Film stucks in reel

[RalphLambrecht]

So if I understand the OP correctly he has both cleaned the reel and used a pencil on it. Previous loading was no problem. He has suddenly had a film sticking problem so clearly something changed but what that is remains unclear.

He has tried developed film on the reel and that was OK. So it appears to be undeveloped film that is the problem which appears to rule out any problem with the reel.

Moisture in Budapest is not an issue. He has dry hands.

Laci, I have run out of ideas. One last try from me and I mean this in the honest sense of having nothing else to offer and not of getting annoyed with your reports of failure

Is there any possibility that you can find a dark cupboard such as a broom cupboard or windowless room and when dark attempt to load an undeveloped film. If that is not possible can you try loading with the reel under a heavy blanket when it is dark. It might even be possible with a big blanket to kneel with the blanket over your head and the bottom of it touching the ground and then trying to load the film

That way we may eliminate the problem of sweaty hands in a changing bag. I know you don't think that yours hand sweat but it can be surprising how quickly a changing bag can make your hands sweat

pentaxuser

and don't forget to close your eyes to make it even darker

 

[mshchem]

I bought a Small Japanese corner rounder.hobby die cutter It puts a tiny ,maybe 3 mm radius curve on the film leading edge corners. My films simply slide on the reel.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

We vacationed in Maine once. And after a week of as much Maine lobster as I could eat, I realized that Maryland blue crab tastes a lot better.

But after a week of anything, everything tastes better, just ask any married man.

 

[R.Gould]

And I was always told in no uncertain terms there is nothing like Main lobster, probably not surprising having lived by Cape Cod for over 20 ages.

Ah, but you have never tasted fresh caught Jersey lobster,,, best in Europe,, mind you, it would be a very expensive meal for you to try with the travelling ,and it isn't easy to get to us, durn Covid

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Ah, but you have never tasted fresh caught Jersey lobster,,, best in Europe,, mind you, it would be a very expensive meal for you to try with the travelling ,and it isn't easy to get to us, durn Covid

Actually looks like I'll be in Antwerp this weekend, can swim over.

 

[R.Gould]

Actually looks like I'll be in Antwerp this weekend, can swim over.

Sorry, but if I leave Jersey I won't be allowed back, and if you come here from Antwerp you won't be allowed to leave for 10 days spent in isolation , Covid

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Sorry, but if I leave Jersey I won't be allowed back, and if you come here from Antwerp you won't be allowed to leave for 10 days spent in isolation , Covid

Well, I was just making conversation, COVID put my training aside so swimming over is unlikely to prove successful. But good to know where to get good lobster. Since I now live in Poland, I'll head over one day when things are indeed over Looks like good place for some photographic adventure too. Although Highlands are first on my list.

 

[R.Gould]

Photographily we have something for everyone, all in a 45 square mile area,

 

[Laci Toth]

Wow, it bloomed since the last time I was here. So I got a stainless steel Hewes reel today and developed a roll without any probs and the neg is great! Happy!

 

[Pieter12]

I have no problem with the Paterson reels. On the other hand, Jobo reels can be a real pain to load. But I prefer the Jobo tank, once the lid is on it is less fussy to use and easier to invert, fill and empty. May be I'll try my hand at a Hewes reel. 90% of my processing is medium format.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Pondering: Will Hewes reels work in the Jobo 1500 tanks? If so that would be the best of both worlds. Anyone have experience with that? I will have to check that out.

 

[Pieter12]

Pondering: Will Hewes reels work in the Jobo 1500 tanks? If so that would be the best of both worlds. Anyone have experience with that? I will have to check that out.

They do, not cheap. https://www.freestylephoto.biz/1500...eel-Reel-120-for-Jobo-1500-and-Paterson-Tanks

 

[Sirius Glass]

They do, not cheap. https://www.freestylephoto.biz/1500...eel-Reel-120-for-Jobo-1500-and-Paterson-Tanks

Oh they are special reels, not the standard. Thanks but that is a bit rich for me.

Steve

 

[Randy Stewart]

People report having loading problems more with 120 than 35mm film. Try clearing the reels very completely. If that does not work for you, take a very sharp pencil and hammer it though the f..jng Patterson junk and bin the reels and tank. Then go buy some quality product. AP makes a similar but better design and does not seem, to have these problems. B&H and Freestyle sell the AP tanks and reels under their own house brand names. which must be some kind of endorsement.

