New to Watson 100 loader - Do I need to know more than manual?

jay moussy · Oct 3, 2023

I got a free Watson 100 locally (was 5 dollars.... seller and I chatted, and forgot about the money!).

I would be a while before I use it, and I did secure the manual from Saint Butkus of N.J.

Is there more I need to know about the operation, maybe little tweaks to make it smooth?

xkaes · Oct 3, 2023

It's pretty idiot proof. Just follow the instructions -- and DON'T FORCE it. That mean you are doing something wrong. Try it first with the lights on with a foot of scrap film. Then use it for real in dim light just in case -- and DON'T rush it.

blee1996 · Oct 3, 2023

The device is quite simple, so with manual you should have no problem (esp. lock/open position). Just make sure there is no cracks or light leaks: those bakelite plastic can be quite brittle if dropped. There is no felt pads to worry about. Just clean thoroughly with damp towel and air blower to get rid of dust.

On my sample, sometimes the gear that handles the frame counting might not engage properly. So it is better to practice a few times with shorter rolls to the hang of it. This is more an inconvenience than problem.

I reuse 35mm cassettes from consumer film, and leave the original leader there. When I tape together the two ends, try to make it as straight as possible and line up the sprockets if possible. I use a stronger version of Scotch transparent tape.

pentaxuser · Oct 3, 2023

It sound like the short answer to a short question is NO

When I had a Watson this was the case

pentaxuser

jay moussy · Oct 3, 2023

Mine seems to be made of plastics, not bakelite, made by a "Pfefer Products" maker.
The manual found at Butkus archives states "modern plastics, tend to attract static dust..."

xkaes · Oct 3, 2023

jay moussy said:
Mine seems to be made of plastics, not bakelite, made by a "Pfefer Products" maker.

You are correct, Jay. The Watson is NOT made of bakelite, but it's not a good idea to drop it on the floor. Now why didn't they mention that in the instructions????

alanrockwood · Oct 4, 2023

If you learn to use the Watson 100 in the dark you can save some wasted film.

Kino · Oct 4, 2023

Plan ahead, do everything methodically and don't rush. When I first started, I made a check list (admittedly short) and followed it until it became muscle memory.

Just like loading a developing tank, gather your materials and lay them out in a orderly fashion before beginning. Pre-cut your tape, arrange your canisters, make labels for the canisters, grab a pair of scissors, lock the door and dim the lights a bit before starting.

For me, the biggest problem was being interrupted and skipping a step.

Reload cassettes in a time/place where you won't be distracted and label the cartridges immediately to avoid confusion.

snusmumriken · Oct 4, 2023

If you are anything like me, it will be the start of a collection! I have three loaders now, all different makes. Not because they are interesting, but because they are all imperfect in different ways. Personally, I prefer a rectangular one of unknown manufacture because it wastes less film. It is << Computerized >> - ie it has frame counter like they all do! But it also has a separate handle which I once spent months searching for, only to find that I had stowed it inside the loader "so that I couldn't lose it".

Don_ih · Oct 4, 2023

snusmumriken said:
But it also has a separate handle

I have a couple of those loaders - and even have at least one handle. Oh, actually I have one of those new in a box.

When I use the Watson loader, I have the film cut very close to where it comes out. I tape it to the spool then turn off the light (in the darkroom), open the gate, pull out the film and put the spool in the cassette. Then I put the cassette in place, close the door, spool the film, turn on the light, and cut the film. Using that loader as designed gives you almost two fully exposed frames at the end of the roll - which I can't stand.

Oh - and the tape wraps around the spool at attaches to both sides of the film, or you'll advance all the film off your spool.

Donald Qualls · Oct 4, 2023

alanrockwood said:
I you learn to use the Watson 100 in the dark you can save some wasted film.

At about three-four frames per roll loaded (compared to the leader on any 35 mm film), I don't know that this is worth worrying about, but it would add up to about one full roll out of a hundred feet of film. Maybe at today's bulk roll prices...

Anon Ymous · Oct 4, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
At about three-four frames per roll loaded (compared to the leader on any 35 mm film), I don't know that this is worth worrying about, but it would add up to about one full roll out of a hundred feet of film. Maybe at today's bulk roll prices...

IMHO, it's more about the ruined last frame than anything else. Ok, some of the last film cameras unroll the whole roll when loaded in the camera, so you can just skip it, but that's usually not the case.

Cholentpot · Oct 4, 2023

Make sure the trap is open before you roll. If it feels too forced when you're cranking, stop and check that everything is right.

Don_ih · Oct 4, 2023

Anon Ymous said:
it's more about the ruined last frame than anything else.

That's exactly what it's about. You release the shutter, go to advance but feel it's the end of the roll, and you realize that photo you just took was on fully-exposed film.

