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Want to Buy Lots of Wooden 120 take-up spools

Trader history for ivan35mm (0)

ivan35mm

Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2025
Messages
119
Location
Michigan
Format
Analog
Anybody have an assortment of wood 120 spools they’d be willing to sell?

Thanks!
 

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I have a bunch of plastic 120 takeup spools someone sent without paper, I would be happy to send you some
 
MCB18 said:
I have a bunch of plastic 120 takeup spools someone sent without paper, I would be happy to send you some
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thank you for your offer! however, i am in need of the wooden dowel ones, because they have a slightly larger diameter compared to the plastic & metal ones. some of my older roll film holders work best with the wooden spool holders and they prevent frame overlap. but i never have enough of them lol
 
Some people wrap plastic spools with duct tape.
The op is a plaubel fan?
 
ivan35mm said:
Anybody have an assortment of wood 120 spools they’d be willing to sell?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If you find a source let me know. I just got a Plaubel Makina 111. It hasn’t arrived yet but someone mentioned wooden spools were more reliable.
 
Chuck1 said:
The op is a plaubel fan?
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Very much so!

I'd had some luck with duct tape spools, but i'd prefer to just buy a bulk amount of wooden spools, if i should get so lucky.
Jbennett68 said:
If you find a source let me know. I just got a Plaubel Makina 111. It hasn’t arrived yet but someone mentioned wooden spools were more reliable.
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they are, indeed!
 
ivan35mm said:
Very much so!

I'd had some luck with duct tape spools, but i'd prefer to just buy a bulk amount of wooden spools, if i should get so lucky.


they are, indeed!
Click to expand...

Do you happen to know the diameter of the wooden spools if I need to tape plastic ones?
 
This is a great forum! This is the kind of thing that I find wonderful. I've been messing around with cameras for over 50 years, the first I've heard of this.

I will check my spools. Great discussion!!
 
For anyone interested in proper Plaubel Roll Film holder techniques, please see Nokton48’s scan of Ernest Lehdian’s instructions! Also read his comment!

Very valuable information




i’d also like to add, i’ve had a similar issue with the Singer Graflok backs…. i prefer to use the metal 120 spools for those. the new style plastic spool tends to cause overlap of frame 1-2-3, where exposure 2 is sandwiched in the middle of exposure 1 & 3.
 
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Sounds like a job for a 3d printer. If anybody knows how to deal with measuring and designing the spool?
 
glbeas said:
Sounds like a job for a 3d printer. If anybody knows how to deal with measuring and designing the spool?
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I think I have a model of a 120 film spool already, I will try and find it this afternoon.

A tricky thing about 3D printing, though, it is very, very difficult to get the flanges light tight. If you don’t mind not being able to load in daylight, and having to store the film in light tight containers, it works just fine, but that also defeats the purpose of roll film IMO…
 
I kinda loaded up the truck with Olde Wooden 120 Spools several years ago. Now I see a few, they are $10 each or more. I have zero interest in 3D Printed (in this case) or Olde All Metal Ones (which I have not tested). With tax and shipping you're nearing $20/spool. Antique Auction type stuff so priced thusly.

These Olde Plaubel Makina 120 Backs were made when film came on wooden spools. To me this is not a thinking outside the box situation. Original Spool seem to work pretty good. Less Overlap which can be bad with Plaubel. Test your backs well ahead of shooting anything important! The most important frames are the ones with overlap. LOL

Also I check the backs for overlap with dummy roll respooled and Sharpie Marker. This saves wasting film and shots. I only load backs that have been checked out this way.
 
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Are newer backs less prone to problems than the older models? When were wooden spools phased out?
 
That I haven't noticed, I do have a few more modern backs. When they switched to metal spools on roll film I do not know. It may also depend on how many rolls each back has been run through. Paul Ebel worked on some of my backs when I first got them.
 
Chuck1 said:
Some people wrap plastic spools with duct tape.
The op is a plaubel fan?
Click to expand...

I tried this and jammed a roll and had to toss it. It worked for a friend but not for me.
 
I've never tried that either myself.
I found a back with the red window, which is the only instance I prefer them.
 
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