My 35 film reel is broken

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

My plastic reel cracked, i dont know why, maybe chemical or temperature fatigue, I have to process a couple of rolls in short time , the results dont need to be prestine, cause it is for a 35mm lo-fi kinda messy presentation of mine, but i dont know what to do, the stores near me dont have film reels, and i cant wait the time to order one in the net, and i am in europe, so there isnt much choice in online ordering.
Is there a way to process film without using a reel in the tank, any other homemade aparatus that will barely do it ?

Thanks.

manfromh · Apr 25, 2010

Pour the developer into a bowl, hold on to the film on each end and drag it through the bowl (in darkness of course). Do this back and forth until the dev time is up. I guess this counts as continuous agitation, so you might want to reduce the developing time a bit.

Q.G. · Apr 25, 2010

Ever tried processing film inside the cassette it came in?
Neither have i , but i rember having seen it many, many years ago, i believe on some open university program on tv.

Searching the web for it, i came across a reference to the Darkroom Cookbook, page 62, that should describe the same, but the page(s) did not come up in Google books.
I think there are quite a few fellow-APUGgers who have that book, so maybe they could chime in?

Anscojohn · Apr 25, 2010

The "see-saw" method given by manfromh is an old, established procedure. Unfortunately, it takes an arm spread about like King Kong if you have a 36 exposure roll.

I worked once doing convention photography for a small outfit. On the road, we souped perhaps forty or fifty rolls of 120 film at a time in a plastic dishpan filled with developer. The films were just put in the developer and once wet and limp they were kept unwound and just moved around randomly. Can't say the development was the most even in the world, but it worked and the printers at home, using cold light enlargers, kind of evened things out.

The "see-saw" method is the way to go, however.

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

I am looking foward that in cassete solution, otherwise i might go with the bowl option.

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

So you are adivsing just drop the roll inside the plastic cage into a solution of developer and stir and stir, and then just do the same for the other steps ?

I might try both methods, so it is expected the "see-saw" will give great results, but there is too much space for errors, i might just cut a piece and do it, if i am happy, i will have to bear with the arm ache.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 25, 2010

Q.G. said:
...Searching the web for it, i came across a reference to the Darkroom Cookbook, page 62, that should describe the same, but the page(s) did not come up in Google books.
I think there are quite a few fellow-APUGgers who have that book, so maybe they could chime in?

I have the 1st and 3rd edition of this book and can't find anything about it. The 1st edition talks about fixing and the 3rd about pyro on their page 62. Maybe it's in the 2nd edition or my eyes are worse than I thought.

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

my rolls are 24, so i guess 24 works better than 36 in the cassete method because there is less film crammed in the same space right ?

Rick A · Apr 25, 2010

Some company used to make a device to develope film inside the cassett years ago, one of my chums had one and tried it, results were excruciatingly disappointing. Seems you have to turn the center spindle one way then the other to work the developer inte the wraps of film, it didn't do well for him, lots of blank and mottled nothing with the occasional image. I think the see-saw method would work better, or a large flat bottom dish that would allow the film to lay in loose coils on the bottom. It would mean working in total darkness, but would allow for even development.
One thing you may want to look into, when you order new reels, purchase a "film apron" at the same time. Then next time a reel breaks you have a back-up device that can be used in the daylight tank.

Jesper · Apr 25, 2010

Where in Europe are you?
There might be an apuger with a spare reel nearby.

Q.G. · Apr 25, 2010

RalphLambrecht said:
I have the 1st and 3rd edition of this book and can't find anything about it. The 1st edition talks about fixing and the 3rd about pyro on their page 62. Maybe it's in the 2nd edition or my eyes are worse than I thought.

It's indeed the 2nd that pops up in Google books. Page 62 is in chapter 6, Monobath Film Developing.

Google books doesn't show that particular page, but when i search for cassette (as i did), it shows a fragment saying: "Processing 35mm film inside the metal cassette it comes in is an interesting way to develop film. The technique is simple and was..."
No more, alas.

But that chapter should be in the 1st and 3rd edition too, so perhaps on a different page?

Q.G. · Apr 25, 2010

wartree said:
So you are adivsing just drop the roll inside the plastic cage into a solution of developer and stir and stir, and then just do the same for the other steps ?

