Fidelity Elite 8x10 Holder Issue

[Cletus]

I know there's been a lot of discussion about these here, but the ultra precise and 'Google-like' LFF search engine doesnt seem to turn this up...

I bought a couple 8x10 FE film holders recently from Fleabay. They are in excellent condition and look like new, even on close examination, and I'm having a problem with one of them. I shoot HP5+ and can't get the sheet to slide all the way into (both sides) of one of the holders without a LOT of fussing and fighting. It's like the little tracks on the sides that the film slips into tighten up about 2/3 of the way down and the sheet hangs up at this point.

Now I know it sounds obvious that the holder is warped, but here's what I can't get: I've taken several measurements with feeler gauges down the tracks and both seem consistent all the way down, about 0.005-6 on both sides. A careful examination with a straightedge looks nothing amiss, or warped looking, where I'm able to inspect with it anyway. And last, when I try to load an unexposed, developed negative (an earlier whoops turned into a darkroom tool and template), the negative slips right in without the slightest resistance. So does the darkslide. ???

I am truly puzzled by this and have no idea what correction I might make to "straighten this out", so to speak. I'm sure it's some kind of bend in the holder, but certainly nothing I can see or measure and I'm stumped.

The fact that a developed negative goes in without the least problem really has me going. Is there that much difference in thickness twixt an unexposed sheet and a processed negative? A new sheet really sticks hard and is very difficult to load.

Somebody please tell me you've seen this before and have a really handy test, or fix for whatever this insidious problem is!

Thanks,
- Frustrated

[Doremus Scudder]

I'd imagine your problem has more to do with the maximum width of the holder than with the depth of the tracks. It's easy to get "crossed up" a little when loading in the dark, and then the film will bind because one of the leading corners is digging in. I'll bet that if your load your developed neg with your eyes closed a time or two, you'll find the same problem. The solution should be just to wiggle the sheet from side-to-side a bit to eliminate the bind.

Hope this helps,

Doremus

[Cletus]

I don't necessarily disagree with this thought, but this is a repaetable problem with this holder only and I have no trouble at all with any of my others. And the jam occurs 2/3 or so of the way into the slot, which to me eliminates the corner catching theory.

I'm pretty sure the holder is slightly bent, or warped in some way, I just can't for the life of me understand how or where it's bent.

[Ari]

Maybe something is caught in the groove, and you haven't yet been able to see it..

[Jim C.]

Pretty odd problem if a developed neg will slide in, but not a undeveloped one,
have you tried sliding your feeler gauge down the film channels to see if there is
some sort of intermittent tang that might hold you up ?
The dark slide shouldn't matter since rides in it's own groove.

[lenser]

Just for grins, try taking a sheet of 4x5 (yes 4x5) and push it up against the inside of the channel on each side while you try to slide it all the way down each of those tracks. Pushing it against the inner edge of the channel with the leverage you will have from the 4x5, may engage whatever is catching the 8x10 sheets and might definitively establish which side is the problem.

I don't know if there is any difference in dimension between processed and unprocessed sheets of 8x10, but there is the slight possibility that loading in the light, instead of the dark, might actually give you a different handling technique since you are watching instead of feeling. Using a 4x5 sheet as described would eliminate that possibility since you won't be working with a possible torquing of the larger sheet of film.

[cowanw]

I usually clip some of the corners of my films, to help me identify which film, lighting, lens etc. Anyway the tiny 45 degree nip helps things slide in.

[Leigh]

I've taken several measurements with feeler gauges down the tracks and both seem consistent all the way down, about 0.005-6 on both sides.

That's unreasonably thin, or there's an error in the measurement. Have you measured other holders?

Ilford b&w film is on a .007" (175μm) base, while Fuji color film is on a .008" (205μm) base.

- Leigh

[Cletus]

Leigh -

I've remeasured the holder with a feeler gauge - more carefully this time - and I think I see the problem. Still strange though. The groove is about 0.009-.010 until I get about two-thirds of the way down on both sides, except where the film is sticking. There it tightens to about 0.007. It's on both grooves on both sides of this holder. Looks like that's why I'm hanging up in there, but I'll be damned if I can understand what the problem is. I guess the holder is bent somehow, just can't see how!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Wedge a piece of sand paper under the grove and file it back a bit. I did that with an older holder. Works fine now.