How to cut a 500’ roll of bulk film? Anyone with experience?

[Memento Mori]

I just acquired a 500’ roll of Tech Pan. I’m very excited. Question is: has anyone here bought bulk (4x5) and cut it into sheets? Any problems you can warn me about? Any tips? Did it end up being difficult to work with due to the curl?
Also, I’ll find out of course, but in case someone knows…is the emulsion on the “inside” or outside, of the curl?
So far the plan is to acquire an old cast iron paper cutter (they’re cheap, rigid, and cut a clean 90), bolt it to my shop table, add a stop 4” from the blade at the same height, wear lint free gloves, slide/chop/slide/chop…in the dark. Insert into empty film boxes, etc.

Anyone have any empty 4x5 film boxes they could send me? ;+)

[jnantz]

I just acquired a 500’ roll of Tech Pan. I’m very excited. Question is: has anyone here bought bulk (4x5) and cut it into sheets? Any problems you can warn me about? Any tips? Did it end up being difficult to work with due to the curl?
Also, I’ll find out of course, but in case someone knows…is the emulsion on the “inside” or outside, of the curl?
So far the plan is to acquire an old cast iron paper cutter (they’re cheap, rigid, and cut a clean 90), bolt it to my shop table, add a stop 4” from the blade at the same height, wear lint free gloves, slide/chop/slide/chop…in the dark. Insert into empty film boxes, etc.

Anyone have any empty 4x5 film boxes they could send me? ;+)

I haven't bought that exact film but I have bought aero film stored in a mountain cave from MRFOTO1 back in the day and cut it down... it can be tricky if you don't have a jig set up. dont' forget film isn't really 4x5 inches it's a little smaller all around. you might get a handheld paper hole punch to give yourself a notch code it's a bummer trying to figure out which end is up in the dark.

[Memento Mori]

" it can be tricky if you don't have a jig set up. dont' forget film isn't really 4x5 inches it's a little smaller all around. you might get a handheld paper hole punch to give yourself a notch code it's a bummer trying to figure out which end is up in the dark.[/QUOTE]

Ah yes, great point about the hole punch/notch code. I might've forgot all about that. Thank you.
As for the dimensions... Ugh, I guess I'll be checking my last developed negatives for exact numbers.
Since this roll claims 5" on the label and there weren't massive cameras running anything near that, I'm hoping this roll has the exact same width as whatever the 5" dimension is.
I will be very disappointed if I have to cut both sides on every frame🥴
I got a good price for it though, makes the headache worth it either way. Very very cheap per frame.
The seller also has a giant roll of 5" panatomic x, I think... That I'll try and buy as well. I'm a bit spent out at the moment though. We'll see. If I can, and rig up a convenient jig, I could resell a lot and cover my cost. I'll post when and if. Cheers

[jnantz]

Ah yes, great point about the hole punch/notch code. I might've forgot all about that. Thank you.
As for the dimensions... Ugh, I guess I'll be checking my last developed negatives for exact numbers.
Since this roll claims 5" on the label and there weren't massive cameras running anything near that, I'm hoping this roll has the exact same width as whatever the 5" dimension is.
I will be very disappointed if I have to cut both sides on every frame��
I got a good price for it though, makes the headache worth it either way. Very very cheap per frame.
The seller also has a giant roll of 5" panatomic x, I think... That I'll try and buy as well. I'm a bit spent out at the moment though. We'll see. If I can, and rig up a convenient jig, I could resell a lot and cover my cost. I'll post when and if. Cheers

yea I think it's 1/16th inch difference on all edges it's easy enough to measure. it might have been for an aerial camera, and that 5" is really 5" ... like the red sensitive pan atomic x you probably saw.. the same stuff I bought 20 years ago! it'll be an adventure at least . if it is a pain to trim off the edge look for a kid's IR goggle kit sold at toy stores some people like using those to see in the dark to do this sort of thing, or you might consider making a panoramic box camera . I think the photographer's formulary sells a kit for the special developer people used to get pictorial images with that film shot at slow speeds, tech pan is fun stuff, I love shooting it at iso200 and developing it in print developer to get extreme grainless contrast ..
have fun!

[Carol C]

I assume you have a film tent I use to roll my own 35mm and 120mm tech pan in the film tent. I have a rolling machine that fit inside the film tent. it use to be my favorite film. I don't know if they made 4x5 film cutting roller. might check it out maybe they did and you can find a used one.

[Alan Townsend]

I just acquired a 500’ roll of Tech Pan. I’m very excited. Question is: has anyone here bought bulk (4x5) and cut it into sheets? Any problems you can warn me about? Any tips? Did it end up being difficult to work with due to the curl?
Also, I’ll find out of course, but in case someone knows…is the emulsion on the “inside” or outside, of the curl?
So far the plan is to acquire an old cast iron paper cutter (they’re cheap, rigid, and cut a clean 90), bolt it to my shop table, add a stop 4” from the blade at the same height, wear lint free gloves, slide/chop/slide/chop…in the dark. Insert into empty film boxes, etc.

