Testing film

[John Mackey]

Is there a way to cut off about 100 feet of film off of a 400ft roll so that I can test it in a Bolex?

[Charles MacDonald]

yes.

 

Same way you would use if you were breaking the roll down to fit a bolex.

 

IN the darkroom, run the roll on a rewind, (normally in a split reel to prevent it from unwinding.) Spool off as much film as you want to another rewind. A 100ft spool will work here. You can rest your thumb on the flange to judge when you have a full spool.

 

Cut the film and return it to the can, then REWIND the 100 ft spool onto another 100ft spool. You can put that in a box, or right into the camera. Be sure the (now 300ft) roll is bagged and sealed, and mark it as a 300ft short end.

 

I often use this process to break ends down to fit my Filmo, although in that case I run the whole roll onto a vintage 400ft spool, and rewind that on to 100 ft spools. I use the 400ft spool to reduce the risk of accidental exposure.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Charles MacDonald