Film Reel question

[heshanj]

hi guys.
ive been using my AP Compact developing tank + plastic reels for a few months now, and its been fine

lately however ive noticed that its getting a bit difficult to load the reels i.e. when turning the reel, the film tends to stick a bit, and sometimes i have to redo it a couple of times. and even then, i feel like i might damage the film (although nothing happened yet)

i always rinse the reels clean with warm water after developing etc, and dry - im pretty careful with them, to avoid this situation but seems like it happened anyway.. ive not used them more than 10-15 times, i'd say

is this normal, or is there anything i can do to remedy it?

and if not, and i have to replace the reels, will Paterson reels work with AP Compact tank? i seem to recall that they will fit, but not sure. the store im trying to buy from (maco direct) only has Jobo and Paterson Auto Load reels - im pretty sure they are supposed to fit my AP tank but i'd like confirmation! haha

Thanks!

 

[kgston]

Check if your reels have silver deposits on the reel grooves.. they look like black deposits.. you can clean it manually (read: tedious and not perfect) or wash it off in a bath of permangenate bleach followed by a reducing bath to clear the reel of the bleach..

 

[heshanj]

thanks kgston - i'll check that out.

can anyone confirm if Paterson Auto Load (super system 4?) reels will fit my AP compact tank? coz im making an order tonight on maco direct and would like to add this on if i feel its necessary! im not really the DIY type to find permangenate bleach and stuff so i think if my reels have this sort of problem i'll try buying a couple of new ones. haha

 

[crispy12]

Are your film reels bone dry when you load them? They become much harder to load if not completely dry. If I'm developing a few batches, I use a hair dryer to speed up the drying. Usually dry enough after 30secs of hair dryer.

From what I've seen, Paterson and AP reels are same. Haven't tried putting them in AP tank tho.

 

[heshanj]

thanks crispy - ur absolutely right, even if the reel is slightly damp its very hard to load too.. but no, even when bone dry its a bit tight to go through. maybe i'll check mine to see if there's any silver residue that i can see (in daylight, cant see clearly at night!) - and try again. if not i'll try getting a pair of Paterson reels and hope they fit

i read on one shopping site that AP compact reels can be used in Paterson tanks, so im hoping the reverse is true also hahah

 

[heshanj]

just checked my reels. dont see any residue at all. and just tried loading it with a test roll of film that i have...worked quite well. weird. haha. guess im not buying replacement reels just yet. and i'll be more careful and wash the reels more carefully! haha

 

[paapoopa]

yaa, thats a common thing actually,
and sometimes it helps to cut rounded corners of the head of the film before feeding into the reel, becos i realise alot of times the corners gets bended while reeling which causes the stuck.

i personally feel AP reel is easiler to load 120 films as compare to the paterson ones.

 

[pikapig]

I 2nd papoopa...sometimes u just cant make a full turn on the reel...just load it slower will do.

 

[RubbishBin1987]

Check if your reels have silver deposits on the reel grooves.. they look like black deposits.. you can clean it manually (read: tedious and not perfect) or wash it off in a bath of permangenate bleach followed by a reducing bath to clear the reel of the bleach..

I think the bath goes by the name call clearing bath.

Anyway kgston, I tried calling your number recently, but cannot get through.

 

[crispy12]

Yah the rounded corners works but I found it too tedious to cut in dark bag lol. I found that they jam easily if there's a dog ear on the film. I don't have much patience. I found that as long as I cut them parallel they don't get jammed.

Just load slowly lah... haha

 

[kgston]

I think the bath goes by the name call clearing bath.

Anyway kgston, I tried calling your number recently, but cannot get through.

Yupp, clearing bath is the common term

I'm currently overseas and my place has no mobile reception, drop me a message over whatsapp or email me at Kingston@planarp.com

 

[sweat100]

By the way, did you use the reels with wetting agent? If you do, it may also be a cause as wetting agent will cause the reels to be sticky overtime.