Re: Bulk loading HIE for 35mm cameras? -Reply

[Wayde Allen <allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 7 May 1997 BIELECKJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> I just finished loading several 70mm cassettes of Kodak Aerochrome II 2443 
> Color IR film and will be loading 70mm B&W IR film in a few days.  Kodak, 
> in their data sheets, makes it quite clear that all loading and unloading 
> must be in absolute darkness.  To be safe, I loaded our color IR in a 
> darkroom late at night to minimize ANY chance of exposure to light.  
> While the use of a Alden 70mm loader simplified the process quite a bit, it 
> still took a considerable amount of time to load the bulk roll (100') in 
> the loader and then into the 70mm cassettes (remember, I'm doing this 
> totally in the dark and by "feel" alone).

I've a stupid question I guess, but why are you using the Alden loader
when working in total darkness?  I realize the film needs to be handled in
total darkness, but the only reason I can see for using the loader is for
daylight work.  Working in the dark with a daylight loader seems like an
unecessary complication. 

I've loaded film in total darkness by simply making tape marks on the
darkroom counter top.  The distance between the marks is the length of
film you want to put in the film cartridge, and you simply spool this much
film off of the bulk roll, measure it by feeling the marks, cut it, and
roll it onto the cartridge spool.  This works fine for 35mm film.  Perhaps
70mm cartridges are harder to load?

One change I would make to my original technique is to use a film drying
clip or something similar to hold the free end of the bulk roll.  This
would free up a hand, and make holding the bulk roll, measuring, and
cutting a bit easier. 


> I seriously doubt that you could 
> easily "split" this stuff down the middle and then load the film into 35mm 
> cartridges.  I'm not saying it's impossible, but I question it's 
> practicality.

I imagine you could use a mechanism similar to what is used for 8mm movie
film.  8mm film is actually 16mm film that is run through the camera one
way exposing half of the roll, flipped over and run back through the
camera to expose the other half, developed, and then split into two 8mm
strips. The splitters that I've seen in old catalogs look like a block
with a razor blade in the middle.  However, this is something usually done
with the lights on I think.  I've never tried it. 

It might be possible to build a splitter, and run a leader out through the
light trap of a bulk loader to get things started. You could make sure
things are threaded right this way, and prevent cutting yourself in the
dark.  Then turn off the lights, open the light trap, and split the whole
bulk roll in a single session.  The first few feet of the film would of
course be fogged, and would be discarded.  If you actually try this, I'd
like to know if it works. 

Hope this helps.  I have no idea how practical or workable this might be.

- - Wayde
  (allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  To remove yourself from this list, send:          *
*         UNSUBSCRIBE INFRARED                       *
*       to                                           *
*         MAJORDOMO@xxxxx                            *
*----------------------------------------------------*
*   For the IR-FAQ, IR-Gallery and heaps of links:   *
*  http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm  *
******************************************************

------------------------------

End of Infrared-Digest V0 #2
****************************