Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi John, There is a really easy way of loading these reels (assuming we ARE talking 35mm here....) You can start the film off in daylight. There is no need to take the film out of the cassette. 1. Cut off the film leader, nick the corners of the film at 45 degrees (it seems to help the film slide into the spiral). 2. Pull out enough film to enable the film to be pushed into the spiral, just past the ball-bearings. 3. Turn off the lights and feed the fim into the spiral - I find that pulling out a small amount of film from the cassette and then pushing it into the spiral works well. One other thing that can help is to make sure that the spirals are spotlessly clean AND dry - I use an old hairdryer to make sure - it's also great for drying RC prints. Works nearly every time! Hope it helps and good luck! Regards Mark Pope Swindon, Wilts UK http://www.monomagic.co.uk - ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Collier" <jbcollier@home.com> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: 03 May 2001 20:08 Subject: [Leica] Loading Patterson reels OT > In which the author revels just how ignorant he is. > > As you all know I have been doing my own B&W processing this last little > while and I have appreciated all the advice from this list. I have had, > however, one nagging problem with loading my Patterson reels (my apologies > to all you who feel this is heresy). Finally I loaded the darn things in the > light with a practice roll. My problem was, other than the obvious, with > loading the reel and having the film curling against the curvature of the > reel channels. Now that I have started loading with the film curling in the > same direction as the curvature of the reel it is slick and fast. > > I hesitated posting this for obvious reasons but maybe someone out there was > dropped on their heads as often as I was in my youth. > > John Collier >