Revolutionary Tool for Loading 120 on Jobo Plastic Reels

mshchem · Apr 25, 2020

OK, maybe revolutionary is too much. Everyone who's ever loaded 120 film onto a plastic reel has occasionally come upon a stubborn film.
With Jobo especially, "the art of the snips" is of great importance. You need to snip the corners of the leading edge of the 120, (and 35mm) so the film feeds smooth without snagging.
The best snip is a tiny slightly rounded snip. Too big and it makes matters worse.
This leads to old corner rounders for wallet prints for when people actually carried pictures, in their wallets of all places. Pictured below revolutionary tool for snipping tiny round corners. This is the greatest thing since Spenco gel saddles on mountain bikes. Use only the smallest setting makes about a 16th of an inch round snip.

mshchem · Apr 25, 2020

FYI I bought this a year ago? I think on Ebay it's for craft and scrapbook folks.

Ariston · Apr 25, 2020

For some reason, I always had trouble loading reels until I stopped using the advice to snip the corners. But it seems snipping benefits most people.

markbau · Apr 25, 2020

I’ve never snipped and have loaded 120 and 220 film onto JOBO reels for 25 years without issue, one thing to note is that the reels must be perfectly dry. You do realise that the depressions on the side of the reels are to grab the film, they are a bit different to a Patterson reel in the way they load.

mshchem · Apr 25, 2020

Anti-snippers! I've never snipped until 7 or 8 years back when I fell into the Jobo craze. I used Paterson reels since they first became available in the US in the early 70's. Love at first use. I could load 35mm and 120 no problem.

I'm 63, I've had some loss of feeling in my hands. So I'm after any help I can get. I loaded 1500 series reels today, one I put 2 rolls of 120 on one reel, the other was 2 reels each with one 120 roll on each reel.
I got lazy and didn't use my little rounder, snipped a tiny bit, per Jobo's recommendation, I fought it a little but I got the first 2 films on a single reel. When I started on the 3rd film, I tried for 3 or 4 minutes. Finally got out my little tool. The film slid right on the reel. Like magic, same with the last film.

The film I was using was Kodak TMY expires May of this year. Sitting for a time may be part of the issue.

The other thing may be my wierd method of always starting with the un-taped end. This maybe the root cause. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the un-taped end is closer to the spool and probably has more of a set, (curvature) of the film.

Maybe threading the taped end in first is the answer???.

MattKing · Apr 25, 2020

mshchem said:
Maybe threading the taped end in first is the answer???.

I fold the tape over - it stiffens the leading edge, which makes loading easier for me.

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

MattKing said:
I fold the tape over - it stiffens the leading edge, which makes loading easier for me.

I will give it a try.

R.Gould · Apr 26, 2020

Never had a [roblem loading film intp any plastic reel, just run a pencil around the groves now and again and the film just slips into any plastic reel like a hot knife though butter,

hadeer · Apr 26, 2020

A dry reel is imperative. In a changing bag, I use disposable gloves, especially when temperatures are high. I store the bag inside out to get rid of any moisture after use. This also helps in avoiding fingerprints on the film.
For 35 mm reels I found that a little graphite (from a soft pencil) does wonders too, especially when the reel is old and has silver residue in the grooves. Just draw the pencil back and forth one or two times in the grooves.

koraks · Apr 26, 2020

I like the graphite lubrication tip, I'm going to give that a try one day.

I'm also in the pro-snipping camp; really made life easier especially with 120, but also 135.

Tom Kershaw · Apr 26, 2020

I'm going to try snipping the ends of my '120' film when loading the Jobo after reading this thread, as while most of the time there isn't an issue the odd film can be difficult to load smothly.

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

I have the luxury of having a permanent room set up as a darkroom. I've never had to use a changing bag. Dry reels are an absolute necessity. The graphite tip is a great idea, it is amazing how effective just a tiny bit of lubrication helps.

My issue is that the leading comes out of groove. The snipping with the little rounder helps me a lot. I'm definitely going to try Matt's suggestion of folding the tape end over, see if the Jobo reels will tolerate it.

I also think my 40 year old habit of always starting with the un-taped end is part of the issue. The taped end has to has a lot less curl, this may be very helpful?