Anyone have any empty 4x5 film boxes they could send me? ;+)

It's likely aerial camera film, not a bulk loading film. It's on a very thin stock which will make it slip out of the film holders. Put a piece of construction paper, cut to just under 4x5 to make up the space and provide a non slipper surface that will help keep the film from flipping out of the holders. You will not need to cut the 5 inch width, but will need to cut pieces roughly 3.9 inches wide to fit cut film holders. I would not cut the film and put in boxes, but just cut it and put in the empty film holders you have. This way, you will not confuse the emulsion side.

Many years ago (1968-70) I did this quite a bit, but got tired of it and just bought sheet film, which wasn't so expensive back then. As a low speed film, hopefully it will not have too much fog or other technical issues. I had a K2 aerial camera that I used it in, which broke, so I got a speed graphic. The thin film stock and curl make it hard to handle, especially hard to hold flat in an enlarger film holder without using glass, which I always kinda hated. For scanning, it will also be hard to hold flat, I would think.

Good luck, have fun with it,

Alan Townsend

[Memento Mori]

Thanks Alan,for the comment and experience. I’ll find out soon. First, I’m just going to open the Kodak can (it’s a factory sealed black plastic tub so no light has gotten in there) and just cut off a foot or so to play with. Obviously in complete darkness.
Someone mentioned using kids “night vision” goggles, the ones with battery powered infrared lights etc. I’m afraid that being panchromatic film it might get fogged or exposed just by the goggles. After I cut off the foot, put the roll back in the tub, I’ll wear the goggles and give the foot a good dose, develop and see. Depends on what wavelength the goggles use.

It would sure be nice to be able to see what I’m doing.
After that comes everything you mentioned.

I sure hope it’s worth all the headache. TP on eBay is stupid pricey these days. If I can get it all sorted…I’m set, for pennies a frame. I also have access to similar rolls of Panatomic X, so I’m determined to make it work.

Unfortunately I’m stuck far away from my home and equipment for weeks (cancer treatment). Cross your fingers for me on both fronts!

[Alan Townsend]

Thanks Alan,for the comment and experience. I’ll find out soon. First, I’m just going to open the Kodak can (it’s a factory sealed black plastic tub so no light has gotten in there) and just cut off a foot or so to play with. Obviously in complete darkness.
Someone mentioned using kids “night vision” goggles, the ones with battery powered infrared lights etc. I’m afraid that being panchromatic film it might get fogged or exposed just by the goggles. After I cut off the foot, put the roll back in the tub, I’ll wear the goggles and give the foot a good dose, develop and see. Depends on what wavelength the goggles use.

It would sure be nice to be able to see what I’m doing.
After that comes everything you mentioned.

I sure hope it’s worth all the headache. TP on eBay is stupid pricey these days. If I can get it all sorted…I’m set, for pennies a frame. I also have access to similar rolls of Panatomic X, so I’m determined to make it work.

Unfortunately I’m stuck far away from my home and equipment for weeks (cancer treatment). Cross your fingers for me on both fronts!

Mem,

I wonder how you will process this film. Tech Pan is a lot like a panchromatic version of ortho-litho film. It's very high contrast, and used a special developer, I believe the POTA formula very similar. One early exerperiment will be to develop some without exposure, to see how much fog there will be, not sure how good POTA is with high fog, not sure if there will be much fog. Very likely, depending on film age. Then testing for film speed, which is likely to be less now than when fresh.

I would just cut off a few feet, and play with it in the daylight to see how hard it is to cut and get into film holders, or film hangers in the case of after cutting it. The curl will not be as bad at the the beginning of the roll as it will be at the end due to the diameter of the roll. With bad curl that I remember, you have to push down on the center of the film just before the film is fully inserted, to get it to go under the final horizontal guide. The film rolls I had years ago were Tri-x 320 x50 ft. I believe, and were pretty small diameter rolls, like mayby 2-3 inches, but were only about 10 years post expiration dates. At that time, I could get either double-x or tri-x rolls from a surplus mail order company in New York for only a couple of dollars. They were difficult to load in film holders and in film hangars for processing. That was when I first used a Doran style cut film tank that holds 12 4x5 sheets. That loaded easily since the film was curled in the right direction, but requires very diluted chemicals for processing and likely would not work well for tech pan.

Today I use cut down fuji hru green xray film for 4x5 that costs about 11 cents per sheet and a little ortho-litho as well costing 20 cents per sheet, but would gladly tried some of that old aerial film if I could find it. I'm not trying to discourage you at all, just sharing fond memories. I likely had more trouble with the curling due to the much smaller rolls than you will.

Have fun with it,

Alan Townsend

[Memento Mori]

The experiments await!
Thanks again for the anecdotes.
As for development, I’ll be using Pyrocat HD, semi stand…my fave.
Good tip about processing a frame for fog check. I wouldn’t have thought of that.

[jnantz]

The experiments await!
Thanks again for the anecdotes.
As for development, I’ll be using Pyrocat HD, semi stand…my fave.
Good tip about processing a frame for fog check. I wouldn’t have thought of that.

I've never used pyrocatHD, but this is the stuff the formulary sells for that's made for tech pan and shooting it pictorially
it's based on the original Kodak formula and made by William Troop https://stores.photoformulary.com/td...pan-developer/
from what I remember from people who were addicted to this film, it needs to be developed using constant agitation ...
good luck with your treatments!
John