Rollin' your own

[JCJackson]

I have acquired a Watson 100 Bulk Film Loader. On the whole, it looks like a simple device for which an intuitive grasp of operation is possible. But my comfort level would increase if I had the actual instructions. Does anyone out there know of link to such a document? The part that puzzles me a bit is whether you are supposed to drag about 3" of film through the closed light trap to get the cassette started. There probably are a few other bits of information that could spare me some wasted film...

 

[Anscojohn]

Yes. You drag the film through the light trap. Make sure the bulk film container is rotated to the proper position. I forget whether it is "open" or "closed." You attach the film to the spool with tape (I use blue paper tape), assemble the cartridge, put the cover back on the cartridge chamber; rotate the bulk film container; then wind off the number of frames. If you do the taping and assembling in the dark, you can avoid the fogged frames at the end of your roll. I have not used a loader for more than forty years, so my memory may be a bit faulty. I bulk load, though, but do it in the dark without a loader.

 

[fotch]

Just sent it to you via email.

 

[Marc .]

Hello JCJackson,

I have just emailed you scans of the original manual.
Keep rollin'.

Marc

 

[michaelbsc]

May I have a copy of the manual too

Will one of you kind souls send me a copy?

 

[Sirius Glass]

IIRC Zig Zag paper works really well!

Opps! Wrong forum!​

I am so embarrassed!​

...


...​

I "won" a B&J bulk loader as part of a larger purchase on eBay. It looks a lot like a Watson that I had years ago. I have not used it. I am debating how much I would use it. I was shooting about 50 rolls of C-41 a year. Then I added another Nikon and that added about 25 rolls of Tri-X. But now that I am also shooting 120 in C-41 and Black & White with three 120 cameras, I wish that the bulk loader could handle 120 film.

Steve

 

[Marc .]

Michael,

I have just emailed the scans of the original manual to you.

Marc

 

[mablo]

I bulk load, though, but do it in the dark without a loader.

Anscojohn, could you please explain how do you do that? I have a couple of very nice reloadable metal cartridges (Canon proprietary but I quess similar to the Leica cartridges) which don't fit in to my loader. I'd like to use these cartridges but I don't know how I should proceed with loading?

 

[JCJackson]

Done.

 

[Anscojohn]

Anscojohn, could you please explain how do you do that? I have a couple of very nice reloadable metal cartridges (Canon proprietary but I quess similar to the Leica cartridges) which don't fit in to my loader. I'd like to use these cartridges but I don't know how I should proceed with loading?

***********
Hi Mablo,

Those cartridges should last forever.

I ASSuME you have a camera which opens the cartridge when you lock the camera back.

I have two push pins on the edge of my dry side darkroom work surface to measure the length I need. In the dark, I unreel the film I need for a single roll and cut it off. I put the master roll back in the container, but without the paper/plastic bag until I am finished
I keep my cartridge parts arrayed on the work surface in a definite order so I can find them in the dark. My blue tape is cut and stuck by little bit on the work surface edge so I can find them easily.
I tape the end of the film (emulsion to the core of the spool). Then I assemble the cassette and wind the film into it by holding the assembled cassette with the light trap fcing away from my body and by winding the spool towards me.
I support the film an inch or so from the cassette light trap with my finger so it goes straight in and so I can feel the end when I get to it.
It is not a whole lot more complicated than opening a film cassette and putting the film on a reel for developing.
I have a large coffee can full of old Agfa, Fuji, and Ilford cassettes made in the days when those companies did not peg the end cap to the spool ala Kodak began in the early 1960s and which they all seem to do now.

Hope this helps.

 

[mablo]

Hi Anscojohn,

Thank you very much for your advice. The loading procedure is much more clear to me now. I'm going to need some practising though.

I have a rangefinder body (Canon IV-Sb) that opens the Canon film cartridge when you lock the bottom part of the body. These metal cartridges are really like small technical wonders. It's a shame they are no longer produced.