 

[Donald Qualls]

B&H and Freestyle sell the AP tanks and reels under their own house brand names. which must be some kind of endorsement.

Well, some kind, I suppose. Most likely, business being what it is, it's an endorsement of the product being available for rebranding and at a lower cost than the genuine Paterson. Not to say the AP/rebranded products don't work -- I've got one of the Freestyle-sourced AP reels around here somewhere (apparently in a box I haven't been through yet, probably right next to twenty or so missing cameras), and it was never worse than a Paterson to load, and a little easier to start 120 film due to the big flanges at the beginning of the grooves -- but aside from that one feature, I didn't see that it was any better than a Paterson, either.

 

[russell_w_b]

I use a Paterson tank and spirals and have never had any bother with 120 film, finding it somewhat easier than some 35mm film. In fact, I sometimes managed to get two films on the same spool! Trouble is, I got a bit clever once and didn't wind the first film on enough and I got an overlapping frame: bummer. But there are ways around this. I haven't tried other systems so I can't comment on their use and efficacy.
--

R.

 

[sgtpetter]

I had the same problem, but found a solution that worked for me: It turned out that I was only having problems with exposed film, not film that had never been inside a camera. When film is unused, it has the natural curve of the spool, but after being wrapped around the take up spool inside a camera, it curls the other way. This, in turn, causes excessive friction and bearing problems when trying to spool it into the plastic developing reel. The fix that worked for me was to spool it on the other way, emulsion side out. I guess making a generous bend in the tounge of the film, so that it curves the same way as the spool can also work. I suspect that this problem varies from film to film. I'm a dedicated Ilford shooter now, but can't recall that I had this problem with other brands. Maybe their plastic base retains curls more than others? I still wouldn't switch to another brand, as I love the results I'm getting.

 

[npl]

I have two tanks with their own set of reel. I'm nearly always struggling with the first, not with the second.

So, sometimes, when nothing work, just get a new reel.

 

[Klaus_H]

Clean the spirals and the tank with denture cleaner and the problem is solved.

 

[jtk]

Some folks evidently love plastic. Others have learned how {moderator's edit} and now prefer to use stainless steel.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I had the same problem, but found a solution that worked for me: It turned out that I was only having problems with exposed film, not film that had never been inside a camera. When film is unused, it has the natural curve of the spool, but after being wrapped around the take up spool inside a camera, it curls the other way. This, in turn, causes excessive friction and bearing problems when trying to spool it into the plastic developing reel. The fix that worked for me was to spool it on the other way, emulsion side out. I guess making a generous bend in the tounge of the film, so that it curves the same way as the spool can also work. I suspect that this problem varies from film to film. I'm a dedicated Ilford shooter now, but can't recall that I had this problem with other brands. Maybe their plastic base retains curls more than others? I still wouldn't switch to another brand, as I love the results I'm getting.

Thank you. The next time that I have a roll of film which want to make it difficult to load on a reel, I will reverse the film and load the emulsion on the outside.

 

[relistan]

I used plastic for years but found that in Ireland, where the humidity is generally higher than Oregon, that I had a lot more problems loading. I had stainless tanks that I rarely used up to then. But I switched entirely and now never have any loading problems. They are often available used for reasonable money. I think I paid $20 for a pair of old Nikor tanks, two 35mm spools, and a 120 spool.

 

[pentaxuser]

I used plastic for years but found that in Ireland, where the humidity is generally higher than Oregon, that I had a lot more problems loading. I had stainless tanks that I rarely used up to then. But I switched entirely and now never have any loading problems.

For anyone still trying to help the OP, can I say that the above was exactly the way he solved his problem.

pentaxuser

 

[jtk]

I use Nikkor and Beseler and Kindermann and even Prinz stainless steel reels.

 

[Wisner]

When nothing else works use a "mild" acid. I have used muriatic acid (pool supply acid) cut at 50%. Soak the reels in the acid for 15 minutes and the reels will be as white and smooth as if new. Just be careful with the acid. This is a last resort when none of the normal methods work. I came close to throwing out a box full of old reels that were used extensively in color chemistry. Couldn't load any of them; the reels were very stained. After the acid good as new.