Bulk film.

[davecatt861]

I've been given a roll of bulk b&w film, 25' in fact, but being a newbie I don't know how to load it onto a spool. I'm keeping it in the fridge with the rest of my film, that's as far as I've got. Any help much appreciated.

 

[DNH]

I haven't used bulk film for years, but when I did I used a Watson Bulk film loader. See this video from Youtube showing one in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ya2jLQlC4

Unless you have a darkroom your really need a film changing bag to load the bulk film into it. For cassettes I used Jessops plastic ones. Imagine you may be able to find something similar on ebay still. I think there are even DX barcode stickers you can get for the cassettes.

 

[Strappy]

I've just put a 100' roll of HP5 into my loader, it's not as tricky as you might think but I'd consider sacrificing a roll of Poundland film or similar to practice it before trying it in a changing bag. My loader came with a roll of something already in it so I used that to work out how it was done.

Turns out it was nowhere near as tricky as I thought it might be, must be the practice I've had trying to load film spools

I got some reusable cartridges from ebay, though if you develop your own films then you could recycle those cartridges instead. When you cut the film after loading the spool, try to leave a 5mm or so tail of film, then you can tape your bulk film to that and wind it back into the cartridge. Seems to have worked alright tonight, proof of that will follow (hopefully!).

A re-used cartridge has the benefit of already having a DX code but you'd have to match it to the film you're loading. I've stuck my roll into my FE2 and that's a manual ISO setting so it's immaterial.

 

[davecatt861]

Thanks for the replies, especially the you tube link, I'll give it a go when I get a loader from flea bay.

Dave

 

[tikkathreebarrel]

Dave,

you need to get the bulk roll into the loader in complete dark. Whatever suits you best, working under a coat on your lap or in a blacked out room, practice the process of opening the loader, putting the bits down, opening the can of bulk film, getting it out of the sealed black plastic bag, putting it into the loader the right way round, feeding the end through the slot, taping the end down so it doesn't roll itself back onto the roll, refitting the lid/cover to the loader and congratulating yourself.

Then it's practising the same approach to getting film onto spools. I did my first using the "coat on the lap" technique much to the amusement of my wife but these days work in room light.

Strappy's advice is good. Buy a £1 roll of something and dismantle it.