Darkroom Nightmare

Darkroom317 · Nov 22, 2009

I have been trying for the past 30 minutes trying to load 120 film on to Jobo plastic adjustable reels with no success. Any ideas? These reels are horrible.

Vincent Brady · Nov 22, 2009

Have you tried it with a used or waste piece of 120 film in daylight? This should prove to you that it can be done and it is then just a matter of taking your time. Also check that the reels are totally dry. Its like learning to drive it seems impossible at the start and then later you wonder what you were worrying about. You have taken the first step by taking a break from it to let your mind cool down.

Good luck
TEX

paul_c5x4 · Nov 22, 2009

I occasionally have trouble with the Jobo reels. Get the film half way in and find it snags on something and won't go any further. Pressing on the sides and jiggling the film round invariably cures it.
Only once had to pull a roll out and switch to a Paterson reel.

sandholm · Nov 22, 2009

Hi

first sorry for the english, not my native language..

I hold the reel in my left hand, feel with my right hand inside the reel and i make sure that I feel the tube have a "step down", if you hold it the wrong way you have a step-up. Not sure how to explain this, but one plastic tube is inside the other, and you should feel the outerside tube.

Now, on each side of the plastic reel you have to outtakes on the side of the reelm, you see them in this picture,
http://www.colorfoto.pt/cache/62938277b47bd3f84f15b79dd9edb658.gif
place you fingers here, you will feel the film using these "outtakes" in the plastic, and you can correct the film while you are feeding it in. Now around 5 cm foward, you will have the start of the reel, i usually slide the film backwards, and when i hear the film slide into the ledge,
http://www.rogerandfrances.com/images/still/35 + 120/insert 35 in spiral.jpg
and i start feeding the film into the realm. When i do this I make sure that the film is align through the "outtakes" and make sure that they are nice and even.
If you cant feed the film in, start my trying to pull it back a bit and make try to arrange it through the "outtakes" and then start again. If you dont get the film the correct way onto the reelm its just to take it of the reel and start again.

Now, as TEX said, try with another film in the light, then close your eyes and try again... it takes practice but when you learn it they are as easy as the steel reels ...

cheers

photomem · Nov 22, 2009

Don't feel bad Tex. I just tried to load a spool of Delta 400 with the lights on. I had to run out and reshoot my homework for tomorrow in about 30 mins so I would have time to print it.

Denis R · Nov 22, 2009

puzzled?

off to load 12x delta 400, first time for this setup

I thought this might have something to do with my dream of tri-x selling for $36 each, mom wanting me to photograph her wedding with a digicam and the only camera I had was film, but had no film, so I had to go to town to buy the $36 tri-x.
after discussing the price, I notice some mystery color film of 200 400 800 1600 and 1 aps roll for $4 each.
After I pick up the film, I look out the window and see a tornado coming straight to the shop.
I ask the shop keeper where the basement is. He doesn't know or is going crazy, can't tell, but I drag him down to the basement with me and the film.
after the storm blows over I re-inquire about the price of film. The End.

Darkroom317 · Nov 22, 2009

Finally got it. These reels don't have much to feed the film with, not like the reels I used at university. The negatives turned out fine.

Thanks for all the responses.

Denis K · Nov 22, 2009

I usually do two things that make it easier for me.

First I nick the corners off the end of the film that I stick into the reel. Taking about 1/10 inch off the corners does wonders to keep the film from catching on the reel as you push it in. On 35mm film, I make sure I do this in such a way as to prevent a perforation from being cut open. The resulting film will look something like the following (ignore dots). If you can leave the tail hanging out of the cassette when rewinding the film in the camera, you can do this in the daylight.

..-----
/.........\
|.........|
|.........|

Second, I always try to take the curl out of the first half inch or so of film by rolling it back on itself. This makes it much easier to work with when trying to insert it in the slots.

