Tape Rolls of 120mm together??

[Bryan Murray]

Does anyone know the secret to taping 2 rolls of 120mm together for developing? I've been trying this for a while and have about a 75% success rate. It's really frustrating when I can't line them up correctly. Sometimes I bend or completely destroy a roll trying to get it on the plastic reel. I'm leaning towards not trying anymore. Also i feel like touching the tape and then touching the film is probably not a good idea either. I've been leaving one piece of tape on the end and using that to attach the other roll but if you don't line it up PERFECTLY it doesn't work.
Anyone do this regularly with success?
Thanks

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I don't do this personally but it would occur to my to try taping them together while they're OFF the developing spool. Then loading them as one.

 

[RH Designs]

I've never tried taping them together but I do routinely develop two 120s on a single Paterson spiral. Load the first one and then carefully push it onto the spiral as far as it will go, then load the second. Load it until the end is just past the ball bearing. Never had a problem.

 

[ic-racer]

I'd agree with the above post. If you are using non-Jobo plastic reels, just try loading them one-at-a-time, they may be fine without overlapping. If you are using a metal 220 reel, then you'd need to tape them together to load it.

 

[alxsav]

I do it all the time. I first load the first film the normal way but I keep on winding the reel until the film goes a quarter of the reels diameter past the reels start. Then, I put the second film through the reels start and wind it until it touches the first films end. I tape them together with a small piece (around 1-1,5 cm) of electrical insulating tape. It works fine all the time. Just be sure to stick the tape well or the second film will overlap the second. It happened once but I have allready processed over 100 films that way. I am using the standard Paterson type reels.

 

[Q.G.]

I did it the way alxsav describes (ie. taping the two together when in the reel), but only for a few times.
I have been doing it the way Richard and Ic-Racer describe (i.e. no tape) for ever since (too many years to be comfortable with).

 

[Kevin Kehler]

I use Paterson reels. I take the first film off the paper so I can use the tape side as the leader (it seems to go on better) and then wind till it is about 90% on. I then take the paper off the second roll and hold the first roll in between my index finger and thumb like a groove. This allows me to line them up closely. I push the second roll close enough to tape the two together and then slowly walk it past the bearing before resuming. The only time I get kinks is when I rush and squeeze the film too much. The key seems to be lining up the rolls so they are parallel; if one side is more than about 1mm off, the bearing will jam it.

 

[sepiareverb]

Ah, plastic reels. I've never successfully loaded a metal 220 reel and was thinking you were crazy for trying this.

 

[ricksplace]

I've never tried taping them together but I do routinely develop two 120s on a single Paterson spiral. Load the first one and then carefully push it onto the spiral as far as it will go, then load the second. Load it until the end is just past the ball bearing. Never had a problem.

Me too.

 

[TimVermont]

Separate the first roll completely from the backing paper. Peel the tape from the backing paper and neatly fold the tape over the film. This stiffens the end and makes it easy to load. "Reroll" the first roll so that the untaped end is on the outside of the roll. Separate the second roll completely from the backing paper. Peel the tape from the backing paper, but leave it attached to the film. Hold the tape back with the tip of a finger. Butt both rolls together on a flat surface, smooth the tape down over the end of the first roll. Done. Takes way longer to write than do.

 

[ic-racer]

I first load the first film the normal way but I keep on winding the reel until the film goes a quarter of the reels diameter past the reels start. Then, I put the second film through the reels start and wind it until it touches the first films end. I tape them together with a small piece (around 1-1,5 cm) of electrical insulating tape..

???

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

If you're trying to process 2 rolls on 1 reel, possibly use a 120 reel and load the film with the base facing each other and the emulsion facing out. I've loaded 35mm this fashion and it works. However, you have to wash the film off the reel.

 

[Q.G.]

Separate the first roll completely from [...] Takes way longer to write than do.

And is far too complicated, because the method described above (i.e. just load one after the other) works perfectly well.

 

[Kevin Kehler]

I've never tried taping them together but I do routinely develop two 120s on a single Paterson spiral. Load the first one and then carefully push it onto the spiral as far as it will go, then load the second. Load it until the end is just past the ball bearing. Never had a problem.

I really screwed this one up tonight. I loaded the first roll but did not push it forward like it clearly states. For some reason that was perfectly clear in the dark, I said, "hey, if I just fold the tape over on the second roll, it will push the first roll along to the end" which it does. But, it also has a habit of causing the second roll to jump over a portion of the first roll as it pushes along. So I now have one roll that has undeveloped portions on the last two negatives, and one roll that has undeveloped portions on the first two negatives.

As Murphy says, if you know what you are confident in what you are doing, then you are doing it wrong.

 

[Steve Smith]

I often load two rolls togerther. The trick is getting the edges aligned perfectly and not having a gap between the two films. I use the piece of tape which is already on the fil attaching it to the backing paper.


Steve.