Jobo 2502 Reels - how to load

[TheFlyingCamera]

I just got a set of Jobo 2502 reels for developing C41 120 film at home (thanks to the demise of Calumet, I no longer have a reasonably priced source for processing 120 color neg with a reasonable turnaround time). I'm used to using stainless steel reels, so I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to load them, or better yet, videos.

 

[CatLABS]

We will load a video this weekend - stay tuned.

 

[Mark_S]

I just got a set of Jobo 2502 reels for developing C41 120 film at home .

A few tips that work for me - ymmv
The reels have to be bone dry. If not, wait until tomorrow.

I load mine in a darkroom, where I have a counter to work with - I align the two sides of the reel and set the reel on the countertop before the lights go so that the flat spot is down, and it doesn't roll.

If I am loading several rolls, I load one reel at a time, put it in the drum and put the lid on the drum, then turn on the lights (I have a dim light option in my darkroom), and set up for the next reel.

I trim the corners of the film with a pair of scissors so that the corners don't get caught in the reel on the way in.
I gently push the film about an inch into the end of the spiral - you feed these from the outside in, not like steel where you work from the inside out.
I hold the reel in my hands with one hand on each side of the reel, and my fingertips just after the opening to the spiral where the film enters the reel. My fingertips are gently on the back of the film.
Rotate the sides of the reel back and forth, walking the film into the reel. You can feel with your fingertips if something is going wrong, and you can feel the film walking into the reel.
It is easiest to use one reel per roll of film, but if you want to do two, what I find is easiest is when you get to the end of the first roll, stop with an inch or so of film still outside the reel, take your second roll, trim the corners, and tape the begining of the second roll to the end of the first, being careful to have everything lined up straight, then just continue walking the film into the reel and you will eventually get the second roll onto the reel.

Jobo has a different technique that they preach which involves walking the first roll into the middle of the reel, and then putting a little plastic thingy in place and loading the second roll - This has not always worked for me, but I am sure that there are others who have good luck with it.

There are stainless reels that work with the Jobo tanks, but I have no experience with those.

 

[TimVermont]

A tip for thin films: peel the tape away from only the backing paper, then fold it over the end of the roll of film. Use your thumb nail to make sure it's firmly in place. Load that end first. The additional stiffness provided by the tape makes for smooth loading.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Then twist the sides of the reel back and forth and the film will walk its way in.

 

[john_s]

I reduce the natural curl of the first corners of the film by gently bending back, trying the make it as even as possible.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

CatLABS - did you ever by chance get to upload the video to YouTube?

 

[Tom Taylor]

I posted this very same question on the LFF site about the same time that you posted it here and never got any informative responses. But I have been shooting color negative in volume and due to the volume of chemistry required to process it ( 1L per 3/rolls), I have been using the 2500 series drums on my Jobo CPA-2 with the 2502 reels. After three successive runs this is what I currently believe to be the correct way to load the reels keeping in mind that I don't trim the leading edge into a V shape: Upon threading the leading edge into the slot and pulling it through to around the half-way point, gently continue to thread the roll onto the reel with the index fingers by "pushing" it onto the reel without "walking" it on by alternating twist. When you feel that it has gone about as far as it can go with that method, then start walking it by alternating twist but only applying a very light pressure on the film edge with each index finger on the twist side. When you think you have gone about as far as you can go with that method, revert back to pushing it through with both index fingers on either side of the film edges protruding from the sides of the reel. My mistake in the past was in applying too much pressure against the film edge which resulted in jamming the opposite corner of the film against the reel preventing its forward progress which is apparently easier to do with the 2502 than with the 1500 reels because of the greater reel size.

I hope that the above is indeed the case because if it is then I have mastered loading the 2502 reels which are superior to the 1500.

Thomas

 

[vpwphoto]

I just got a set of Jobo 2502 reels for developing C41 120 film at home (thanks to the demise of Calumet, I no longer have a reasonably priced source for processing 120 color neg with a reasonable turnaround time). I'm used to using stainless steel reels, so I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to load them, or better yet, videos.

I see you are in DC. CSW in Chicago, is my latest E-6 processor, I suppose they do C-41. (shhhh don't tell them I think their E-6 prices are very fair, seems spot on, and they don't charge and arm and leg to "handle and ship".__)

They are my fourth or fifth E-6 lab in the past 8 years. They all seem to be falling like dominos. The first one closed and I said you are over-reacting to this digital stuff.... (ah they got out when the getting was good). My last lab (across the street from me) was low volume, but closed because he didn't want to "mess with internet sales". I used to give him 10-20 rolls a week along with the hobby/slide shooters in the area... but the vacation shooters went digital, and my E-6 needs went to 6 rolls a month, to 6 rolls a YEAR!

http://www.cswfilmsystems.com/

 

[Tom Taylor]

The pro lab in my area moved about 40 miles away to Santa Cruz at thee same time that Jobo announced that it was no longer going to manufacture the processors. That's when I bought a new CPA-2 (at a discount even!) and never looked back. Before then I always processed and printed my B&W by hand.

Thomas

 

[CatLABS]

Sorry about the delay, video is in the works. stay tuned.

 

[polyglot]

Always and without fail you must use a hair-dryer on the reel immediately before loading it to make sure it's completely dry. If the film is curly, then reverse-curl the first 3cm. You should be able to just push the film in for most of a whole 120 roll's length and it should slide completely freely, like paper. I like to rip the tape off the end, but folding over paper-tape is OK. I wouldn't fold over plastic tape as it's more likely to stick. Some films (Pan-F and probably most Ilford products) have a papery feel and load really easily, whereas some (Acros) are more plasticky and jam-prone. Practise with the easier films if you can.

Doing it in a dark bag on a sticky day is a recipe for disaster. If the humidity/temperature is high and/or you have sweaty hands, then load in a darkroom instead.

When feeling for the entrance, make sure you get the actual entrance, not the little half-height notches that are about 5cm from the entrance. Don't forget you can safely put two rolls of 120 on a single reel, separated by the red tab.

 

[RedSun]

A tip for thin films: peel the tape away from only the backing paper, then fold it over the end of the roll of film. Use your thumb nail to make sure it's firmly in place. Load that end first. The additional stiffness provided by the tape makes for smooth loading.

This is what Jobo says in its manual. But it has not worked for me. I tried a couple of times to fold the tape at the end to the film and load the film from the beginning (with tape). But I had hard time completing it.

Then I just cut off the tape and it loads easily. It does not matter what end.

As for film curving at end, this has never been a problem for me. I use 5 min pre-wash (soak). So the film would not curve any more.

I still can use the large 2502 reel. But I'm just lazy and do not want to waste more chemicals. The regular reels work just fine.