Bulk-loading - which tape to attach film to canister spool?

[PhotoJim]

I use masking tape. I've never had it come loose.

It's cheap and you can use it to label the cartridges, too.

 

[IloveTLRs]

I use electrical-looking tape I got at a local $1 store. I haven't had any problems so far, even with my Rollei 35! Plus the tape works for holding down 110 negatives on my scanner bed.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Threads merged.

 

[Jim Jones]

The roll of 1/2 inch Scotch lithographer's tape I've used for amost 20 years has never failed for a few hundred rolls of reloads, although used only in manual film advance cameras. 1 inch lithographer's tape might be even more secure. Like others above, I attach the tape to the film with maybe half an inch of overlap, wrap it around the spool core, and overlap the other side of the film about 1/2 inch.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Masking tape works for me.

 

[pentaxuser]

Ditto. Masking tape. I retrieve the leader with a film retriever as I would a commercial cassette and then cut at end of spooling onto dev reel. When I then unscrew the re-usable cassette the masking tape has to be carefully unwound. Even after the motorized rewind the remaining piece of film is still stuck firmly to the central spool of the re-usable cassette.

pentaxuser

 

[narsuitus]

As long as I have been using masking tape rolled round the spool so that it sticks to the film on both sides, I have never had a camera pull the film loose from the spool.

Instead, the motor drive or motor re-wind will tear the film sprockets before the tape will release the film..

 

[mabman]

Alright then - masking tape it is

I have tried looping around the spool with my current tape with minimal difference in the Auto S2 - I guess it just doesn't stick as well as masking tape.

Thanks for the suggestions, all.

 

[patrickjames]

Gaffers tape is perfect for this. Holds incredibly well and is reusable unlike masking and other types of tape. I use cassettes from a lab and tape the film to the remainder of the cassette. When loading reels for development you just slowly pull it off. I leave it attached to the leader in the cassette and it is good to go the next time I want to load the cassette saving an untold amount of time. I have never had a failure in hundreds of rolls of film since I started doing this. Gaffers tape is a wonderful thing.

Patrick

 

[elekm]

Lately, I've been using the Scotch brand blue painters' tape. I have the wide roll -- 3 inches, I think. I cut a 3/4-inch strip, and that seems to do the job nicely.

I've also used electrical tape.

 

[Ian Tindale]

Until recently, my bulk loading has consisted of using either recycled (from minilab - allows me to set the DX in my pocket cameras) or the purpose-made reloadable cans, but not by using tape at all. I've been using the slot in the spool, which catches on a hole that I punch in the film. Each film I load, I cut a 'tongue' shape into the film end, then with a single-hole punch I have, I punch a single hole into the end, and give it a quick 'v' shaped bend to bias it against one direction. Then I simply slot it into the spindle and it catches, then into the can, then bulk loading commences.

This worked absolutely perfectly, easily, not much hassle at all if you're doing a few at a time, and easy to cope with when loading the dev tank (just rip across the 'tongue' embedded into the spool, or catch it from the other side with a fingernail to pop it back out).

This worked perfectly until, that is, a Canon QL25 with ridiculously over-optimistic metering turned up last month (to the day, in fact). This unit seemed to rip the film from the spool every single time, with ease and with no warning or feedback or feel. Each time, I'd advance the film and feel absolutely nothing, but realise too late that it has done the damage by the sound it made.

So I've started to use the tape method, using ordinary Sellotape, on those spools that were designed for tape (ie, no slots). Other than more fiddly to actually do, when bulk loading, and more fiddly to find the ends to peel off in the dark, later, it seems to suffice. I much prefer the 'trim to shape, punch and fold' procedure though.

 

[harveyje]

I agree with masking tape around the core and extending 3/4" to 1 " ( 1.5 to 2.0 cm ) up BOTH sides of the film. Easily withstands the old motor drive auto rewind on the Nikon F2, especially if you use 3/4 inch wide tape.