The problem is most likely humidity. Do you load your reels in a changing bag? When I load my films in a darkroom it takes me only a few minutes to load several reels. When I use a nylon changing bag, it doesn't take much for the film to become tacky from a small amount of sweat vapor and makes loading jobo plastic reels next to impossible.I don’t have any trouble getting the leading edge of the film into the opening groove of the reel. I do the same thing as you. I slip one corner of the film into the groove, hold it, and then slip the opposite corner of the film into the opposite groove. Then I push the film in about 2-3 inches until I can grab it in the recessed wedge.
The problem is after that. I try to gently load the film onto the reel, and it will move smoothly for 2-3 inches. But then it will jam. And I have to back it off an inch, and try again. And the further on the reel the film advances, the more difficult it becomes to load! To the point when, if I’m trying to load two rolls, the first roll becomes almost impossible unless I “force” it. And yes, this is with a bone-dry reel.
Also, I have not clipped the corners off 120 film in the changing bag since I once found one of the little triangles of film stuck emulsion-to-emulsion right in the middle of an otherwise really nice image.
Apologies if someone else has already mentioned these:
When loading 120 film on a Hewes, Paterson or AP/Samigon reel I do not remove the tape from the film when I separate the film from the backing paper in the changing bag. Instead I fold the edge of the tape over the end of the film to stiffen the film and keep it from curling crosswise. In 50+ years of doing this I have never seen any ill effects of having the tape in the tank during development.
Also, I have not clipped the corners off 120 film in the changing bag since I once found one of the little triangles of film stuck emulsion-to-emulsion right in the middle of an otherwise really nice image. I do clip the corners of 35mm film before I put it in the changing bag. I can do that because I don't rewind the film all the way into the cassette.
The only scenario I could think of at the time was that despite my regularly turning the changing bag inside out to shake out the little bits of paper from the 120 rolls and the film corners one of the corners was left behind, got into the developing tank along with the film and stuck to it when I poured in the developer and started to agitate the tank.Maybe @JerseyDoug never investigated how it happened. He said it did happen. I'd call it bad luck and leave it at that.
How could that snippet have stuck to the film strip? More so that it did not come off in the bath.
Since your employer has a darkroom, maybe you should ditch the changing bag and load film there.The only scenario I could think of at the time was that despite my regularly turning the changing bag inside out to shake out the little bits of paper from the 120 rolls and the film corners one of the corners was left behind, got into the developing tank along with the film and stuck to it when I poured in the developer and started to agitate the tank.
Sadly, it was a lucky action shot of a Newark firetruck exiting the firehouse at speed with the lights flashing and the firemen barely hanging on the back. The head of my employer's darkroom where I was doing my printing on lunch hours and I tried soaking the film overnight and lifting off the little triangle but the emulsion was too badly damaged to make a marketable print.
I retired from that job in 2003 and shortly afterwards the facility was closed. I have no space for even a minimal darkroom in our small apartment. I do have the use of an absolutely first class darkroom but it is further away than I am comfortable driving these days. My friend very kindly makes an occasional darkroom print for me when I develop a negative that deserves the effort and the cost.Since your employer has a darkroom, maybe you should ditch the changing bag and load film there.
I've only recently bought a 1520 tank and a couple of reels. So far I love the tank, but I'm still warming up to the reels. Rounding (or at least angling) the corners of the film seems absolutely necessary. Without doing that, the film hangs up on the reel and will not advance.
I think I've also had a couple of air bells on a handful of frames since using the Jobo that I wasn't getting with steel reels, but I am using inversion agitation at the moment (I do give the tank a good thunk after agitating). I might pick up a roller base and try rotation and see how that goes.
As best I can understand 100% of the frustration loading these plastic reels comes from humidity.
FWIW, I'm new to Jobo reels and have been practicing using a changing bag when loading them, and haven't found that to be problematic - at least no more than loading them outside the changing bagThey are not really compatible with a changing bag unless you work quickly.
But with a changing bag practically all moisture should vanish the moment you lay it flat and by this expell the air volume.
In general the often hinted at moisture within changing bags must come frome ones hands and arms. I doubt that a desiccant would be fast enough to absorb this vapour during changing operation.
But maybe someone knows.
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