Best 35mm Developing Reels

[Helen B]

The apron thing has little knobbles along the edges, so when you wind it together with the film each lap is held away from the adjacent laps. No plastic or metal spiral to load. Good stuff! We had them at school though they didn't fit in with the school's motto 'Semper Multa Difficultissima Multum Bonissimum Est'*

Best,
Helen
*A thousand apologies for the really bad schoolgirl Latin attempt at 'The Most Difficultest Is Always The Most Bestest'.

 

[photomc]

Maybe you should consider Hewes reels. Has anyone mentioned them yet?

Best,
Helen

I love the Hewes 120 reels I have, look for them all the time..OK, they cost a little more and I'm cheap, so anytime I see any SS reels, check to see if they are Hewes.

 

[tbm]

I had many problems loading film onto Paterson's plastic reels--perhaps after a while of usage the reels need to be replaced due to wear--and switched to Hewes reels and have been completely satisfied. Though I initially had problems getting the film throughout the stainless steel reel, I consulted the following Web page and my problems were solved:

http://www.clearsightusa.com/loadingreels.html

 

[Max Power]

I love this thread!
I just find it so cool that there are so many different answers to the same question, and that each respondant has a different angle.

FWIW, I learned to use a Paterson system and found it a snap. A couple of months ago, I bought a used Jobo TBE-2 and it came with four of the four-roll Jobo stainless tanks. I figured 'what the hay' and decided to try the stainless stuff because everybody seemed to be of the opinion that they were the best.

OUFFFF!!! I practised and practised in the light until I thought I had it. Of course, Murphy's Law struck...When I went to load the reel for real it took ages and even when I thought I had it all correct, it wasn't. When I unwound the reel to dry, it was all a mess.

With the Paterson reels, I know when there is a problem because they simply refuse to wind properly.

As always, YMMV!!!

 

[Konical]

I liked SS, but went to Paterson plastic reels when I had "surge" problems. By that, I mean I had more development near the edges of the film caused by eddies around the SS reels.

Good Morning,

I never had any problem with Patterson reels when doing 35mm; with 120, I got occasional uneven development near the film edges. I was just beginning in the darkroom at the time, and the problem may have been my agitation technique, but since going to stainless steel, I've never had any such problems.

Konical

 

[Huram]

Wow . . . thank you all for the comments, opinions, and tips. Seems like a whatever-works-best-for-you type of thing. I will continue to try out the various reels out there before I officially settle long-term on something.

If any one has an extra Patterson Multi-reel developing tank with reels (maybe a 5 x 35mm type tank) that they are willing to sell, I would really be interested. Please PM me if you would like.

I have posted a different thread looking for the following items to buy as well:
a glass type contact printer -- 7 x 5 rows of 35 mm prints
2 speed easels -- 8x10 and 5x7

Just buying odds and ends to complete my newly created beginners darkroom.

Thanks again for the replies.

Huram

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Since loading SS reels is such a frequent problem area for beginners, and APUG's got this nice big new server--if Sean is okay with this--is there anyone out there who does digital video who could put up a short demo with good close-up shots showing how to load a SS reel? Maybe it could go in the "Articles" area on APUG with a short written description. I'd do it myself, but I don't do digital video. Helen B, maybe?

 

[Lee Shively]

To those who use the Kinderman reels, I have a question. I used Kinderman tanks and reels sometime in the mid-70's. At that time, the reels had a little clip that required you to trim the leader to fit. They were the easiest to load I've ever used as long as you left the 35mm leader out of the cassette to be able to trim it. Trimming the leader to fit the clip in the dark was frustrating, however. Does Kinderman still use this system?

 

[rogueish]

Someone in an earlier post mentioned that the plastic reels need to be dry. Believe it! Nothing more frustrating that getting a film half loaded when it suddenly sticks and stops dead in it's ratcheted spool tracks!
Go ahead take the spool apart, put the film in the (hopefully) dry sink, pull the spool apart, try and dry the itty bitty wet spot that you can't find on the spool, dry the lead end of the film(without leaving fingerprints) all the while in total darkness. No, gee why would you think I've done it before?
Afterwards I realized I should have put the film in the tank, closed the lid, and turned the lights on. After all isn't that one of the purposes of a tank?
You won't have this problem with SS reels. I however still use the quick load ratchet plastic reels. Once they wear out (and they will) I'll likely switch to the SS. I heard Hewes is a popular brand...

 

[Ed Sukach]

This is as an individual choice - as are many others in this game. I use the JOBO Processor - so that locks me into JOBO tanks. JOBO does make - or they are made for JOBO by Hewes - stainless steel reels, but, as with everything else, there are pros and cons.
I'll stay with the plastic reels. I *know* that dropped SS reels that are bent *can* be straightened out, but plastic just don't need to be.

That said, - Yes, make sure plastic reels are *DRY* before loading them. A *heck* of a good idea with ANY reel. Dry tanks are also strongly recommended - really necessary - in color work. I use a LOT of paper towels.

An occasional thorough scrubbing with a toothbrush is another good idea. I hear that the last wetting agent rinse can leave a residue build up and cause problems in tank loading. I have never experienced it, though - I scrub my reels fairly often, anyway.

I *love* the "Ball and Ramp" feature of Patterson tanks. Now - if I could find a way to fit them in the JOBO...

