How do you roll film on a reel?

[sanarota]

How do you roll film on a reel? I'm in photo science & I'm having big problems rolling undeveloped film on those reels. Can anyone tell me how to actually do it so it won't mess up?

[snip]

How do you roll film on a reel? I'm in photo science & I'm having big problems rolling undeveloped film on those reels. Can anyone tell me how to actually do it so it won't mess up?

There are some good videos on youtube demonstrating the process.

//Jan

[Ralph Barker]

We use sheet film to avoid the whole issue. ;)

[Allen in Montreal]

Get a scrap roll and practice on the couch until you can do it well with your eyes closed
Then go in the darkroom.

[darr]

How do you roll film on a reel? I'm in photo science & I'm having big problems rolling undeveloped film on those reels. Can anyone tell me how to actually do it so it won't mess up?


If your reels are manufactured by JOBO (http://www.jobo.com/jobo_service_analog/us_analog/instructions/instructions_load_index.htm), click for their instructions.

I roll 120/220 a lot. After a while, I got the hang of just loading the lead in and slowly pushing the rest of the film through the reel. Granted this is not how JOBO tells you how to do it, but after years of loading, this is how I have found my rolling niche. ;)

Best, Darr

[Ken Lee]

I use an affordable Infra Red viewing device (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/index.html#Monocular) in the darkroom, when handling b&w film. It's just like working in the light. You can see exactly what you are doing.

It really helps when loading 120/220 film onto reels. Even when you see, it can be a challenge !

[David Karp]

Are you using one of those stainless steel reels? I hated those, and messed up too many rolls. I switched to Jobo or Patterson plastic reels many, many years ago, and have not messed up a roll of film since. (At least not due to mistakes loading the film on the real. As for the myriad other ways to mess up . . . .)

[Louie Powell]

There are two kinds of reels, each with a different loading process. In both cases, it is helpful (if not essential) that the end of the film be cut off squarely, and that the corners of the end be clipped. I find that clipping at a fairly acute angle, so that the end of the film looks like an arrowhead with the tip cut off, is helpful.

1. For "walk in" reels - Yankee, Patterson, Jobo, etc -
Push the end of the film into the reel as far as it will go. Then, grasp the reel in front of your with both hands with the strip of film toward you. Holding the left half of the reel stationary in your left hand, rotate the right half forward. Use your right thumb to hold the film in the reel so that the rotation drags the film further into the reel. Then, holding the right half of the reel stationary in your right hand, rotate the left half forward while using your left thumb to hold the film against the left side of the reel. Repeat these two steps alternately until the film advances all the way into the reel.

2. For stainless steel reels and other reels where the two halves are fixed and do not rotate (eg, Durst) -
Gently curve the film along its length. Push the end of the strip to the center of the reel and slip it under the clip. Then, continuing to hold the film gently curved, rotate the reel, pulling the film into the spiral. I am right handed, and I hold the film with my right thumb and middle finger, and let my right index finger rest on the film inside the spiral while holding the reel in my left hand. That way, if the film starts to buckle, I can sense the distortion and make corrections. When everything works right, the film will slip naturally and smoothly between the wires of the spiral. The most common problem is that the film will hop into an adjacent groove in the spiral. One common cause for this with stainless steel reels is that the two faces are not absolutely parallel because the reel has been dropped and bent. Another cause is if the edge of the film is kinked.

Allen suggested using a scrap roll of film to practice with the lights on. That's an excellent suggestion. The idea is to do that until you train your fingers to sense when the film is not loading smoothly, and because the lights are on, you can see what the problem is and decide what kind of correction is required.

[jnantz]

after you put the edge of the film under the spring clippy thing.
curve the film with your hand . with your thumb and forefinger applying
pressure turn the reel slowly you should feel the film going around.

from time to time, push the film into the reel and if you have a little "play"
(you can feel the film moving in and out freely ) the film is seated right and not bent.

one problem people tend to have is they wind the film the wrong direction ( won't load ).


good luck!