Diagnosing light leaks - bulk loading

I have been having trouble with light leaks on my bulk loaded rolls. I’m including a couple of photos of the full rolls on the light table for reference. There are leaks near the end of the roll in 2 different places (about 6 frames from the end, and again about 12 frames from the end). I’m using plastic, reloadable cassettes and a Lloyd’s loader. Camera was a Minolta SR-T 102.

Has anyone seen this pattern before? I suspect either the cassettes or loader.

If the culprit was the cassette, as in instantaneously and shortimed twisting the cap of a plastic one, the fogging would only be unilateral.

I would suspect the felt in some of your cassettes is damaged and letting light in while handling and loading. Inspect them periodically and toss the bad ones. I dont know if its possible or worthwhile to refelt a damaged cassette.

The fogging looks more like a damaged light seal with the camera, though the attached images are rather small and it's difficult to tell. However it is worth going over your technique with the bulk loading. Are you careful to ensure the "door" is closed while winding the crank? I tend to put my left hand over it to be sure.

It's difficult to tell. Fogging within the camera due to a bad seal would normally be in the same place on every frame. I believe your camera doesn't have a window on the rear door so that's unlikely but it could still be the clasps where the door shuts.

If the felt is damaged, no light should get in during bulk loading. Light could get in when loading the film into the camera and when removing the cassette but it would surely affect the first few frames, not the end of the roll.

I don't think the camera is the problem as it's a relatively new acquisition from KEH. I just reloaded a few manufacturer cartridges with the same bulk loader, so the results from that should tell me whether the cassettes are a problem or not.

I've had similar problems with the plastic/twist-on cap cassettes with my Lloyd. I have several hundred of the metal cassettes that I have been saving from the local grocery store processor when they closed down. I switched to the metal jobs and, voila, no more light leaks! It appears the ends of the felt traps on the cassettes start to leak after a few loadings.

As I said, a opened cap woud cause unilateral fogging. Hoewever if then the slit would go open, a fogging from rebate to rebate might occur. But only with unexposed film. In pratice however the light would fall on the leader part...