Two 35mm films on dev tank reel?

[Cluster]

I have a couple of questions that keep niggling me about use of my Paterson Super System 4 developing tank.... Perhaps someone can help?

Two related things... How much film can fit onto the reel?
And.... Is there a reliable way to join one length of film on the reel to the next, ready to load that?

At the moment, I might dev two shorter lengths on one reel by getting the first fully loaded and against the end of the spiral. If there's no chance of overlap, I generally get away with this.
I wondered if one reel could take 2x 24 exposure rolls (with trimmed leaders). I don't have that much spare film to try this.

 

[Barney]

I would have thought that this is problematical, the bearing that pick up the film and feed it in would be on the second strip and the first would not be pushed out of the way I suppose you could tape two sections of film together to get over that I dont know the footage able to get into the reel.

Why not use two reels?

If your patient you can pick up a double tank for a tenner.

 

[Cluster]

Yes, I have a single tank and a double tank. I may have an opportunity to organise a "mechanical/crap camera" film comp/event for my photographic club that might result in a dozen 24exp films to be developed. If two 24 exp films will fit onto one reel, my job becomes easier. Getting them professionally processed is an option at around £14 ea for dev & scan, but will be inexpensive for me to dev and others to scan.
I have found that simply taping films together is not reliable. ...... If the reel will not take 2x24 rolls, then it's a moot point.

 

[Kevin Allan]

I've never tried this but I have found that even 36 exposures can be fiddly to get onto a reel, so when bulk loading I have loaded just 30 exposures to make it easier.

 

[Cluster]

I've never tried this but I have found that even 36 exposures can be fiddly to get onto a reel, so when bulk loading I have loaded just 30 exposures to make it easier.

That's a good point. I too have found some films to be reluctant to get onto the reel. It may be a non-runner, especially when I am dealing with someone else's film.

I remembered that i have a big roll of bits of film, some quite long that came from tests etc that went wrong and the film wasn't worth cutting and putting into sleeves. I loaded a length and then slotted another onto the end and carried on loading. It became difficult to get it to go to the end of the spiral, and it stopped short. There was a little capacity left, and the total film length was 180cm...... so in theory it might take two x 24 exp rolls, but it may/will be difficult or at least unreliable to try it.

Thanks for your help, seems it's not a great idea for the kit that I use.

EDIT: another option, if I were confident that the reel will take two rolls, is to load one and then push it along the spiral to the end stop, then load another (hoping that it won't meet the first).

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

That's a good point. I too have found some films to be reluctant to get onto the reel.

Keep the reels in an airing cupboard and most loading problems go away. The white nylon reels are very good used this way.

It may be a non-runner, especially when I am dealing with someone else's film.

Two reels, set to take 35mm film, go into a standard Paterson tank. Obviously, you need to use more chemistry but this is the most reliable way of developing two films at once, in my experience.

 

[Cluster]

I've had a go at this, making up a length of (developed, scrap) film to 112cm (approx 28 frames x 40mm) and loading it onto the reel to the end of the spiral, marking the end on the outer plastic. The film then backed off to the start of the spiral, the new "end" of the film is further on than the mark I left, so some film would be overlapped if two x 24exp rolls were loaded.