Reels for developing
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 1:13 pm
I noticed Duncan has what looks to be the state of the art, up to the minute, reels. Dual 35mm reels are handy for doing two rolls of film at a time and it probably comes apart and makes the bottom one adjustable to 120.
Reels have been around as long as there has been film in strips. The traditional reels are steel and you load the reel by first pinning the lead end of the film to the center axis and load from the inside the reel out slightly curving the edge of the film with your fingers as you go. Works... but difficult to load in changing bag. Then there is the plastic "Kit" with the film started to the outside edge under two miniscule tabs and then by pushing under a couple of tiny ball bearings to start it. Then you would twist the outside frame wheels back and forth, about an inch at a time. and the film would load. The plastic reel adjusts to different film sizes by expansion groves in the plastic tube that is the axle between the two wheels. This too is difficult to load in a dark bag and often jambs or gets off track as the film can get out of the track during the critical early loading stage. Then.. the best one came along that looks not much different except for two critical things. The first thing is the wide thumb friendly tabs at the film entrance and the flat roof area to the critical first loading to keep the film from jumping off track is the second. No twisting and alignment problem going onto the reel which is the number one cause of aggravation. The film goes in straight and the tabs are easy to find in the dark bag by only touch.
Reels have been around as long as there has been film in strips. The traditional reels are steel and you load the reel by first pinning the lead end of the film to the center axis and load from the inside the reel out slightly curving the edge of the film with your fingers as you go. Works... but difficult to load in changing bag. Then there is the plastic "Kit" with the film started to the outside edge under two miniscule tabs and then by pushing under a couple of tiny ball bearings to start it. Then you would twist the outside frame wheels back and forth, about an inch at a time. and the film would load. The plastic reel adjusts to different film sizes by expansion groves in the plastic tube that is the axle between the two wheels. This too is difficult to load in a dark bag and often jambs or gets off track as the film can get out of the track during the critical early loading stage. Then.. the best one came along that looks not much different except for two critical things. The first thing is the wide thumb friendly tabs at the film entrance and the flat roof area to the critical first loading to keep the film from jumping off track is the second. No twisting and alignment problem going onto the reel which is the number one cause of aggravation. The film goes in straight and the tabs are easy to find in the dark bag by only touch.