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View Full Version : Need cutter to cut 8X10 film into 4X10



Brian Vuillemenot
13-Nov-2004, 11:14
Hello,

Now that I have 4X10 film holders (much thanks to Sandy King and Emile DeLeon), I need to cut down some 8X10 film so that I have something to load into them. I'm looking for a paper/film cutter that will trim an 8X10 sheet into two 4X10 sheets. I don't need anything capable of cutting larger film sizes. Also, it should be able to fit into a standard sized Harrison film tent for the cutting. Any suggestions from anyone with experience in film cutting? Thanks!

Anne Williams
13-Nov-2004, 11:23
Brian,

I don't know if this will work or not, but if you look in the scrapbooking supplies area of a craft store or a store like Target you will find a small portable rotary blade paper cutter made by Fiskars that should fit in your tent without any problem. I haven't had to cut film, but I use a larger version of the same thing to cut paper in my darkroom. I just taped down a piece of paper to act as a guide at the correct size that I wanted.

William Blunt
13-Nov-2004, 11:25
Brian,
If you look under 5x7 cameras and lenses there is a thread on the second page titled 5x7 instead of 8x10 . I posted how to cut down 8x10 film to 4x10 as taught to me by Jay Dussard. Hope it helps.
Wm Blunt

Michael Kadillak
13-Nov-2004, 11:26
I would use Photo Warehouse if you had any quantity. Give them the dimensions and they will accomodate you in short order. The thought of even a minor cutting variation however skillful I felt I could be would be catastrophic. I know that some have gone down this road and have been successful, but film is another animal as compared to cutting paper under a safe light in a darkroom.

Opting for the changing tent I would use the best machine available - a Rotatrim with the proper guides. They are not cheap, but they are excellent at what they were designed for.

Don't forget your emulsion notch if you do it yourself.

Cheers!

George Stewart
13-Nov-2004, 11:32
I use the smallest Rotatrim for making my 4x10 films from 8x10. I don't recall using it in my Harrison bags, but it should fit.

Nick_3536
13-Nov-2004, 11:45
I built a setup to cut roll paper into sheets. My setup takes up some room but I'm cutting from 275foot rolls.

The cutting part could easily be adapted to cut film. I bought a paper cutter from one of the big office supply places. It was one of the cheapest they had. Just a piece of plastic that holds a replaceable blade. Looks like a ruler with a blade attachment. I attached that to a wooden board. On the board I placed two guide rails made out of wood. The rails are exactly the width of the paper I cut. In your case you'd put them 10" apart. Your setup should be easier since you're always cutting 8x10 to 4x10. I'd add a third guide that stops the film at the right spot to cut it down to 4". My setup has a moveable guide that I adjust with the lights on. Once I've got everything setup I turn off the lights. Mount the roll and pull the paper into the cutter. The two guide rails keeps the paper straight. All I need to do pull the blade forward and it cuts the paper.

I haven't tested my setup with film. I'm guessing the blade will dull quicker for you.

Brian Vuillemenot
13-Nov-2004, 11:53
Thanks for the quick responses! I'll check into the cutters next time I'm at the craft supply store. Anyone know the approximate prices of the smallest cutters made by Rotatrim and Fiskars? I'm tempted to go with the less expensive Fiskars unless there is a real difference in the quality- any comments?

Don Bryant
13-Nov-2004, 20:11
Brian,

The Fiskars will work fine. Place a strip of tape down the grid at the width setting (4 inches). You can butt the left edge of the film against the tape and the top edge along the top edge of the trimmer bed. Makes a perfect cut. Wear gloves to protect against finger prints and handle the film gently. This operation is quite easy to do in the dark.

tor kviljo
14-Nov-2004, 03:59
Hello Brian

Just a thought, if You could use a methode I found practical to get "free film": From a friend at one of Norway's aerial photography companies, I got for free som short-ends of 9 1/2" aerial film, both Agfa Aviphot pan 200 b & w as well as color pos. & infrared. Managing this stuff, cutting to usable sheet film sizes, were not the easiest I thought, but solution were near: From one of the once nearly infinite number of repro-firms around, I got a Meteor Siegen presision dispenser/cutter for up to 80cm or some wide rolls of graphic film/paper. I Used this one for cutting a large number of 8"x9 1/2 sheets of b& w and a horrifying number of 4"x 4 1/2" agfa aerochrome 200 (weired format: a friend used the other half of the 9 1/2" roll to make 5" film for his aerotechnika-roll back. The 114mm wide strip I used were the left-overs!) . The meteor sigen feeds precisely the length needed, and have a precision rotary cutter built in. Using narrow 4"x10" format (meaning the holder should work OK with the thin base aero-films), I guess You would be avble to produce a few hundred sheets from what the aerial-photo companies sees as a useless short-end of (but of very high quality) aviphot 200 or Kodak Tri-X Aerographic. The graphic-arts film dispensers/cutters are available on eby & companies selling used graphic-arts stuff: today they are worth next to nothing. I bught mine with a big roll og 20" cibachrome polyester material in it for NOK 1600,- = $$ 200, and that were about correct price today I think. By the way, the 8"x9 1/2 material works OK in standard holders, but I have taped a small piece of post-it sticky-paper with sticky side out in the middel of film holder to avpoid the thin base aero film to sag out of the holder when dark-slide is removed. Corners is cut with scissors to guide right side. Not necessary realy as the aero film is intensly smooth on base side. I sold the Meteor-Siegen after cutting what I had of film and after a periode of Epson 2100: today a friend of me continues that tradition by using it to cut Epson 24" roll-paper into sheets up to 24"x13" wide for use in his epson 2100 (Epson 2200 in US). Saves a LOT of money compared to buying pre-cut sheets... Thus - a good investmen how you sees it. In additiom to meteor-siegen, Rollma, AGFA and most producers of repro-cameras/static cameras had these unit in the system.

Anne Williams
14-Nov-2004, 07:00
The Fiskars are under $25 and the replacement blades are about $4. If you live in the US, Michaels craft stores have their Fiskars stuff on sale this week (I think 25% off). I looked on the Fiskars website and they have a number of different options and you can order directly from them if you decide to go this route. The url is http://www.fiskars.com/en_US/crafts/category.do?cat=8 (http://www.fiskars.com/en_US/crafts/category.do?cat=8)