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Bone_Idle
Mr Maybe


Reged: 28/07/2006
Posts: 1836
Loc: Bradford
Retrieving film from canister to develop.
      #735036 - 27/11/2008 23:42

What's the best way to get at the film? Do I need a special tool or is there an easy way to prise the canister open and get the film?

--------------------
Thanks

Nick


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SUNSHINE



Reged: 11/03/2001
Posts: 1485
Loc: Seaside Resort, Humber Area. (...
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Bone_Idle]
      #735037 - 27/11/2008 23:52

You can purchase and use a leader retriever, You can check your camera manual to see if you can set it so it doesn't fully retract the leader, you can attach some double~sided tape to some thin card (about an inch wide ~ poke it in the light trap and try to catch the end of the film on the exposed sticky surface) OR..................
you can (only in the dark!!) either remove the end of the canister with a bottle opener or similar tool, or you can (carefully) stick a screwdriver into the light trap and rip it open

--------------------
All this time, and still only IRIPN!


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beejaybee
Marvin


Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 6282
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: SUNSHINE]
      #735043 - 28/11/2008 00:28

Quote:

you can (only in the dark!!) either remove the end of the canister with a bottle opener or similar tool,



That's what I do (in the changing bag, pre-loaded with the disassembled dev tank & spiral).

They used to sell a special tool for levering off the end caps of the cassette, but I found it was just as easy to use a medium size flat blade screwdriver. Squeeze the light trap and there is a gap into which it is easy to slip the blade, one quick twist & the end cap is off. Then pull the spool & film out of the open can, cut off the half width leader (it's a nuisance with Paterson spirals) & load the spiral. Tear off the inside end of the film from the spool when you come to it, but SLOWLY as rapid tearing of glue can cause phosphoresence which can fog the film! Spiral onto centre, into tank (the right way up), lid on, job done.


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Intermanaut
Limpest Biscuit


Reged: 13/12/2007
Posts: 526
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: beejaybee]
      #735069 - 28/11/2008 09:18

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=99049 (£3.99 delivered)

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=5977 (£5.99 delivered)

I've got the second one.


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Wheelu
addict


Reged: 31/10/2007
Posts: 566
Loc: UK, up North
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Bone_Idle]
      #735078 - 28/11/2008 09:33

The Ilford cassette opener is still available for sale. Google for it. It's a bit like a bottle opener. I used to prise the cassettes open using a knife, but the cassette opener is a tad safer and easier

--------------------
Web Site


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zx9
Pooh-Bah


Reged: 22/06/2007
Posts: 1867
Loc: London
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Intermanaut]
      #735098 - 28/11/2008 10:16

Quote:

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=99049 (£3.99 delivered)






And I have / had the first one takes a bit of getting used to. I bought mine after watching a mini-lab operator use one to recover leaders before tapeing them to the plastic card that used to pull film through the processor. With practice it can be used in a split second.

--------------------
Regards,
ZX9 (Keith Hudson)

My Flickr


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BenchistaModerator
Which Tyler


Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 42211
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Wheelu]
      #735100 - 28/11/2008 10:24

Quote:

The Ilford cassette opener is still available for sale. Google for it. It's a bit like a bottle opener. I used to prise the cassettes open using a knife, but the cassette opener is a tad safer and easier



I've got one of those, but what I use is a Swiss Army knife - the bottle opener works perfectly, and I then trim the leader with the scissors.

--------------------
Nick

www.nbrphoto.com

Light and Shade II - the new blog


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Intermanaut
Limpest Biscuit


Reged: 13/12/2007
Posts: 526
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Benchista]
      #735105 - 28/11/2008 10:37

Any bottle opener would do, wouldn't it? The benefit of the leader retriever is that you don't have to do it in the dark, though.

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BenchistaModerator
Which Tyler


Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 42211
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Intermanaut]
      #735109 - 28/11/2008 11:00

No, but you run an increased risk of scratching the film by pulling it through the light trap (grit gatherer) again.

--------------------
Nick

www.nbrphoto.com

Light and Shade II - the new blog


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Intermanaut
Limpest Biscuit


Reged: 13/12/2007
Posts: 526
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Benchista]
      #735111 - 28/11/2008 11:03

Quote:

No, but you run an increased risk of scratching the film by pulling it through the light trap (grit gatherer) again.



Grit gatherer? I don't let grit anywhere near the canister in the first place, and have never scratched a film in the three years I've been processing my own. I'm reasonably confident that Ilford doesn't put grit in the canister on my behalf.

Is the risk the same as that of having someone's eye out with a stick, or an angry swan breaking your arm?


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taxor



Reged: 09/07/2004
Posts: 730
Loc: Lancaster, UK
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Intermanaut]
      #735350 - 28/11/2008 21:55

I prefer loading the spiral direct from the casette. I've never had a problem with scratching yet.