I have really been happy with this little tool.
Best Regards Mike

Tom Kershaw · Apr 26, 2020

mshchem said:
I also think my 40 year old habit of always starting with the un-taped end is part of the issue. The taped end has to has a lot less curl, this may be very helpful?

While it would be difficult for me to have 40 years experience in the darkroom... I also tend to start with the untaped end so will have a go with this as well.

pentaxuser · Apr 26, 2020

I take it that there is no issue with snipping in daylight? I have always been worried that there is danger that the first frame is quite close and light may stray in?

Thanks

pentaxuser

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

NO DAYLIGHT SNIPPING
These little tools have a built in guide. You just push the film in.

Obviously if what you are doing is working, carry on!

The flatness and lack of snagging on the leading edge is the issue.

That and following the instructions

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

Oh yeah, if you have 35mm in the original cassette you could trim the end.

pentaxuser · Apr 26, 2020

Thanks It was just curiosity on my part. I had assumed that to be in any way accurate you had to snip in daylight, not realising that the snipper has a built in guide. Presumably after a bit of practice you can find the snipper in total darkness and feed the film in OK. Most of the time I use a Durst tank which comes with an attachment that fits on the reel through which you feed the film into the middle of the reel and push under a kind of sprung steel band. Once under the band the rest of the film winds on by turning the reel. Getting the film under the band completely straight requires a bit of concentration and "feel" but once in the rest is simple

I have loaded a Jobo reel as well with 120 and that hasn't been too bad either. A snipper, it seems, could improve things but I imagine that such things are not particularly cheap and until this thread I didn't even know such things existed

pentaxuser

Sirius Glass · Apr 26, 2020

MattKing said:
I fold the tape over - it stiffens the leading edge, which makes loading easier for me.

Y*E*S!! That is what I do two. Sometimes I have to snip corners in the untapped end.

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

OK FOLKS TEST REPORT (NOT PEER REVIEWED! !)

The way I have been loading plastic reels for the last 40 years is wrong. For some reason I always felt that the tape end should be out. I think as a kid I feared carryover with color chemistry.

1. UNSNIPPED feeding TAPED END FIRST on Jobo. No problem, slid right on, normal occasional snag but it resolved in a second.

2. SNIPPED FEEDING TAPED END FIRST on Jobo reel, WOW the taped end has so much less curl the film stays in the channels. I could hold the reel and simply push the film on. I will no longer fear trying to put two films on a single 1500 series reel. This was the easiest I've ever had a Jobo reel. I could hold the film a rotate the reel, and the film just glided on. Didn't take 20 seconds. I am done complaining about Jobo reels. These are perfect.

3 FOLDING OVER THE TAPE END. I couldn't get the taped, folded end to start or feed on a Jobo reel. HOWEVER on a PATERSON reel it works BRILLIANTLY! I started the film effortlessly onto the Paterson reel, then pulled film past the steel balls. Then the classic Paterson ratcheting, film loaded perfectly. Easiest I've ever loaded 120 onto a Paterson reel!

So thanks to this forum, I re-thought what I was doing. The curl of the taped end is so much less than the spool end that the film stays in the reel channel. It's a dramatic difference. I wasted 2 (May 2020 expir. date) rolls of TMY 2. Best money I've ever spent.

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

Pictures show corner rounder snipping. Pictures show how much more curl there is at the taped end.
Thanks for the help!
Best Regards Mike

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

mshchem said:
Pictures show corner rounder snipping. Pictures show how much more curl there is at the taped end.
Thanks for the help!
Best Regards Mike

Correction more curl in the UNTAPED END

mshchem · Apr 26, 2020

Just a FYI, I went to JoboUSA website it tells you to remove the film from the taped end, take fingernail clippers and nip 3mm off the corners, load film.

When all else fails READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Revolutionary Tool for Loading 120 on Jobo Plastic Reels

Snip?

Yes

No

mshchem

mshchem

Ariston

markbau

mshchem

MattKing

Moderator

mshchem

R.Gould

hadeer

koraks

Moderator

Tom Kershaw

mshchem

Tom Kershaw

pentaxuser

mshchem

mshchem

pentaxuser

Sirius Glass

mshchem

mshchem

mshchem

mshchem

mshchem

mshchem

mshchem

Revolutionary Tool for Loading 120 on Jobo Plastic Reels

Snip?

Yes

No

Moderator

Moderator

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