Patterson reel accident

I put a wrap of electrical tape around my SS tank and top to stop the leaks and keep me from accidentally opening it once it is loaded. I can vouch for Hewes reels being super easy to load especially 35mm.

ericdan said:

I had massive problems loading Paterson reels in the beginning. You can better at it.
I used to warm them up with a hair dryer and run a pencil through the groves. That works fine, but that's not necessary really.
I don't cut off anything, I just load it with the leader as is. The factory cut leader is usually a nice and round cut.
If you feel the film getting stuck just bang the reel against your tabletop or slightly pull the reel apart without twisting.
This always works for me.
Steel tanks are easier to load, but reels are expensive, they are useless when bent and the tanks leak. To each his own though.

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Thanks TP Tim Horton's taste good in steel tanks

declark said:

I put a wrap of electrical tape around my SS tank and top to stop the leaks and keep me from accidentally opening it once it is loaded. I can vouch for Hewes reels being super easy to load especially 35mm.

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wowza! i'm gonna try this - thanks for the idea, (declark and apuguser19 - re. royalties -the proverbial check is in the mail!!!)

jvo

GRHazelton said:

I've had no problems with loading 35mm on Paterson reels, but 120 was another story. Much sweating and cursing in the dark! Then I discovered that if I loaded the beginning of the film, the tape which attaches the film to the paper backing seems to stiffen the end just enough to make loading much easier. Gotta be careful, since this means separating the film and the backing paper, with the attendant risk of damage. Of course the reels must be bone dry and clean. I run them through the dishwasher, top rack, every so often.

Stainless steel...another story. Back in the day I loaded Nikkor reels easily and surely, running Ektachrome E2, IRRC, processing five reels at a time of pix shot in London and Paris. Little room for error there! Now, my mojo has deserted me. Same reels, and I struggle, even with the old Honeywell guide thingie. Alas and alack....

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I found out that you need to take a toothbrush and scrub the Paterson reels every so often with dish soap ( I prefer Dawn Ultra) and pay close attention to the ball bearing area. I'm with you on loading 120 film with the end with the tape on it going in first-it works way better that way as 120 film is so thin. I've thought for years that it'd be great to have a dishwasher in the darkroom !

I have only used mine about 50-60 times.
Twice I have had a problem...the same both times.
As the roll got to be about 80% done, it got Real Hard to roll on, to turn the reels.
Both times it felt the same...like the front of the film (the part the goes on to the reel first) hit a wall, and if I continued to turn the reels, the film would bunch up...like running a car into a brick wall...the front of the car stops, but the rest of the car keeps coming and piles up like an accordion.
From what I read, it seems Everybody has had a similar experience.?
I cannot figure out what might cause this. What I started doing was to feed a roll of dead film onto the reel first and make sure all was OK. I do not think I have done THAT enough times yet to know if it alleviates any potential troubles.
I have my house torn apart for remodeling, and it will be a few more moths before I can get back into film again. I will buy some Hewes in the meantime.....see what happens when I get back into "it".
I will try the Ericdan method from post #27 if I experience this issue again.
Thanks

CMoore said:

As the roll got to be about 80% done, it got Real Hard to roll on, to turn the reels.
Both times it felt the same...like the front of the film (the part the goes on to the reel first) hit a wall, and if I continued to turn the reels, the film would bunch up...like running a car into a brick wall...the front of the car stops, but the rest of the car keeps coming and piles up like an accordion.
From what I read, it seems Everybody has had a similar experience.?

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Exactly.