8mm Forum: Which is Better?

This is topic Which is Better? in forum 16mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Scott Mallory (Member # 2393) on October 07, 2011, 10:50 PM:

Which is better for storing a print on and as a take-up reel-plastic or metal? Can the metal scratch the film when it sometimes makes that awful scraping noise?

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on October 08, 2011, 10:52 AM:

Hi Scott,

My favorite choice for storing 16mm prints are in fiber cases that can be stored upright on a shelf close to the screening room with the labels out. I have many in cans and in cases, those are harder to store do to weight, size, and for support, those I store closer to the ground and on shelves with many slats (to prevent from rolling off). I put a label on the side of the can to be able to read the title easily.

I prefer plastic reels to eliminate weight but, the projector is built to handle the capacity size reel anyway. If there is scraping on the metal reel, I usually add a little alcohol and mineral oil to a Pec Pad and wipe the edge of the reel on both sides to deter friction (which may scratch the film). If the reel is terribly warped, it's better to replace it in my opinion, than to risk damage to the print.

Posted by Simon Wyss (Member # 1569) on October 09, 2011, 12:05 PM:

Keep all metal away from film.

Metals can act as catalysts for accelerated chemical decomposition. Best is wood, then plastic, organic composites that eventually absorb acids and or fumes leaving film. Molecular sieves are therefore put into cans, available from Eastman Kodak, for instance.

Steel reels can become rusty, and rust is very abrasive. It must not be trapped in convolutions. The steel covering tin is very active as catalyst. Lacquered or anodized aluminum is less harmful. Check with a magnet if steel or alum.

On the other hand, plastic canisters should not close too tightly. Air-seal enclosure is not good.

Store film horizontally at +4 to +5 degrees Celsius or at least below 20 degrees and in dry air.

Posted by Scott Mallory (Member # 2393) on October 10, 2011, 01:33 PM:

Thanks for the great information guys.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on October 10, 2011, 06:02 PM:

I have films on both plastic and metal reels. My preference would be a plastic reel in good condition but plastic seems more prone to compression. At least with metal you can bend it away from the film, whilst with plastic it's more difficult to rectify. When it comes to take up reels, I don't think you can't beat the 2000' Eiki auto reels.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on October 11, 2011, 05:17 AM:

Adrian. I tend to favour the usual Cecolite 'Made in England' reels YAY! With features I pack thick card between reels so that the spools dont slop about inside the boxes. If a film is less than 1600ft on a large reel I put a card spacer around the outside to stop the reels bending out of shape and always store boxes on end. Done so for years and works a treat at least for me.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on October 12, 2011, 02:08 AM:

This is one of those fun, yet no easy answer, questions where there is NO definitive answer....The only pure answer would be a straight reel is the best reel.... Both metal and plastic have there benefits.. As Adrian said the metal reels are easiest to alter and bend away from scraping the film if you notice a problem during a screening...

It often baffles me that most collectors avoid the best solution to this like the plague...which is a split reel, and cores...... the majority of archives store their films on plastic cores and then use only one or two perfectly maintained split reels for projection. This way you get the best of both worlds.... A nice sturdy metal reel for projecting and then you remove the metal for storage...

Another thing to remember is in regards to stacking

Cores - horizontal
reels - Vertical

that way you won't damage film or reels.

Final note since it was brought up....I would actually advise against wood shelving for the following reason... I once had an air conditioning malfunction that occurred unnoticed over a weekend..It caused a moist and humid environment to form, which actually caused a mold outbreak..The thing that made it worse was the wood shelves.. As the air continued to circulate the mold went airborne and landed and spread quite rapidly throughout the wood, and then the films... A good industrial metal shelving is always going to be better than wood.

Posted by Scott Mallory (Member # 2393) on October 12, 2011, 11:47 AM:

Thanks for all the tips everybody.

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