Very important new rule for me: No scissors in the changing bag You might recall a recent roll where I complained about a light leak. Ruined another one yesterday. Finally had a good look at the changing bag and gee, but there's a cut through both layers of the bag making a nice triangular hole to let light in. Argh! I can get by without scissors in there. Dagflabbit! I was going a little nuts. Is it the camera? The development tank? The bag? Bad batch of Plus X? Cosmic rays? Bad karma?
I have a bathroom I can make light tight. Where I develop. I also just happened to get in a new bag today but didn't use it. It has a sturdier inner layer. Kind of stiff, but now I know what they made it that way.
Well, the only thing I used scissors for was cutting the end of 35mm rolls. But half the time I forget to put the scissors in the bag and end up just pulling it free anyway. That's what I get for using those fancy ultra sharp scissors. I suppose what would work well is some sort of letter opener razor, where the razor is protected except for something thin being pulled through it. Or use shorter scissors? Ah, the humanity and wasted film.
Ed, I use a small pair of fingernail scissors in my bag. The blades are round at the tip (like kid scissors) so it's hard to snip a hole in anything, but the do cut through the film nicely. I'd be lost without scissors in there, because I cut the leader off square, thn I cut the film off the spool. Whenever I try just ripping it off the spool, it takes more force than I like to apply with my arms in the bag!
I cut the leader end outside the bag. I use one of those leader retrievers. I find I can detach the other end without any fuss. I'll try to find some safer scissors. The new bag is a bit scissor proof too. Even made in the US. By Harrison.
Cool catalog Ed! Next time I'm making a movie, I'll know where to get one of those clapper things: Doors and Corridors take seventeen - CLAP! Roll 'em!
Beezle, have you thought about getting some rounded tip scissors? They won't stop you cutting the bag if some fabric gets in the cutting edge, but they might stop poked cuts... Otherwise, I guess it's the Kevlar bag for you Edit: D'oh, chris already suggested it - that's what I get for skipping to the last post
At AT&T where I worked for many years they blunt the ends of all scissors to preclude accidents from happening. This is not hard to do on a grinder. Perhaps that would work for you as well.
I could try that, but this I think was a snip accident, not a poke accident. I simply cut through a fold in the bag while cutting film.
