24cm X 76 meters of Agfa Aviphot 200 has arrived

[Daniel Unkefer]

Film Cutting and Loading Area 5 inch Aero 2402 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Popdoc,

I'm about ready to start cutting my big roll Aviphot into 18x24cm sheets. I have successfully cut 5" roll Plus-X Aero 2402, Fuji HRU XRAY, and Kodak Mammo film, into 4x5 and 5x7 sheets using my big Rototrim cutter in the dark. I use an old formica table for film cutting and loading. I use an exposed sheet of film of the size I want to load to set up the cutter, I use the blue painters tape to carefully set up a bench stop. So far it has worked in the dark OK, but I'm considering other methods. I just asked Jim Galli so I'll report here what he says. I just bought this Dahle Vantage 18e Paper Trimmer on Amazon, so I'll also give this a go.

Reading -this- post is what convinced me to try the new Dahle cutter:

"The winner was the Dahle 18e guillotine ($60 on amazon). This is a cheap cutter and mine needed some adjustment when I got it. I loosened the screws for the top rail and squared it with the blade and I sharpened the blade with a stone to remove the paint that was on it. This cutter won out because of two features: it has a soft rubber foot that comes down with the blade to hold the work in place while cutting. You don't need to use your fingers. The foot does not scratch film and it will cut the full 17" without the film wandering. The second feature is that the bed is metal. This allows me to put a drafting triangle on the bed and hold it down with magnets to create an easily movable stop. I adjust the stop position with a piece of commercial film for reference."

I'm also just getting going cutting the Aviphot 24cm. I'll report more results here, test results will be forthcoming.

[Daniel Unkefer]

OK Jim Galli responded to me, he uses a Fiskars Cutting Board Rotary Cutter 12 Inch Tabletop. There was one on Ebay, I grabbed it for $18 plus shipping. Might need a new blade, I think they make different types? Anyway appears a little hard to find, not much on Amazon. He says after you try it a hundred times or so you get pretty good at it

So now I will have a couple of new film cutters to try, in addition to my Roto-trim

[koraks]

I use the blue painters tape to carefully set up a bench stop.

For what it's worth, on my Dahle rotary trimmer, which happens to have a steel baseplate (your newly acquired Dahle has one, too) I use magnetic strips to make a stop. It's very easy to move around but stays put when necessary, and they're about 1mm thick so make a nice 'bump' to slide the film or paper against. Like so:

It's the red strips I'm talking about.

I use it mainly for cutting RA4 paper to size, but I've used the same approach for sheet film as well. Works very well.

[popdoc]

All great tips, TYVM!

As the source supply is a somewhat heavy roll of film, how do you support it?

Also, my roll of film is 9.5 inches wide. I’d like to cut it to 8 x 10. Do you have a suggestion as to which way to cut what first dimensionally?

Has anyone used any form of infrared viewing system to make this safer and easier?

Thanks again!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[koraks]

I built a very basic rig/frame of scrap pieces of wood and I clamp it to the worktop with heavy-duty spring-loaded clamps. The frame has a spindle mounted on it that I can slide out, put the roll on and slide back into the frame. So the roll ends up on a spindle that is held by two vertical posts, basically. It's a very basic/crude affair, but gets the job done.

[Daniel Unkefer]

I asked Jim Galli how he cuts his:

"Same way. I use a rototrim type cutter. For 8X10 I roll out the l0" and make a cut then do the 8" trim and load. There has to be stops taped in place for the film to come against of course in the dark. I use a cheap little Fiskars desktop trimmer like this one. A 12" long exactly ruler fits between the 2 edges tightly at the 7 7/8" (for the 8" cut) and for the 10" my fingernails can click in the dark against the detents past the ruler so I know where to make that cut. After a few hundred it gets very easy."

[Daniel Unkefer]

I built a very basic rig/frame of scrap pieces of wood and I clamp it to the worktop with heavy-duty spring-loaded clamps. The frame has a spindle mounted on it that I can slide out, put the roll on and slide back into the frame. So the roll ends up on a spindle that is held by two vertical posts, basically. It's a very basic/crude affair, but gets the job done.

Hi Great Idea? Can you post a picture of that, I'm having trouble envisoning it. Sounds like something more I need to cobble up

[koraks]

I'll try to remember Daniel! It's in storage, easily accessible, but not a closet I use often, otherwise I would have included one already

[Daniel Unkefer]

OK Thanks. I appreciate it.

[popdoc]

Hey Dan!
How did cutting the roll of Aviphot go?