Need better tape to secure film.

Sticky Tape.

Mike Kennedy said:

Oops! Yes,a 100c camera would be a little too hot to handle.Oven set to 100F to replicate the hottest summer weather around here.

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I sorta thought that was it, hence the grin.

As has been said before, masking tape comes in a number of forms and qualities. In general, it is neither strong nor very adhesive. There are no doubt exceptions, depending on brand and type. The film manufacturers use a very special plastic tape with a very aggressive adhesive. You can probably find something equivalent at the local store. I have used electrical tape for years without a problem. It is strong, but the adhesive is fairly weak - you have to be careful to attach it properly to the reel and the film. Gaffer tape sounds like a good idea - fairly thin, strong, good adhesive. In any case, be sure the tape is well attached to the film base.

I think "gaffer" tape is what we in the vicinity of Newport News used to call "shipyard tape", for the same reason we called those cheap black ball-point pens "Government pens." I would start the day with a pen in my shirt pocket, and some merchant would wind up with it after I signed a check. Langley Research Center of NACA was not far from the shipyard.

You could tear the tape cross- or lengthwise in a nice straight line if your fingernails were in good shape, but its tensile strength was quite high. It usually came in 2" width.

Note that if you are using any film which will be run through an automated processor - not likely, but it can still happen - use ONLY masking tape, or the machine's blades can't cut it. If you do have any of the film processed automatically (e.g. an Ilford b/w processor), tell the store so they can remove the film from the cassette and put it in a processor cassette.

And then there are labs that don't want masking tape; glogs up the machinery. Best check with the lab if one is being used.

KD5NRH said:

Hmmm...does anybody sell the Ilford-type spools with the slot-and-post attachment? With all the companies making decorative paper punches for scrapbooking, I'd think one of them could make a die to cut the end of the film to the right shape for that spool.

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I bought a load of KALT cassettes from B&H when i was in NY, they have the slot and post. I actually am in the proces of making such a "film-clipper" from razor blades. It's not perfected yet. (Nicked my fingers a lot) Reading your comment about the paper punches i surched the net for a fitting shape. No succes yet. Please let me know if you come up with one.

Jaap Jan

naaldvoerder said:

I bought a load of KALT cassettes from B&H when i was in NY, they have the slot and post. I actually am in the proces of making such a "film-clipper" from razor blades. It's not perfected yet. (Nicked my fingers a lot) Reading your comment about the paper punches i surched the net for a fitting shape. No succes yet. Please let me know if you come up with one.

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A leatherworker's strap end punch would be a good start, though I haven't seen anybody that makes them to custom shapes, and using a loose punch with a mallet in the dark sounds dangerous. I'm wondering if something could be made that would mount into a hinged board arrangement; even if it stil requires a mallet to get a clean cut, tactile guides could be cut in the bottom board, and the cutter itself is less likely to be a hazard in the darkroom.

I have used a single-hole paper punch. You don't need a fancy shaped leader. Cut a simple triangle that is long and narrow enough to pass through the slot in the spool. Punch a hole where the little tongue will catch it.

I have used a single-hole paper punch. You don't need a fancy shaped leader. Cut a simple triangle that is long and narrow enough to pass through the slot in the spool. Punch a hole where the little tongue will catch it.

What's this about doing it in the dark? Daykight bulk film loaders are worth the money.

I agree with Nick, he needs to use decent reloadable plastic cassettes and not recycle film manufacturers ones , the proper ones are cheap enough.

gainer said:

What's this about doing it in the dark? Daykight bulk film loaders are worth the money.

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Everything works better in the dark; no exposed tail to potentially kill your last shot. I'd rather work in the dark than have what might have been a great shot ruined by not watching the counter, and my 8000i sometimes gets the last one surprisingly close to the tail on Ilford.

Bonus; if you take pictures in the dark, you can use the same roll forever and never need chemistry.