Denis K

Darkroom317 · Nov 22, 2009

That's how I had to do it. I clipped the corners which certainly made it easier.

Mahler_one · Nov 22, 2009

Sometimes the end of the film that is "attached" to the paper is easier to start threading into the reel..

Ed

mwdake · Nov 22, 2009

Cut a piece of card the same width as the film.
In the light, pre-load this piece of card in to the reel a little ways.
Then in the dark, slide the film along the piece of card until it is in the reel good then remove the card and load as normal.

Denis R · Nov 22, 2009

25% success rate

good thing it was only a test roll

just got done hanging the first 12x roll to dry, only 3 good frames

switching to plastic for the remaining rolls

Sirius Glass · Nov 22, 2009

In addition to the suggestions above, when you have trouble loading the film on the the reels, put everything away for a while and come back after a few hours.

Steve

nsurit · Nov 22, 2009

When I've had trouble loading one, it is usually something I feel is important and it ends up with a half moon mark or two on whatever the most important frame happens to be. At least that is the way it is when I take myself to serious. Bill Barber

BetterSense · Nov 23, 2009

The trick to loading 120 into plastic reels is to use stainless steel reels instead. Works every time.

Sirius Glass · Nov 23, 2009

BetterSense said:
The trick to loading 120 into plastic reels is to use stainless steel reels instead. Works every time.

Ahhh ... grasshopper, you have seen the dark side.

Steve

clayne · Nov 23, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
Ahhh ... grasshopper, you have seen the dark side.

Steve

And the dark-side is a heck of a lot easier.

The trick to any of this is to junk all of the gimmicky/over-complex plastic reel nonsense and stick to stainless reels and tanks for everything.

Simplicity wins almost every time.

Christopher Walrath · Nov 23, 2009

I agree. S/S is the way to go with 120. On the other hand, my loading of 35mm on stainless absolutely sucks. I might checl out some plastic for 35mm if it is as much easier than S/S as I have read.

clayne · Nov 23, 2009

Christopher Walrath said:
I agree. S/S is the way to go with 120. On the other hand, my loading of 35mm on stainless absolutely sucks. I might checl out some plastic for 35mm if it is as much easier than S/S as I have read.

I find loading of 135 on SS to be twice as easy than 120/220.

Then again, I don't use cheap knockoff reels. Hewes only. Loading 35mm becomes a motor function.

ic-racer · Nov 23, 2009

Darkroom317 said:
I have been trying for the past 30 minutes trying to load 120 film on to Jobo plastic adjustable reels with no success. Any ideas? These reels are horrible.

I'll take them if you don't want them

Anscojohn · Nov 23, 2009

clayne said:
I find loading of 135 on SS to be twice as easy than 120/220.

Then again, I don't use cheap knockoff reels. Hewes only. Loading 35mm becomes a motor function.

****
The key for faultless loading of 120 on SS is not attaching the film to the center clip. Just hold it against the core for the first 1/3 turn or so until friction holds it in the tracks.. No cross loading, no problems. For 35, I have Hewes, Taiwanese, Japanese, they all seem to work fine. The Japanese reels are old--I bought them from Spiratone in the 1960s.

Darkroom317 · Nov 23, 2009

Just developed another roll, no problems.

Neil Poulsen · Nov 25, 2009

I tried 120 on Patterson reels and gave up. So, back to the stainless steel reels and tanks.

grahamp · Nov 26, 2009

I put a slight reverse crimp in the end of 120 film before loading it (in Jobo or Paterson reels). That stiffens the end and makes it easier to feed evenly for the first turn or so. I also unreel the film as I go. A tangled spiral of film and backing paper is no fun.

Practice helps.

RalphLambrecht · Nov 26, 2009

Darkroom317 said:
Just developed another roll, no problems.

For me, loading got a lot easier after I discovered that I was squeezing the reel too much. Now, I just hold it very gently. Easy does it!

Darkroom Nightmare

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