That's why I do almost all bulk loading without using a loader. I cut off film and spool it by hand in the dark.

alanrockwood · Oct 4, 2023

snusmumriken said:
If you are anything like me, it will be the start of a collection! I have three loaders now, all different makes. Not because they are interesting, but because they are all imperfect in different ways. Personally, I prefer a rectangular one of unknown manufacture because it wastes less film. It is << Computerized >> - ie it has frame counter like they all do! But it also has a separate handle which I once spent months searching for, only to find that I had stowed it inside the loader "so that I couldn't lose it".

I also like the square one because it wastes less film, but in my case I like the Lloyd bulk loader (which is square). The main disadvantage of the Lloyd is that the felt light trap might scratch the film if it is dirty, so it is important to periodically clean it using some sticky tape.

MattKing · Oct 4, 2023

Thread title tweaked - because it was bugging me .
I use both Watson style and Lloyds style loaders, and adjust my camera operations to allow for the extra frame(s) of light struck film at the end.
One trick for the anally retentive:
If you weigh each of:
1) the empty loader,
2) the central core; and
3) the loader filled with a brand new 100 foot roll,

you can then weigh the loader regularly, and through that track/calculate how much of the 100 feet of film remains in the loader.

alanrockwood · Oct 4, 2023

Great idea! Why didn't I think of that?

This is why they pay you the big bucks!

alanrockwood · Oct 5, 2023

Just for fun, I did a curve fit to a table I found for converting the number of turns to the number of shots for the Lloyds loader. Here's how it turned out.

I apologize for the formatting of the tables in this post. I think the software that runs the site probably strips out the extra spaces I put into the tables to make them nicely formatted.

shots turns

0 3.7

1 4.7

2 5.7

3 6.6

4 7.5

5 8.5

6 9.4

7 10.3

8 11.2

9 12

10 12.9

11 13.7

12 14.6

13 15.4

14 16.2

15 17

16 17.8

17 18.6

18 19.4

19 20.1

20 20.9

21 21.6

22 22.3

23 23

24 23.7

25 24.4

26 25

27 25.7

28 26.3

29 27

30 27.6

31 28.2

32 28.8

33 29.4

34 29.9

35 30.5

36 31.1

37 31.6

38 32.1

39 32.6

40 33.1

This table should be pretty accurate for the range of 10 shots to 36 shots, and the accuracy could fall off a bit below 10 shots and above 36 shots.

If one wants to be really sure to get at least the number of shots given in the table you could add about a half a turn at the low end and a quarter of a turn at the high end. I'm pretty sure that would be plenty of extra winds to make sure that you have at least the number of shots you want on a roll.

One might wonder why you would need about 3.7 turns for zero shots. I think this would account for the leader.

In case anyone wants to know how the fitted data relates to the input data, here's the comparison. The first to columns are the input data (the table on the Lloyds loader), the third column is the fitted result, and the last column is the difference.

shots turns turns(fit) DIFFERENCE

10 13 12.9 -0.1

18 19 19.4 0.4

24 24 23.7 -0.3

36 31 31.1 0.1

Tel · Oct 5, 2023

Possibly a reason to read the manual, though I don't recall any of my Watson/Alden loaders having a manual since I bought them second hand:

I just discovered, since I got some Leica-style reloadables what that spring-loaded knob just opposite the crank can do. (I'd found it useful to apply pressure on the cassette to make sure the fork on the crank side engaged with the spool inside the cassette.) But no, that's not its real purpose! When you're loading a Leica style cassette that knob will close the "door" on the cassette when you're done loading it, to prevent the last bit of film from being light-struck. Those guys thought of everything.

jay moussy · Oct 9, 2023

Well, I just remembered I once got a Watson 68-something as part of a bag o' stuff, the Bakelite type.
All there, it seems, except for the rectangular door, and I do not seem to see the inner lever corresponding to the outside one.

If you need a part from this model, let me know.

Mr Flibble · Oct 10, 2023

Tel said:
Possibly a reason to read the manual, though I don't recall any of my Watson/Alden loaders having a manual since I bought them second hand:

I just discovered, since I got some Leica-style reloadables what that spring-loaded knob just opposite the crank can do. (I'd found it useful to apply pressure on the cassette to make sure the fork on the crank side engaged with the spool inside the cassette.) But no, that's not its real purpose! When you're loading a Leica style cassette that knob will close the "door" on the cassette when you're done loading it, to prevent the last bit of film from being light-struck. Those guys thought of everything.

The Watson 100 also has that spacers that can be removed for the older Leica FILCA cartridges that are a little taller.
Though it's not THAT critical to the operation of loading regular-sized cassettes.

I've got a Watson and, as mentioned by others, I've found it's slightly more wasteful than AP Bobinquick / Kaiser bulkloader.
You can reduce the exposed are at the end of the strip a bit by attaching the film to the spool and take it into a darkroom before seating the cassette in the winding position....if that makes sense.

I generally wind 40 clicks (full turn of the counter wheel) which gives me about 36 frames and 4 frames worth of leader.
That gives me about 18 rolls out of a 100' bulk roll.

New to Watson 100 loader - Do I need to know more than manual?

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency