HELP 120 dev
- Thread starter david1701
- Start date
- Messages
- 12,294
- Name
- Brian
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Hi guys,
I just tried to dev a roll of 120 today I spent an hour and in the end put the light on, what is the secret to getting it on the spool ARGH using plastic ones for a patterson tank and am v grumpy
David
practice?....mind you, I haven't tried everyone so maybe some are easy than others...now you have ruined a film practice with the light on. I use a changing bag.
- Messages
- 9,277
- Edit My Images
- No
The secret is a very clean and very dry reel.
Steve.
Steve.
joxby
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 8,782
- Name
- John
- Edit My Images
- No
Hi guys,
I just tried to dev a roll of 120 today I spent an hour and in the end put the light on, what is the secret to getting it on the spool ARGH using plastic ones for a patterson tank and am v grumpy
David
We've all been there, right now you can't imagine getting one on the spool, and even if you did by some miracle, you can't imagine having to go through this abomnation every time you want to develop a roll....
Honestly, you do get the hang of it, just persevere.
120 is harder than 35mm, there is much more lateral flexing in the wider format, but once you get it started, its just a question of feeding it round steady like, if it gets jammed take it off count to ten and start again.
Personally, the ball bearing method where by you twist the wheels in opposite directions and it spools itself, never really works with 120, I hold the film loose in one hand and feed it on manually, its getting it started that sometimes is a pain..
OP
david1701
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 10,870
- Name
- David
- Edit My Images
- No
I always wash up when I finish so I'll make sure I use a fresh one thats good and dry, might have been using one that had just been washed today
Personally, the ball bearing method where by you twist the wheels in opposite directions and it spools itself, never really works with 120, I hold the film loose in one hand and feed it on manually, its getting it started that sometimes is a pain..
hmmm so I need a metal spool for that? or do I just push it past the ball bearings?
joxby
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 8,782
- Name
- John
- Edit My Images
- No
No, its the same plastic spool with ball bearings, I just hold the spool in one hand and feed the film on with the other, you have to push it a bit, you will also be touching the film surface too so gently with clean dry hands and nothing sharp.
Don't forget to round the corners of the end you intend to feed on to the spool.
Don't forget to round the corners of the end you intend to feed on to the spool.
TheBigYin
Moderator
- Messages
- 16,982
- Name
- Mark
- Edit My Images
- No
the ball bearings only really work with the sprocket holes in 35mm film to be honest. Just push the film in same as you would with 35mm, but instead of winding the sides of the reel back and forth, gently push the film towards the reel and it'll go in there. It's just getting the balance between holding the film securely enough to push it in, without pressing too hard and curving the film so it pop's out of the the spirals.
OP
david1701
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 10,870
- Name
- David
- Edit My Images
- No
Parfec, rounded off as in cut the edges with scissors?
Can't really cut up spools as they aren't strictly speaking mine
- Messages
- 26,617
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Parfec, rounded off as in cut the edges with scissors?
Can't really cut up spools as they aren't strictly speaking mine
Just get a pair of scissors and round off the sharp corners of the film so there's less likelihood of them getting snagged in the spiral.
120 film can be a b****r for anyone. It's worth wasting a film just to keep one for practising loading the spiral. As said, make sure the spiral is completey dry. An old trick is to run the tip of a lead pencil around the insides of the spirals which is supposed to give a slight lubrication and aid loading.
ekimeno
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 2,659
- Name
- Mike
- Edit My Images
- Yes
A dark room will be an easier environment to do the rolling as opposed to a dark bag. I use the latter and it's a pain when your hands start to get sweaty - if this is what you're doing, just take your hands out of the bag for a few minutes and then give it another go. Before you know it, it will take under 30-seconds to get a roll of 120 on a spiral
donut
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 3,088
- Edit My Images
- No
make sure you have the plastic spools set to do 120 ,,,the first one i did , i uffed 'n'puffed for ages ,couldnt get the film on ,,,put film in black pot for safe keeping ,went out into the light then found the spools hadnt opened up the the right size ,,but had locked into place ,,,,unlocked spool ,,opened up a bit more then locked it ,,,,film went on no trouble ,,just a thought .
That's really important! The other issue with the Paterson reel is that the little ball bearings can get stuck in their "ramps". A lovely idea, that Paterson has used for decades, but doesn't always quite work, especially in 120. Modern film bases also seem more flexible (thinner?) than those of yore.
Sometimes cutting a slight bevel in the film corners can help, but try this with your now wrecked film first!
John
The secret is, unlike 35mm film it is better to not try to push the film in but to pull it in. I made a plastic clamp slightly less than the width of the film fitted on the end of the film to stop it buckling. Then just pull the film in to the spool.