Developing issues: what happened here?

So I managed to mangle a film pretty badly (buckled edges) when it got jammed on a plastic reel, so I took it off and loaded it onto a Hewes and then developed it
Then...this happened
What happened here?
Looks like developer didnt even go near that spot
There is no other damage on other parts of the film
The first few frames show some undeveloped spots on the rebate area too

The film ended up overlapping itself - if two sections of film are stuck together, the chemicals cannot get to the emulsion.

Every developing reel depends on the integrity of the edges of the film - if you have buckled edges it is difficult to ensure that each part of the film is in a separate part of the reel's spiral.

I would recommend re-fixing and re-washing the damaged portion. That will remove any undeveloped emulsion.

Looks like the film was misloaded, and this portion was touching another. Happens easily once a film is mangled or buckled. Part of the learning curve. We've all done it....

It does look like the film was touching another part of the roll, and chemicals couldn't get to it.
I did something similar my first time loading film (no one told me how to load a stainless reel, so I tried to push it through). That is why I went to plastic reels with their ratcheting method of loading - though I now prefer stainless.

Thanks
I thought I got the hang of loading an SS reel, though I'm not sure if this happened BECAUSE of the buckling from the earlier attempt of putting it on plastic

Heaven save us from ratcheting plastic reels -- the only thing worse are old "apron" tanks that wind up leaving rub marks on the negatives. I suggest you stick with solid reels, as apparently you've begun to do. Sacrifice an old unused roll of film and practice loading until you can do it quickly and without error -- give you hands something to do while you're watching the tube!

Trask said:

Heaven save us from ratcheting plastic reels -- the only thing worse are old "apron" tanks that wind up leaving rub marks on the negatives. I suggest you stick with solid reels, as apparently you've begun to do. Sacrifice an old unused roll of film and practice loading until you can do it quickly and without error -- give you hands something to do while you're watching the tube!

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No need to be dramatic about it. Ratcheting reels are much easier for some people to use, especially beginners. I also prefer them over stainless reels, and I have done tons of developing. The one thing one has to watch out for is that the reel and film are both perfectly dry and clean. I work carefully with my films, making sure not to force anything, and I never have any problems with either loading or development. In any case, I can't imagine loading flimsy, curly film like Foma into a stainless reel. It would drive me nuts.

Trask said:

Heaven save us from ratcheting plastic reels -- the only thing worse are old "apron" tanks that wind up leaving rub marks on the negatives. I suggest you stick with solid reels, as apparently you've begun to do. Sacrifice an old unused roll of film and practice loading until you can do it quickly and without error -- give you hands something to do while you're watching the tube!

Click to expand...

I must say I disagree strongly with the above, in fact heaven save us from SS reels, the only problems I have ever had, and the only films I have ever ruined with loading problems, are with SS reels, I very quickly gave up on them and went back to my lovely Patterson reels, the trick with them is very simple, just run a pencil around the groves of any plastic reels and the film slips in ,

I recently switched to stainless and am still having trouble loading 35mm. However, I would never go back to plastic for 120.

I'm having a 50% hit rate with plastic. Once aligned, 35mm on SS goes right on.
Should scrub them down with a toothbrush
Not sure if its the way I cut the tip of the leader (I cut straight across and then clip the corners near a perf). I've made the leader too pointy before and it catches on the surrounding film.

I've been using plastic reels for 40 years, both 35 and 120, and have had no serious problems. Absolutely no development problems. Occasionally I will have trouble getting a roll onto the reel. About 15 years ago, it took about an hour to get a 120 roll on. I think it finally depended on me cursing a blue streak. But it developed fine. When I do have trouble getting a roll onto a reel, I put the roll completely out and start again; I don't force anything.

And I have a few reels that apparently aren't stable enough for 120 film, so I only use those for 35. I never had a reason to use SS, and I still don't.

For those who love SS, I have a few reels available for sale. Selling for a friend that gave up on film.

Well, I threw that clip back into fixer and wow, there's some detail left in that frame on the left! Washed and is drying right now
Thanks
I literally had thrown this in the trash and dug it back out

pbromaghin said:

I recently switched to stainless and am still having trouble loading 35mm. However, I would never go back to plastic for 120.

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I've used both for years.

I can load both 120 and 35mm using either type, with one caveat - I cannot for the life of me make the clips on 120 stainless reels work with 120 film.

So if I am content using gentle, inversion agitation and a single reel tank, 120 works fine with stainless.

And I slightly prefer stainless with 35mm film, although I like best the no name reels with just a "C" wire in the centre.

But with 120, if I want to develop more than one roll or, in particular, use continuous rotary agitation for stop, fixer and HCA steps (which I usually do), then I need to use plastic reels - in my case the AP/Arista/Samigon reels with the wider flanges.

The problem? - the 120 film tends to walk itself out of the stainless reel if it isn't clipped and you rotate the tank and reel.