--------------------
"I wanna hold your gland". Lemming & McCartney


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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian


Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 4854
Loc: East Yorkshire,
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: taxor]
      #735445 - 29/11/2008 11:36

As I always used a proper darkroom,I tapped the cassette on a work surface to open it, or sometimes squeezed the sides of the cassette to realease one end plate.

--------------------
She (Avro Vulcan XH558) Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.


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Damien DemolderModerator
Obi-Tharg-Koala


Reged: 22/08/2001
Posts: 1655
Loc: Essex born and badly-bred
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Gordon_McGeachie]
      #735626 - 30/11/2008 00:20

I agree that opening the cassette with a bottle opener is the cleanest and quickest option. If, though, you want to retrieve a leader rip a 1in strip off an old glossy print and give the glossy side a good licking so it is properly damp. Feed it gloss side down (facing the core) into the cassette and wind it in by turning the spool. Once it is being pulled in you've 'hooked' the film, so just pull it out again to see the leader wiggling like a trout on the end of it.

It can take a couple of goes, but its cheaper and more sporting than buying a proper leader retriever.

--------------------
.
See my photographs at www.wordsonpictures.com
.


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BenchistaModerator
Which Tyler


Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 42211
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Gordon_McGeachie]
      #735936 - 01/12/2008 09:02

Quote:

As I always used a proper darkroom,I tapped the cassette on a work surface to open it, or sometimes squeezed the sides of the cassette to realease one end plate.




Yes, I've done that, but it never worked on those Kodak cassettes with crimped ends.

--------------------
Nick

www.nbrphoto.com

Light and Shade II - the new blog


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BenchistaModerator
Which Tyler


Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 42211
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Intermanaut]
      #735939 - 01/12/2008 09:06

Quote:

Quote:

No, but you run an increased risk of scratching the film by pulling it through the light trap (grit gatherer) again.



Grit gatherer? I don't let grit anywhere near the canister in the first place, and have never scratched a film in the three years I've been processing my own. I'm reasonably confident that Ilford doesn't put grit in the canister on my behalf.

Is the risk the same as that of having someone's eye out with a stick, or an angry swan breaking your arm?




It's risk enough, and in my mind, a completely pointless risk - perhaps over only three years you've not seen it, but believe me, it can happen. I've never seen the logic of doing it that way, given that if you leave the leader out you've got another set of controls to follow to ensure you don't reload a used film into the camera... that's two potential risks against none doing it the other way, so for me it's a no-brainer. YMMV.

--------------------
Nick

www.nbrphoto.com

Light and Shade II - the new blog


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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian


Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 4854
Loc: East Yorkshire,
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Benchista]
      #736069 - 01/12/2008 12:20

Quote:

Quote:

As I always used a proper darkroom,I tapped the cassette on a work surface to open it, or sometimes squeezed the sides of the cassette to realease one end plate.




Yes, I've done that, but it never worked on those Kodak cassettes with crimped ends.





I only used Ilford FP4 and HP5.....................

--------------------
She (Avro Vulcan XH558) Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.


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Wheelu
addict


Reged: 31/10/2007
Posts: 566
Loc: UK, up North
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Gordon_McGeachie]
      #736086 - 01/12/2008 12:34

I seem to recall that Ilford cassettes used to be much easier to open and indeed to re-use, but maybe that's just me looking at the past through rose tinted specs!

--------------------
Web Site


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spinno
Curmudgeonly Fellow


Reged: 07/02/2007
Posts: 4710
Loc: Meat and Fish
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Wheelu]
      #736091 - 01/12/2008 12:43

I used to use the back end of a spoon...

--------------------
David
-----------------------------------------------
I may not have been the best manager in football but I was in the top one -Brian Clough OBE..old big 'ead


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BenchistaModerator
Which Tyler


Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 42211
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Gordon_McGeachie]
      #736099 - 01/12/2008 13:01

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

As I always used a proper darkroom,I tapped the cassette on a work surface to open it, or sometimes squeezed the sides of the cassette to realease one end plate.




Yes, I've done that, but it never worked on those Kodak cassettes with crimped ends.





I only used Ilford FP4 and HP5.....................




It was colour slide I used Kodak for - after they discontinued Verichrome Pan in 620, anyway...

--------------------
Nick

www.nbrphoto.com

Light and Shade II - the new blog


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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian


Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 4854
Loc: East Yorkshire,
Re: Retrieving film from canister to develop. [Re: Benchista]
      #736234 - 01/12/2008 17:25

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

As I always used a proper darkroom,I tapped the cassette on a work surface to open it, or sometimes squeezed the sides of the cassette to realease one end plate.




Yes, I've done that, but it never worked on those Kodak cassettes with crimped ends.





I only used Ilford FP4 and HP5.....................




It was colour slide I used Kodak for - after they discontinued Verichrome Pan in 620, anyway...





Ah , right, with you now.........I always sent my slides away, but did dabble in cibachrome prints though when i got them back...........but thats another story

--------------------
She (Avro Vulcan XH558) Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.


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