problems with 35mm ss reels

David William White said:

This annoys people, but FWIW: If you can't find plastic, vinyl, or steel reels that you can be happy with, just toss them. You don't need reels to develop film.

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Well, that's true. I began souping 620 film by seesawing it through a tray of developer. Of course, with a 36x roll of 35mm, one needs the arm spread of King Kong, but it is possible to develop film without reel and tanks.

Regarding SS reels in general. I have cheapo 35mm SS reels, Hewes, Nikor (spelled correctly--not the Japanese company) and Kinderman. With all of them, once in a great while the gremlins get to them. But as others have said, it is just getting the "knack" and it will all of a sudden become second nature.

I once bought a complete kit for loading SS reels--a winding device that clamps to a work surface; two SS plates with accept the film and impart just the right curl to the film--one for 35mm and one for 120 film. I knew someone who used one and could load SS reels faster than I could. I do not think I ever used it.

Some posters have said that a solution to crooked loading is not attaching the 35mm film to the center contraptions. I tried that once or twice, but with my ham=handedness, I could not make that work for 35mm.

Not attaching the film, with 120, is the deus ex machinafor me, on the other hand and once I began allowing friction to hold the 120 film after about a quarter turn or so, I ceased having problems with 120 film. Rarely have problems with 35mm film--far fewer, in fact, than I ever had when I was using plastic.

I originally learned on plastic reeels about 35 years ago. They were easy. But loading on Hewes ss reels is by far the easiest. I wouldn't bother with anything else. Less chemicals required. Easier and faster to clean and dry. And most important, the easiest to load. I don't even bother with cheap ss reels. Give them away to your enemies. Keep all the Hewes for yourself.

Anscojohn said:

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Well, that's true. I began souping 620 film by seesawing it through a tray of developer. Of course, with a 36x roll of 35mm, one needs the arm spread of King Kong, but it is possible to develop film without reel and tanks.

Click to expand...

Thanks, John. I only wanted to toss that option out there because once in a while there is a post from someone who can't get his/her first roll loaded -- either because they haven't practiced or their reel is bent/broken or the film is sticky -- and ends up tossing the whole mess across the room and (presumably) gives up. I get so sad.

That said, I LOVE my Paterson vinyl reels. Grab film, yank cartridge, push on, ...grab, yank, push...less than 20 seconds to load a reel. My brother LOVED the steel reels and could load one handed with the weight of the film cartridge providing just enough pull -- something he learned from a newspaper photographer.

D.