Bulk loading in a changing bag without a loader?

[GarageBoy]

So after reading so much about Kodak XX, I may want to give it a shot.
OTOH: there is no such thing as a 400' bulk loader and I was thinking, can I keep a scrap roll inside a changing bag, over lay it on the bulk roll to pull out a 36 exp roll worth at a time?

Thanks

 

[newtorf]

I asked the same question privately on RFF some time ago, and bob338 kindly replied me:

"nearly impossible. getting a single roll out of a 400' roll without dumping the whole thing over is impossible in a bag. not to mention the dust and scratches you'll get, too. "

"i wish they did, but i've never found a bulk loader that will take 400'. if you're buying XX or something in 400' rolls, they are really easy to split into 200' rolls for these loaders. lay it on a table with 2 screws in in to keep the cores in place and keep rolling the new roll until it's about the same size as the other. you obviously need a darkroom to do it. if you try to split a 400' roll in a bag you will scratch the film and probably lose your mind! trust me, i've done it. splitting it into 100' rolls is just as easy but it takes more time. XX comes on a core with no sides, so when you open the can do not let it lean to either side or it will dump all over the floor and you'll never get it back without messing up some of it."

You can try to get an Alden model 72 bulk loader, which can take up to 200'. But it is very hard to find. Or you can try to split it into 100' rolls. The core coming with Legacy Pro bulk film is perfect for this purpose. I recently unrolled a 500' polypan f roll into three 100' Legacy Pro bulk film cores.

 

[ic-racer]

Should be easy, if you can keep it flat. Not a big deal on a smooth table, just unroll it a little to get your length. I routinely unspool 16mm to reload 16mm cartridges. With 35mm I use the Alden 200ft bulk loader and have spooled a 600ft roll on to smaller 200ft rolls to fit in the loader. Doing 100ft for the smaller loaders should not be a problem. On a smooth table, once you get it going you twist both rolls at the same time. It is slow going but as your take up roll gets bigger it moves along faster.

 

[Arvee]

I just lost a portion of a bulk roll because the sleeves of my film changing bag are not completely light tight. Put a strong flashlight inside your bag and try and shine through the sleeve material. I could just make out the flashlight through the material and it was enough to fog 400 speed film while in the bag for about 15 minutes. I am talking about the common, garden variety changing bags that sell for around $30, i.e., Ross, Adorama, etc. I am now using my Harrison sheet film bag for bulk loading. No problem.

 

[BMbikerider]

I used to load cassettes years ago from bulk rolls. In the darkroom I had two nails in a piece of wood exactly 62" long which is the length of a 36 exp film. I also had a pair is scissors and an empty cassette opened ready with tape on the centre of the spool ready to take the film.

Hook the sprocket of the open end of the film over one of the nails and run the film up to the other nail and pop one of the sprockets over the other nail. That stops the cut film from curling up and possibly getting dusty. Use a pair of scissors to snip off the remainder of the roll and put it back in the tin. The bit you have cut off can then be wound onto the empty cassette in your own time with the remainder out of harms way.

 

[Pioneer]

I haven't gotten up the nerve to do this yet. Right now I darken my bathroom, open the box, pull off one length by spreading may arms apart, do it again, then cut it and roll it up onto a film cassette spindle by hand. I get between 30 to 36 exposures to a cassette by doing it this way and I don't have to worry about trying to rewind the roll onto something smaller. If I remember right, Tom Abrahamson did a little video showing this being done awhile back and it works pretty slick.

 

[GarageBoy]

Alright, I guess I'll be looking for a darkroom instead.
Thanks

 

[Trask]

Henri Cartier-Bresson used to fill his cassettes directly from a bulk roll, according to this recollection of his time in India:

http://www.r3maf.com/Ishu_Patel_HCB.html

Of course, he probably had a couple of decades of practice. I do like the idea of pulling the exposed film out of the cassettes and wrapping it around a core, instead of carrying lots of exposed cassettes.

 

[GarageBoy]

Actually, dumb idea- is it possible to load it onto a developing reel directly from the big roll and back into a cart?

 

[mweintraub]

Sounds like I need to utilize my friend's 3D printer and make one. Muhahaha.

 

[Fixcinater]

Actually, dumb idea- is it possible to load it onto a developing reel directly from the big roll and back into a cart?

I'm sure you could do this, but it seems like extra risk and awfully slow going. If you've got darkness, you can measure out what you need (nails on a board, string, etc) and skip the hassle of trying to get it into the reel more than once per roll.

 

[GarageBoy]

Got my self a nice, calumet changing tent. Hopefully I can get more done