Questions about Nikor stainless tanks and reels

[Luis-F-S]

I bought Nikkor SS tanks and Hewe's reels many years ago and never looked back!

 

[Paul Howell]

I use SS for 120, for 35mm, I do have a couple of SS reels that have not been dropped and bent over the years, by and large I use Patterson plastic reels and system tanks if processing just one or two rolls. For large batches I use Unicolor reels and film tank with motor base.

 

[Down Under]

Some Nikors leak and some don't. Ditto every brand of tank I've used over the decades. I had several Patersons in the '80s and '90s and the only one that didn't was a 35mm tank I bought secondhand from a charity shop.

I used Nikor tanks with Hewes reels for a couple of decades. All leaked a little after one or two years of regular use. Eventually I sold them when I got into Jobo. The friend who bought them says he was satisfied with them but he no longer processes film.

The Nikors were okay but loading films on them was a right pain. Eventually I got a loader with a small crank, made by LPL, which let me thread and load my reels without fuss. It went with the Nikors when I sold them.

None of my Jobo tanks have ever leaked. I've owned one since 2003 and I have several others, all leak proof. They are by far the best products for my needs.

Maybe not what you want to be told, but leaking tanks is just something we have to live with.

 

[Auer]

Some Nikors leak and some don't. Ditto every brand of tank I've used over the decades. I had several Patersons in the '80s and '90s and the only one that didn't was a 35mm tank I bought secondhand from a charity shop.

I used Nikor tanks with Hewes reels for a couple of decades. All leaked a little after one or two years of regular use. Eventually I sold them when I got into Jobo. The friend who bought them says he was satisfied with them but he no longer processes film.

The Nikors were okay but loading films on them was a right pain. Eventually I got a loader with a small crank, made by LPL, which let me thread and load my reels without fuss. It went with the Nikors when I sold them.

None of my Jobo tanks have ever leaked. I've owned one since 2003 and I have several others, all leak proof. They are by far the best products for my needs.

Maybe not what you want to be told, but leaking tanks is just something we have to live with.

I only have one Jobo, a simple 1520.
It is a very well designed tank, with a quality feel and look.

I use it a lot, absolutely love it. Reels are great too and very easy to use.

 

[reddesert]

I use inversion agitation, and I don't really mind if tanks leak a few drops. It doesn't affect the processing. Where it is more likely to matter is processing horizontally, like on a roller base.

I started with one of the plastic Yankee-style tanks with the adjustable reel and swizzle-stick thermometer agitator. Some people manage with those, but I found the reels incredibly slow to load as they jammed or advanced the film one sprocket at a time. A generous uncle gave me a steel tank and reels, which were an enormous step forward. Paterson reels are also much better than those old Yankee reels (IMO).

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I use a Jobo tank when processing more than 1 or 2 sheets of film. The tank is on a roller base. There is a brick that keeps it from walking off the base, which it is wont to do. And there is a small tray under the lid/cap end of the tank to catch the drips. I'm sure an 8-reel Nikor tank would leak more if I ever tried to use it on a motor base. I use the 8 reel Nikor raising and lowering the reels using the lift wire; I do this in the middle of a large tray to catch all the inevitable splashing and dripping.

Darkroom work involves a lot of liquids going every which way. I keep a towel handy and sometimes wear gloves. With age, everything leaks - you have to get used to it.

 

[Roseha]

I have a question, I just bought a used Nikor tank (the size that takes 4 35mm reels) online, it came with the reels and I also bought from the same merchant some curved metal "loaders". Are the loaders generally helpful in loading the film straight, and could they also be used on Hewes reels? I have done some processing on stainless steel reels but have had some trouble loading properly. thanks

 

[mgb74]

I have a question, I just bought a used Nikor tank (the size that takes 4 35mm reels) online, it came with the reels and I also bought from the same merchant some curved metal "loaders". Are the loaders generally helpful in loading the film straight, and could they also be used on Hewes reels? I have done some processing on stainless steel reels but have had some trouble loading properly. thanks

As a general rule, almost all quality reels are easy to load when new. The problem is that we are almost all buying used reels which have been banged up a bit. Hewes reels are a bit heavier metal and withstand usage better than others. The cheap generic reels don't stand up at all.

Those curved metal loading aids usually do help and will fit most if not all reels. Probably not really necessary with the Hewes reels.

 

[Roseha]

As a general rule, almost all quality reels are easy to load when new. The problem is that we are almost all buying used reels which have been banged up a bit. Hewes reels are a bit heavier metal and withstand usage better than others. The cheap generic reels don't stand up at all.

Those curved metal loading aids usually do help and will fit most if not all reels. Probably not really necessary with the Hewes reels.

Thanks, I kind of bought the loaders as an afterthought but will give them a try.

 

[Mal Paso]

Your fingers are the best loader. Practice with scrap film in daylight.

 

[reddesert]

I have no experience with the loading guides. I agree with the advice to practice a lot with your fingers in daylight. I think many steel reel loading problems (in addition to bent reels) come from not getting the end of the film perfectly straight at the start. If it's slightly cockeyed, it will eventually skip a spiral as you wrap it onto the reel. Practice helps you judge when the leading end of the film is straight in the core of the reel by feeling the corners with your thumb and finger.

I've been doing this for a long time and still get it slightly off sometimes, but I can feel or hear when that happens, and I just unwrap the reel and start over. It only takes me a minute or so to load the reel once properly started, so I don't have reservations about doing it over if needed.