16mm print - spool to reel

[Guest Dan Thompson]

Hi, I've had some 16mm processed and I always struggle with getting the film print off the bobbin onto a reel for projection.

 

Am I right in saying that you need to use rewind arms to do this easily and correctly?

 

Also, is there mass shortage of small (400') projection reels in the UK? I can't seem to find any, anywhere!

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Dan

[Guest Dan Thompson]

bump - anyone?

 

I've managed to get hold of some reels. Still stumped about transferring the film from the spool to the reels though.

[Ian Cooper]

There were some 16mm spools on EBay recently, although they don't seem to crop up all that often.

 

You can get new ones from Philip Rigby in the UK. They stock a wide range of spools and cans - including daylight loading spools. Afraid I haven't got the price list with me at work though.

 

As for transferring from core to reel, a set of rewind arms would be the 'proper' way of going about it, but the new price of those is a little steep for my budget. I have a piece of wood (painted to avoid dust) which has two brass posts sticking up on which the daylight spools can spin. I then have an adapter which will slide in the centre of a film core so that will also drop on one of the posts.

 

I'll put an empty spool on the post first, followed by the core of film (the spool provided support for the film). My spool can then go on the other post. It might not be as quick or convenient as proper rewind arms, but it's a fraction of the cost and has enabled me to respool numerous 400ft cores of film down to 100ft spools for my camera. With care you can also wind film onto cores as well.

[Will Montgomery]

Guessing you mean reversal film...

 

You can try the lab you use. They might have 16mm projection reels lying around and could wind it over to one for you. I know my local lab has a room full of film junk from yesteryear and plenty of projection reels laying around.

 

Otherwise, look on eBay. Here's one place...

 

http://stores.ebay.com/Hollywood-Film-Reel-movie-16mm-35mm

[Charles MacDonald]

Hi, I've had some 16mm processed and I always struggle with getting the film print off the bobbin onto a reel for projection.

If you can find a "split reel" it would make it easy. The split reel comes appart into two halfs and uses the "bobbin" (Core) as it's center. You can just put the film in the split reel and use your projector to wind it off on a regular reel. In fact of the Print is right way out, you normaly can just project it from the split reel, (just make sure that the tail is not attched to the core with tape) and rewind to a regular reel when the show is over.