I have used both, SS is easier to clean up, but I found that the plastic is easlier to load film on.
Jeff
Jeff
I'm with you on that Frank. I have 25 year old tanks that look just like my new ones, and all I've ever done is rinse them with hot water when I'm finished. My plastic reels, only look old, but they were old when I got them(1960's Yankee Clipper) Maybe its just the new stuff thats fussy. I have some new plastics, but have yet to use them.Maybe I'm missing something here. Why are the stainless steel tanks easier to clean than the plastic ones? Once you're done processing, rinse either off with warm water and you're done. What's the big deal?
You need to twist the reel to "unlock" it. Depending on the reel, it could be clockwise, or counter clockwise. Once you unlock it, you can adjust width and it will have a guide for 120. Some reels also support 127, so take care to select the correct setting. Twist the reel again to lock it to the new width and that's all.
Thats the one place where I am the most diligent about cleanliness. I run my darkroom as though it were a cleanroom in a semiconductor facility.I'll tell you, Rick. I have at least 2 dozen plastic reels and about 7 plastic tanks. All but a few were picked up used, most were rescued from the trash. Some look old, and are. A few I bought new. They're all the same. Rinse 'em off when you're done and they're good to go. Use a hair dryer on the reels if you need to put them back into service quickly. Yes, if you let the chemistry dry on them they can be a bitch to clean. The same can be said for the stainless steel reels. Being lazy about cleanliness is not consistent with good darkroom practice though, is it?
Hold the plastic reel in your left hand with it facing you. Place your right hand on the reel facing you, and twist your right hand clockwise while twisting left hand anti-clockwise. Both the Patterson and the Arista(generic) work the same. It may help if you try to push your hands together while twisting.Finally i bought Steel Tank and Reel, and also 2 plastic tanks and reels, but i don't know how to change that plastic reel from 35mm format to 120 format, i don't want to break it, any help please?
You must put a gentle arch in the film so it slides inside past the spirals to engage the holding clip. Then as you turn the reel, you allow the film to relax from the arch ( so it flattens) into the space in the spiral, and follows the spiral from inside to out. This is much harder to explain than to do. Use a roll of spent or otherwise used roll of film to practice with. Years age, some companies made a film loader for SS reels, a short prearched metal piece that you pushed film through into the reel. I have an old Durst reel loader that has that feature plus a crank handle for the reel that self loads film, its a simple contraption, works though.Another question, how to load film on stainless steel reel? I tried that but it seems like impossible, plastic reel was much much easier to load film.
You must put a gentle arch in the film so it slides inside past the spirals to engage the holding clip. Then as you turn the reel, you allow the film to relax from the arch ( so it flattens) into the space in the spiral, and follows the spiral from inside to out. This is much harder to explain than to do. Use a roll of spent or otherwise used roll of film to practice with. Years age, some companies made a film loader for SS reels, a short prearched metal piece that you pushed film through into the reel. I have an old Durst reel loader that has that feature plus a crank handle for the reel that self loads film, its a simple contraption, works though.
Rick
You can put a plastic reel in a SS tank if it fits, but why? Once a plastic is brought to temp. it tends to stay there better than a metal tank. I place my steel tanks in warming bath through entire process, dont need to with plastic.
Rick
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