, I use a nail clippers, which gives a nice rounded cut on the edge of your film and not your finger :rolleyes:

snallan · Apr 3, 2008

Fintan said:
I do this snipped corner thing on 120 film but instead of using a scissors, I use a nail clippers, which gives a nice rounded cut on the edge of your film and not your finger :rolleyes:

Oooh. Good tip!

pentaxuser · Apr 3, 2008

hyperfocal said:
I recently bought new 2502 reels for my Jobo to process 120 film. Having owned Patterson reels for decades I'm very familiar with "walking" the film onto the reel etc.

As I was checking out the reels and reaquainting myself to the loading process in the light of day, much to my surprise and frustrations the 2502s will not allow me to move the film onto the reel. The walking is being done backwards! That is, after I pull the film over the guide slots and seat it to begin the back and forth twisting of the top and bottom portions of the reel,...the film does one of two things.
(a) doesn't move or (b) walks itself right back off the reel towards me.

I'm stumped at how this could happen. For gosh sakes the reel only has two moving parts!

Anyone have a suggestion? I've gone thru Jobo manual, taken the reel apart and put it back together, and compared all three (new) reels to each other for parts and confirguration,...no luck.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

At last I found a fellow sufferer! I struggled a couple of nights ago with just such a reel. Eventually gave up and having secured it safely in a light tight box reverted to a Durst reel which has a foolproof guide attached to the reel which feeds it on as simple as ABC.

Once developed I then tried to load the film onto the Jobo in the daylight and lo and behold the problem was still there! OK I managed it but in the dark it would have been another matter.

So at the risk of putting you off by my confession, I'd say that a lot of practice is required with a sacrificed film. I am sure it will work it's just that you need to see how much pressure is needed to hold the film and stop its static or backwards movement. The dark always brings hidden terrors

I am going to try and scrub my reel again in case that's the problem but in your case if it's new then that won't help.

Frankly I will only persevere because (1) I need the Jobo for any colour films and (2) I need to prove to myself I can master the technique.

I hope that this fellow sufferer's exact same problems hasn't put you off. I just thought it might be good for you to know you are not on your own with "Jobo 120 film winding"
P.S. No problem with 35mm. It's extra rigidity in relation to its width makes it easy to push onto the reel.

pentaxuser

pellicle · Apr 4, 2008

not you, I think someone at Jobo maybe

Hi

hyperfocal said:
I recently bought new 2502 reels for my Jobo to process 120 film. Having owned Patterson reels for decades I'm very familiar with "walking" the film onto the reel etc.

As I was checking out the reels and reaquainting myself to the loading process in the light of day, much to my surprise and frustrations the 2502s will not allow me to move the film onto the reel. The walking is being done backwards!

I didn't realise the significance of this thread till I read it and thought "hey, I've just bought a set for black and white, and I've also only used patterson reels. So as I happen to have a section of recently lab developed dud film around, I thought "why not give it a burl".

I see what you mean. Looking closely I see that to compound the issue, the rails have little 'sawteeth' which point backwards making it easier to un-spool than spool.

I'm now sincerely thinking of selling this outfit before it sh#ts me off in the dark room trying to load a film I actually care about.

man ... who thought this up?

pellicle · Apr 4, 2008

Tim

tim_walls said:
My Jobo reels don't have the Paterson style ratchet mechanism - instead you use your fingers in the recessed bit of the reel where you can touch the film edge to stop the film moving on the backstroke.

I've just practiced your tip, you should be worshiped as a darkroom god (but only in countries that allow such heathen practices ;-)

pellicle · Apr 4, 2008

Hi

pentaxuser said:
At last I found a fellow sufferer! I struggled a couple of nights ago with just such a reel.

pentaxuser

try that suggestion above, the 'recessed' area is exactly where my photograph is taken at. You can feel the edges of the film, and I mean the edges like the cutting edge of a sheet of paper.pressing here seems to allow enough friction on the film.

fantastic!

tim_walls · Apr 4, 2008

pellicle said:
I've just practiced your tip, you should be worshiped as a darkroom god (but only in countries that allow such heathen practices ;-)

Ha, that's very kind, but completely unwarranted ,.

My real tip is this: Don't bother walking the film on at all with the Jobo reels. It's much easier to just pull the film onto the reel, grabbing it at the recess. i.e.:

Load tip of film into reel and pull it through a couple of inches in the normal way.

Hold the reel between your thumb and forefinger of the right hand, with the spool cupped underneath, so that the 'recessed bit' is to the left.

Just pull the film through, grabbing it at the edges in the recessed bit!

I find that a hell of a lot easier than walking it on - I actually prefer the Jobo reels to Paterson ones these days as a result - I can load a Jobo in half the time. The only time I ever give the two halves of the reel a bit of a wiggle is to help if the film has caught on something.

pellicle · Apr 5, 2008

tim_walls said:
Just pull the film through, grabbing it at the edges in the recessed bit!

I find that a hell of a lot easier than walking it on - I actually prefer the Jobo reels to Paterson ones these days as a result - I can load a Jobo in half the time.

well, I'm not sure how this works as soon you'll hit the other side of the circle and meet the film entering spiral.

I really like (though not many others seem to) an old stainless tank and spiral I have at home which you load from the inside out, and just wind the film onto the spiral.

not that I use 35mm anymore

Am I brain dead or what?!!

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