That's the idea, yes.

I believe agitation is performed by rotating the spool inside the cassette back and forth.

But i'm not advising anything. I just remembered seeing it done once (and i'm pretty sure it was in an U.K. Open University t.v. program many years ago).

I wouldn't have imagined it would work before i saw it. Nor do i after i have seen it done.
But that's just ill-informed me.

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

Jesper said:
Where in Europe are you?
There might be an apuger with a spare reel nearby.

I am in Portugal.

Thanks ,nonetheless.

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

Q.G. said:
That's the idea, yes.

I believe agitation is performed by rotating the spool inside the cassette back and forth.

But i'm not advising anything. I just remembered seeing it done once (and i'm pretty sure it was in an U.K. Open University t.v. program many years ago).

I wouldn't have imagined it would work before i saw it. Nor do i after i have seen it done.
But that's just ill-informed me.

This works at light , right ?

RalphLambrecht · Apr 25, 2010

Q.G. said:
It's indeed the 2nd that pops up in Google books. Page 62 is in chapter 6, Monobath Film Developing...

Found it on page 55 in the 3rd edition.

In-Cassette Processing
Apparently first described by Kodak and recommended for 24-exposure rolls or smaller. It's a 2-page section in the book, very detailed from developing to washing. Interesting!

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

i found something, http://books.google.pt/books?id=3ZN5sEjAWDEC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=Processing+35mm+film+inside+the+metal+cassette+it+comes+in+is+an+interesting+way+to+develop+film.+The+technique+is+simple+and+was&source=bl&ots=yzEaCXzZPu&sig=bgSuibJjjzobMzhg3HyuC4_-wV8&hl=pt-PT&ei=uDzUS-HxC4WJ_AaT2ZzVDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Processing%2035mm%20film%20inside%20the%20metal%20cassette%20it%20comes%20in%20is%20an%20interesting%20way%20to%20develop%20film.%20The%20technique%20is%20simple%20and%20was&f=false

RalphLambrecht · Apr 25, 2010

wartree said:
i found something, http://books.google.pt/books?id=3ZN5sEjAWDEC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=Processing+35mm+film+inside+the+metal+cassette+it+comes+in+is+an+interesting+way+to+develop+film.+The+technique+is+simple+and+was&source=bl&ots=yzEaCXzZPu&sig=bgSuibJjjzobMzhg3HyuC4_-wV8&hl=pt-PT&ei=uDzUS-HxC4WJ_AaT2ZzVDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Processing%2035mm%20film%20inside%20the%20metal%20cassette%20it%20comes%20in%20is%20an%20interesting%20way%20to%20develop%20film.%20The%20technique%20is%20simple%20and%20was&f=false

Now I wonder, is this a reason for the author to ask Google to do this or not to do it?

Q.G. · Apr 25, 2010

wartree said:
This works at light , right ?

Right.
Perhaps Ralph, or anyone else having the Coockbook, can give an synopsis of the two page section in the book?

(P.S.
Now i feel obliged to get a copy of it myself.
How does it and the Film Developing Cookbook (which i also don't have but are considering) compare?)

wartree · Apr 25, 2010

i found the two pages, they are in the link above

Q.G. · Apr 25, 2010

RalphLambrecht said:
Now I wonder, is this a reason for the author to ask Google to do this or not to do it?

I don't think authors, nor publishers, like that Google copy their books and put them on the internet, even though Google only gives access to bits of the books at a time.
Little programs already exist that use a world wide bot network (if that is what it is called) to gather the different parts from Google Books through different connections and compile them into the complete work Google refuses to show any single viewer.

I think every author and publisher should ask Google to stop what they are doing, and respect copyright legislation.

Q.G. · Apr 25, 2010

wartree said:
i found the two pages, they are in the link above

Good!

But thanks to Google, i still get to see the message (going through your link, the message is in Portugese) telling me that the pages aren't available, instead of the pages themselve.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 25, 2010

Q.G. said:
...I think every author and publisher should ask Google to stop what they are doing, and respect copyright legislation.

They do ask. Google did ask my publisher for permission and received it. After the book had sold out, the publisher revoked the permission and Google removed the link. I'm just not sure if it's a good or a bad thing.

My 35 film reel is broken

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency