Cutting down 8x10-->4x5

[David A. Goldfarb]

I know that 4x5" film is readily available, but I happen to have something of a surplus of 8x10" color transparency film and wanted some 4x5", which I'm out of, so I thought I would cut some down last night. It's not rocket science, but I found it does take a little practice. I'm using a Rotatrim with a stop, handling the film with powderless nitrile gloves, notching with a hole puncher, and using a scrap sheet of Tri-X to set the stop.

For anyone who has done this--are four sheets of 4x5" slightly smaller than one sheet of 8x10", meaning I also get a thin strip left over along each edge? That's how it seemed to work out last night. The sheets fit my Grafmatics, and I'll process them myself until I've got it all figured out, but ideally, I'd like to know that if I drop the film off at a lab, it will fit their dip-and-dunk frames properly.

 

[Terence]

I believe you are correct.

My guess is that when they went from plates to film, the widths were changed by the same amount regardless of film size as the lips in the film holders are pretty much the same thickness. So 8x10 was reduced by (approx) 3/32", and 4x5 was reduced by 3/32" . Two 4x5's would have been reduced by 6/32", leaving an extra (approx) 3/32" strip.

 

[George Losse]

David,
Even though 4x5 seems like it should be two cuts on an 8x10 sheet, it's really each 4x5 needs two cuts.

I have done the same thing you did. Use the scrap neg to set the cut. make your first cut. Put what is on the cutter into a box. Then make the same cut on what was cut off. Then close up the film boxes, set up for the other direction and repeat the process.

I found having extra film boxes really helps. Most of the film I have cut down had interleaving sheets of paper. I tried to keep them in place for the cut to minimise the chances of scratches from the cutter. My experience has been cutting down 12x20 or 16x20 to 8x20. I only remember setting up once or twice for cutting down to 4x5.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks for confirming. Yes, it was helpful to have a few spare film boxes handy. I thought it was coming out right, but just wanted to be sure.

 

[Mick Fagan]

David, all of the dip and dunk frames I have seen for 4x5 and 8x10 had about 3mm lateral play, at least.

Remembering that these films are loaded in total darkness in most places, and it is a hot sweaty environment, you have to be quick loading and it becomes second nature to load the notch corner first, then check that there is enough film to clip the opposite end before doing the other clips.

I too have cut 8x10 film down and noticed that I had about 2mm left over. That was with Kodak colour neg film about 20 years ago.

More recently, I cut down some 8x10 Ilford B&W and had about 2.5mm left over

Mick.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks, Mick. That helps. I've seen some Refrema frames, but I've never loaded one myself.

 

[DannL]

Yep, I've had the same experience also. Though I use an old premier guillotine cutter, it's all the same. I cut as many 4x10 strips as I think I'll need (into a box they go), readajust the stop for the 5" cut and chop the sheets again. (actual lengths being shorter than 4" and 5") I always end up with extra strips floating around. And tonight I'll be turning 8x10's into 9x12's (cm that is). aka; Cutting my fingers off in the dark. Chop!