"I see that you use the aerographic film and cut it down to size. How do you do this consistantly? I'd like to know your technique so I can save some $$. Thanks!
isaacc7"
Since I get these queries from time to time I thought perhaps a thread and discussion of others findings besides mine would be worthwhile.
I use a cheap Fiskars Roller cutter that is available in any craft store. It has a cutting area of 12X12 inches and is made of plastic. I've found that a 12" wood ruler fits perfectly between the 2 raised areas that define the cutting table. So if I'm cutting 5X7 films from a roll of Aerial Plus X, I place my ruler as a stop at 6 7/8" or whatever is exactly correct, and then I put a piece of masking tape to both hold the ruler / stop in place and also to act as a stop for the film that would otherwise try to go underneath the ruler stop.
I get a clean 11X14 processing tray and in the dark I place the roll of Aerial film so that it will be played off the top of the reel, emulsion side down. I usually play out about 4 feet and then let it simply fall into the 1114 tray. Then I simply lay the the film under the carriage up to the stop, lock the cutting area in place with the carriage and roll the cutter.
I load each piece as soon as it is cut. 8X10 cuts from a 9 1/2" roll requires 2 cuts each. More trouble than most would put up with. I cut several "10's" and leaf them into a clean magazine like Shutterbug, then go back and trim the 9 1/2" to 8" and load.
Does all of this increase Murphy's chances to get lint, nose hairs, dry skin flakes, dirt, dust, and other tiny ephemora into my photographs. In a word, YES. It is an imperfect method but depending on what you end up paying for the aerographic plus X film, is worth the $ savings. I'm currently enjoying 5X7 sheets at about the same cost as Edward Weston was paying for 8X10 in 1940. A little over 17 cents each.
isaacc7"
Since I get these queries from time to time I thought perhaps a thread and discussion of others findings besides mine would be worthwhile.
I use a cheap Fiskars Roller cutter that is available in any craft store. It has a cutting area of 12X12 inches and is made of plastic. I've found that a 12" wood ruler fits perfectly between the 2 raised areas that define the cutting table. So if I'm cutting 5X7 films from a roll of Aerial Plus X, I place my ruler as a stop at 6 7/8" or whatever is exactly correct, and then I put a piece of masking tape to both hold the ruler / stop in place and also to act as a stop for the film that would otherwise try to go underneath the ruler stop.
I get a clean 11X14 processing tray and in the dark I place the roll of Aerial film so that it will be played off the top of the reel, emulsion side down. I usually play out about 4 feet and then let it simply fall into the 1114 tray. Then I simply lay the the film under the carriage up to the stop, lock the cutting area in place with the carriage and roll the cutter.
I load each piece as soon as it is cut. 8X10 cuts from a 9 1/2" roll requires 2 cuts each. More trouble than most would put up with. I cut several "10's" and leaf them into a clean magazine like Shutterbug, then go back and trim the 9 1/2" to 8" and load.
Does all of this increase Murphy's chances to get lint, nose hairs, dry skin flakes, dirt, dust, and other tiny ephemora into my photographs. In a word, YES. It is an imperfect method but depending on what you end up paying for the aerographic plus X film, is worth the $ savings. I'm currently enjoying 5X7 sheets at about the same cost as Edward Weston was paying for 8X10 in 1940. A little over 17 cents each.
