Hewes 35mm reel question

Hi:

I found a Hewes 35mm stainless steel film developing reel.

It has a plate in the center that is vaguely horseshoe-shaped (for lack of any other image that comes to mind). It has a couple tabs that stick out into the area one would wind, and there also seems to be some space between the center plate and the ends of the reel wires.

I don't have any 35mm film sitting around at the moment to try.

Can someone tell me if the start of the film roll goes between the wire ends and the plate, or where else if not that?

Thanks

Murray

I just found a pack of 1-hour photos and took a bad strip of color neg out to try. My intuition was wrong. I also wound the wrong direction & the film crinkled.

If I just try and hold the film end flat against the plate that says 'British Made' and wind one turn it seems to stay...I don't know if the end touches the next layer, however.

Or does one have to clip the ends to get under the wire ends?

I hook the sprocket holes at the end of 35mm film to the 2 "tabs" that stick up from the plate you describe as horseshoe shaped. This seems to provide a solid anchor to hold the film as I start winding.

Martin

Hey, that DOES work.

Thanks