Light leak in paterson tank?

[davedm]

I am new to home photography, well analogue at least. I am making a lot of school boy errors .
I do have difficulty loading the Paterson reels, the film easily flips out of the lips if I not careful. I'm getting better at winding the film back into the canister in the camera so that I have the leader left out. Much easier than winding the leader into the can and having to open the can in the dark and having all the film twist up in a mess.
Mick

If you can sacrifice one reel, removing ball from both sides may help you load more easily. Lot of posts about the same can be found here. Try it and see if it helps.
I would also suggest to get steel tanks and Hewes steel reels from this forum / ebay. Once you learn to load it, they are super easy to use. They are also most compact system of all.

 

[pdeeh]

pictures please

Mick, I should have been more explicit.

When people post about negative problems on APUG, the most helpful thing they can do is attach a picture of the negative. People often post scans (not very useful) or something similar to what you have (more useful but could be better )

The best way to get informed replies about negative problems is to take a pic of the negative sitting on a lightbox.

Of course, not too many people (especially beginners) will have a lightbox these days, but a smartphone, tablet or laptop screen can be pressed into service - there are apps available to produce a plain white illuminated screen.

Failing that, tape a section of offending negative to a sheet of printer paper and hold it up to a diffuse light source and snap that.
Don't forget to try and make the colour balance of the pic accurate (especially helpful in helping with colour development problems or fixing problems with b&w)

But let's hope you don't have any further problems that necessitate your posting pics of negatives anyway

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks for the pic Mick. From what I have heard Paterson tanks are prone to leak a bit but it looks from your other posts that you have discovered the problem which is a "floating reel"

Unless the leak is quite serious then for the time the tank is upside down I'd doubt if the loss of liquid is enough to eventually uncover the film.

If it were me I'd look for a Jobo 35mm tank and a Jobo 120 tank. Unless damaged neither should leak at all or no more than a drop or so.

The best that I have found in terms of liquid economy and which are absolutely leak proof are the Durst tanks. There is a tank for each size and neither will take two reels but you can get a loader for each which once you have pushed the film under the central clip simply winds the film on.

The Durst tanks are as foolproof as any I have found and over the course of many film will save quite a lot in terms of processing liquids

pentaxuser

 

[AgX]

If it were me I'd look for a Jobo 35mm tank and a Jobo 120 tank. Unless damaged neither should leak at all or no more than a drop or sor

All Jobo tanks of the last 40 years take both, 35mm and 62mm films, except for the very small one that is lacking height

 

[MattKing]

there are apps available to produce a plain white illuminated screen.

Try accessing blank.org on a browser.

 

[pdeeh]

See, this is why it's a shame that the "like" or "thank" option has been removed from the forum

 

[MattKing]

See, this is why it's a shame that the "like" or "thank" option has been removed from the forum

It would be very funny if the only "Like" I ever received was for a reference to blank.org .

 

[pdeeh]

hehe

 

[Mogsby]

Mick, I should have been more explicit.

When people post about negative problems on APUG, the most helpful thing they can do is attach a picture of the negative. People often post scans (not very useful) or something similar to what you have (more useful but could be better )

The best way to get informed replies about negative problems is to take a pic of the negative sitting on a lightbox.

Of course, not too many people (especially beginners) will have a lightbox these days, but a smartphone, tablet or laptop screen can be pressed into service - there are apps available to produce a plain white illuminated screen.

Failing that, tape a section of offending negative to a sheet of printer paper and hold it up to a diffuse light source and snap that.
Don't forget to try and make the colour balance of the pic accurate (especially helpful in helping with colour development problems or fixing problems with b&w)

But let's hope you don't have any further problems that necessitate your posting pics of negatives anyway

Thank you for the reply. I have bought an old Pero cut film cutter with the lamp in the base. If I have any other issues with negatives I can hopefully use that to get a photo of a negative.
Cheers
Mick

 

[Mogsby]

Thanks for the pic Mick. From what I have heard Paterson tanks are prone to leak a bit but it looks from your other posts that you have discovered the problem which is a "floating reel"

Unless the leak is quite serious then for the time the tank is upside down I'd doubt if the loss of liquid is enough to eventually uncover the film.

If it were me I'd look for a Jobo 35mm tank and a Jobo 120 tank. Unless damaged neither should leak at all or no more than a drop or so.

The best that I have found in terms of liquid economy and which are absolutely leak proof are the Durst tanks. There is a tank for each size and neither will take two reels but you can get a loader for each which once you have pushed the film under the central clip simply winds the film on.

The Durst tanks are as foolproof as any I have found and over the course of many film will save quite a lot in terms of processing liquids

pentaxuser

I will have a look for a Jobo tank or stainless steel tank and reels (as someone else recommended), money is a bit short at the moment through. The Tank I have is not that great, it leaks more than a few drops when inverted. Could be the age of the sealing ring that is the problem. Also its still difficult to undo if over tightened. I'll have to live with it for now.
Cheers
Mick

 

[Mogsby]

If you can sacrifice one reel, removing ball from both sides may help you load more easily. Lot of posts about the same can be found here. Try it and see if it helps.
I would also suggest to get steel tanks and Hewes steel reels from this forum / ebay. Once you learn to load it, they are super easy to use. They are also most compact system of all.

I'll have a read up about it. I have found that a 24 exp film loads on the reel with relative ease, but a 36 seems to be getting stuck on the last foot or so. I have two reels the same Paterson make. It does it on both. I thought it may be the way I cut the film and snip off the corners or some gunk on the reels. I use a tint bit of dish wash liquid when I wash the equipment and give every a good rinse in clean water. Maybe there is soap left on the reels?.
Cheers
Mick

 

[Jim Noel]

https://goo.gl/photos/VGd9XuRA9YsXYBpH6

Hi,
I bought a Paterson tank off Ebay, as my old one broke. I have developed 4 films in it so far and all have increasing marks on them. Not all the films were shot with the same camera. At first I thought it was contamination, but I don't think it can be that. It is odd that all the films have marks on the bottom where they were at the bottom of the tank. I have looked at the tank and cannot see anything wrong.
Anyone seen this before and to such an extent.

Any help would be appreciated.

There was a period of time when all Patterson tanks leaked light. It was caused by a change in the gasket around the top which acted as a light pipe, instead of a light blocker. We stopped usiing htem at the college and never went back so I don't know if they solved the problem.

 

[Mogsby]

Saw them in Google and #3 definitely looks like over lapping on one reel. When you load do not force the roll as you can see some of the marks from being loaded too rough. Use a graphite pencil on the grooves helps clear loading. Good luck on the next.

Hi,
Sorry just seen your reply. I will try with the pencil. Re: my later replies to others about my loading film problems. I think your tip may help.
Cheers
Mick