Why are Paterson Reels so hard to load for 120 film and so easy for 35mm?

[audin]

I also have the opposite experience. 120 is awesome on a paterson reel. 35mm ALWAYS ends up jamming on those stupid ball bearings. The Jobo reels are a total piece of cake comparatively. I've honestly never figured out how someone decided the bearings were the right solution. It really reeks of 'if we use this method we can patent it!' to me...thought have no idea if they actually patented it.

That all said I love the overall Paterson tank. I just don't use it for 35mm.

 

[toolbox]

I've noticed that some Patterson reels are easier to load than others...I've got a "favorite" that I've been using forever that's easy to load. I don't shoot much 35mm, but 120 has always been easy to stuff on it. I don't even use the ratchet action...I just push it in, uncurling it in my hand as I go. Only takes a few minutes start to finish. I load reels sitting on the ledge of my bathtub...I just stuff a towel at the base of the door to keep the light out, and it works fine. I like having lots of room to work in there. I've always had a pair of scissors in there with me to cut the tape off the end...something you guys might not want to do in total darkness LOL.

 

[Trond]

There is no need to tape two rolls of 120 film together to load them in to a single Paterson reel.

True, but taping guarantees that the films do not overlap on the reel. How can one make sure that they do not overlap without taping the films together?

Trond

 

[j_landecker]

When the first roll is past the ball bearings, I slide it by hand until I feel it hit the end of the spiral groove. When the second roll is loaded, just be careful not to push it any farther on the spiral and there will be no overlap. The film won't move during developing. I've done hundreds of rolls this way.

 

[Dave in Kansas]

I use the Patterson tank and like others usually trim the sharp corners off the leading edge of 120 film and also bend the film backwards to remove some of the curl. I also experienced problems trying to load film in a changing bag back before I had air-conditioning when it was hot and humidity was high. It's so much easier to do in a darkened bathroom or darkroom, especially if they are air-conditioned.

Like others, I find loading a 36 exposure roll of 35mm more challenging than a 24 exposure roll. Mine tend to get hard to feed the last 8 to 10 inches of film on a roll of 36.

Dave

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Yep. I have had your problems, and the reels and film have to be 100% dry, or they won't work well. Sometimes a little bit of water gets trapped with the little metal ball that prevents the film from sliding backwards out of the reel, gets on the film, and it sticks as the film gets closer to the center of the reel.

120 film is usually thinner in the film base than 35mm film, and it's also wider, so when it sticks to the reel it flexes more and kinks easier. In return, 35mm film strips are usually longer than a 120 film, which makes it difficult to load in its own right, but I also thought that 120 took more patience than 35mm using the Paterson plastic reels.

All my problems were solved when I got myself some Hewes stainless steel reels and stainless steel tanks. They can even be damp, and it won't matter one bit. This is great in environments of high humidity.

Good luck, and have fun developing film.

Wow, so many great tips!. I think my main problem may have been the humidity that built up quickly inside the changing bag. After 1-2 minutes, it felt like I was working inside a sweaty rain poncho. The reels were new and totally dry, and loaded fast in an open air-conditioned room. I had the open film reel looped around my left little finger, and was pulling the leading edge into the reel with my right hand. This worked great in the open, but was a disaster inside the bag as the film stuck to my hand and wouldn't roll onto the reel. Needless to say, last night, I was "very angry", like the Marvin the Martian cartoon. My wife was laughing at me fumbling inside the changing bag. Since it was Mother's Day, I had to be nice and not say what I was thinking!

Today, I will try again in a dark, air-conditioned closet and use the wealth of advice offered here. My daughter gets home from College this week. She is an Art/Photography major in college in North Carolina. I bought her a used Hasselblad 500C/M on apug classified, (in great shape- thanks, illumiquest!). The 2 wasted rolls were my first trial rolls with the Hassy, but I'm not giving up easily! She will be really surprised when she gets home!

Kent

 

[mooseontheloose]

Well, I move around a lot and have never had a dedicated darkroom so my film is always changed in a changing bag -- I bought the biggest one I could find which helps a lot. I also live in Japan which is very hot and humid in the summer, which means getting the film on the reel as quickly as possible as it is important to avoid sweaty hands. I mostly shoot 120, I only use Hewes steel reels, and once my hands are in the bag I can get the film unspooled and loaded on the reel and into the tank in less than a minute.

I think what most people are saying here is that they figured out a way to make their film/reel combo work for them -- whether it's knowing how smoothly the film should feel when going on the reel, or the curve of the film as it gets clipped to the steel reel, whether or not to keep the tape on the film, etc. It may take a few wasted rolls or kinks in the film, but once you have it, you'll be set.

 

[BardParker]

SUCCESS!

Last evening I tried spooling 120 film on my new Paterson reel, but this time used a dark, air-conditioned closet. I was able to spool the reel in about 1 minute! Clipped the corners, gave it slight backward bends to straighten out the film curl, and it spooled on the reel in no time. Thanks, apuger's for all the great tips! I guess if I have to use a changing bag in the future, I will put a large box inside to keep the fabric from collapsing around the film. But for now, will stick with the dark closet, at least for 120 film.

Kent

 

[markbarendt]

Yea!

There are "changing rooms" and tents.

 

[Wade D]

Glad you got it done successfully. I forgot to mention one trick for using a changing bag, even with 35mm. Roll up a clean, absorbent, lint free towel and put it inside the back of the changing bag. It really keeps the humidity down while loading the reels. I used that method when I was between darkrooms and on the road for loading film holders.

 

[norm123]

I don't have problem to load with 35 mm or 120 format with Paterson tanks.

But I did in the past with 120 format because I tried to do it like 35 mm, I mean to turn wheels to engage further the film...but there are no holes for the 120 format so, you just push the film gently inch by inch until it'done.