 

[Seele]

After trying lots of different reels I have standardized on the Jobo system; less chemical consumption, expandability, manual or machine agitation and easy conversion to print tanks.

However, one of the things that displeases me about Paterson is indeed the "ball and ramp" ratchet; a ratchet being a ratchet, when it jams it jams big, and as it pushes the film into the spiral at the close end, the further the film goes in the more load the ratchet has to bear. Jobo has that slot cut into the side of each spiral plate and allows me to not only push the film in, but pull the film in from the far end too.

For that matter I have never had a single instance of jamming with a Jobo spiral for many many years, but had my share of that with Paterson. The Paterson-compatible Photax spiral (which are no longer made) has several design advantages over the Paterson but it's getting somewhat academic here.

 

[Flotsam]

is there anyone out there who does digital video who could put up a short demo with good close-up shots showing how to load a SS reel?

Gee David. It doesn't sound as you've thought this out.
Wouldn't the video just come out black?

 

[eheldreth]

I use the patterson reals and tanks. I also use a home made roll film dryer (i.e. hairdryer in a tube and I never have problems with my plastic reals being damp when I do more than one batch of negs.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Gee David. It doesn't sound as you've thought this out.
Wouldn't the video just come out black?

You've got a point. Maybe you just have to remove the rem-jet backing.

 

[Helen B]

All my video tapes come out brown. Is it the dev or the fix that's at fault?

 

[Flotsam]

All my video tapes come out brown. Is it the dev or the fix that's at fault?

Did you load the camera with Color, or Black and White videotape?

 

[xyzzy]

I have several Kindermann tanks and 120 SS reels (even some 110 SS reels!) but I cannot find my 35mm reels (my stuff has been in storage for several years...). I can easily get my hands on some Arista SS reels or some Hewes SS reels, but I do not know if they will fit in the Kindermann tanks. Does anyone know off-hand? My son uses Paterson plastic reels and tanks and I know that they do not fit in the Kindermann tanks. Besides, I prefer the SS reels... Thanks.

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon, xyzzy,

Kinderman stuff is usually available on E-Bay at rock-bottom prices. Don't forget the odds and ends department at local photo stores.

Konical

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

I have several Kindermann tanks and 120 SS reels (even some 110 SS reels!) but I cannot find my 35mm reels (my stuff has been in storage for several years...). I can easily get my hands on some Arista SS reels or some Hewes SS reels, but I do not know if they will fit in the Kindermann tanks. Does anyone know off-hand? My son uses Paterson plastic reels and tanks and I know that they do not fit in the Kindermann tanks. Besides, I prefer the SS reels... Thanks.

I have a collection of Kindermann reels and tanks and yes, the 120 Kindermann tanks will accept the Hewes and Arista SS 35mm and 120 reels. I find that I prefer the Hewes SS reels.

 

[Mark Layne]

Did Hewes ever make a reel for 127.
I use either Patterson or SS at will but it is virtually impossible to get 127 into a Patterson reel. 127 EFKE 100 is curled like a cigarette
Mark

 

[Saganich]

Hewes or kinderman, I have and use both the same 4 reels, 2 120 and 2 35 for over 2 years without one problem. The cheapo ones I bought first could never spool a roll because they were full of burrs! The plastic reels never worked for me although other people (my wife) swear by them. I found the plastic tank designs to be foolish while their reels to be less foolish but, lord knows why, I could never work one.

 

[k_jupiter]

Did Hewes ever make a reel for 127.
I use either Patterson or SS at will but it is virtually impossible to get 127 into a Patterson reel. 127 EFKE 100 is curled like a cigarette
Mark

It took years.. but I finally found a Nikor 127 SS reel. Bought it at a photo show here in San Jose. They are rarer than hen's teeth. I saw one a Keeble and Shuate in Palo Alto CA but they wouldn't sell it to me. Part of their awsome vintage equipment display in their store. Keep looking on EBay for them. It's a blue moon thing.

I use Kindermann for my 35mm, usually no-name (omega or some such) for 120. The Patterson System 4 tank is used for 2x3, 3x4 and 4x5 sheet processing with home cut tubes made from flourecesent light protectors.

I do have sheet film spirals from Jobo, just haven't gotten around to figuring out the development times, etc for a rotating system.


tim in san jose

 

[Monophoto]

I have a pair of Durst reels that are now about 25 years old. They are similar to the ubiquitous stainless steel reels in that they load from the center out (no ratcheting), but they are better in that the cross section of the spiral groove is square. Conventional wire spirals have a cross section that is slightly flared because of the circular cross section of the stainless steel wire. As a result, film tend to want to slip out of the groove and into the adjacent groove - thereby resulting in kinking, binding and other loading problems. But with the square cross section of the grooves in the Durst reels, film tends to remain in the groove. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any new Durst reels in more than 20 years. Tried calling the US distributor for Durst, but there wasn't anyone there who even remembered that they used to carry these things.

Second best is Hewes stainless steel reels from the UK. They are slightly more expensive that other brands, but the clip that attaches the silm to the center of the spiral is superior.

The other end of the spectrum is any stainless steel reel that has been dropped on the floor - cuz dropping causes them to distort, and once distorted, film will not load evenly into the reels.

The walkin-style plastic reels (traditionally called Yankee reels cuz they invented them, but now also offered by Patterson and others) are OK. Only stipulation is that they must be abolutely dry to work. Even the smallest droplet of water is enough to cause film to stick to the reel and not walk in properly.