Did It!

[tommonego@gmail.com]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Developed my first roll of film in 15 years, used to have a darkroom but I don't in this house. The film looks good but maybe a little over developed, my dial thermometer may not be that accurate, couldn't find my Kodak Calibration Thermometer, may have given that away with the darkroom equipment I donate to a local school. Will have to see how the film scans. I do have a light box so I'll check them out once dried. Took time to get chemicals etc, no photostore around these parts, the one I thought still existed is doing printing only no photo equipment/chemicals. Luckily I still had my SS tanks, and Hewes reels are easy to load, much better than anything else.

[adan]

Interesting. I think I have Hewes 120 reels also - but I just grabbed them out of a mixed bin of reels and tanks at a shop 30 years ago, and had assumed for all these years that they were just a Nikor variant of some kind.

They have the little "dragon's tooth" sticking out sideways at the mouth of the spiral, the other L-shape bend(s) in the center, and the thin triangular-outline center retaining clip.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

3 hours ago, adan said:

Interesting. I think I have Hewes 120 reels also - but I just grabbed them out of a mixed bin of reels and tanks at a shop 30 years ago, and had assumed for all these years that they were just a Nikor variant of some kind.

They have the little "dragon's tooth" sticking out sideways at the mouth of the spiral, the other L-shape bend(s) in the center, and the thin triangular-outline center retaining clip.

While I was doing retinal photography on film, we would develop 20-30 rolls a day, generally 4 rolls at a time. Not all our photographers were photographically trained so we had to teach them how to load reels with film, remember this is patient testing. We found the Hewes 35mm reels were far easier to use and faster to load, due to the dragon teeth. Their one problem that new they cost around $10 each in the 1980s, they are a heavy gauge of stainless and wouldn't bend when dropped. It really helped yesterday as I hadn't loaded a reel in years, but as all things you do thousands of times, muscle memory takes over. 

[TomB_tx]

I had used Nikor reels for decades, then bought an attic trove of Leica, and he threw in his darkroom stuff - including some Hewes 35mm reels. I agree Hewes 35mm reels are easiest to load (depending on the film base characteristics). I have 120 reels of both Hewes and Nikor, and don't find much difference loading them.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

Never used a 120 Hewes, had Nikkor reels and another major brand. Stayed away from cheap reels as they were asking for trouble.

[Doug A]

One trick I have used with the 120 Hewes reel is rather than removing the tape from the end of the film I fold it over the end to stiffen the end of the film. It makes an already very good reel even easier to load, for me at least.

[tobey bilek]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I can still ride a two wheel bike and load a Nikor reel

[TomB_tx]

12 hours ago, tobey bilek said:

I can still ride a two wheel bike and load a Nikor reel

At the same time?

[Ambro51]

Ha!  My grandfather (vaudeville era) rode a unicycle while playing the banjo!

[tommonego@gmail.com]

20 minutes ago, Ambro51 said:

Ha!  My grandfather (vaudeville era) rode a unicycle while playing the banjo!

That's impressive, can't do either, though I have a banjo.