8mm Forum: Tape or cement for unions?

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Posted by Julian Baquero (Member # 2520) on July 29, 2011, 08:42 AM:

I would like to know which is consider better and long lasting method to splice together a film, cement or tape? pros and cons?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 29, 2011, 02:36 PM:

Cement is better where cement works (acetate), tape is better where cement doesn't (polyester).

It is easier to make a good tape splice than a good cement splice, but a good cement splice is basically welding the film and is permanent as humanly possible.

Loads of people think tape is better...but I got here first!

Posted by Nick Field (Member # 2132) on July 29, 2011, 03:56 PM:

But would it be possible to splice acetate and poly together?

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on July 29, 2011, 04:04 PM:

don't think anybody's tried that, my guess it would not work?

Posted by John Davis (Member # 1184) on July 29, 2011, 04:37 PM:

You can certainly splice the two types (acetate and polyester) together with a tape splice but I'm guessing the film bases being different thicknesses will mean you have to refocus the projector at each change of base type

Posted by Julian Baquero (Member # 2520) on July 30, 2011, 06:28 PM:

Is there a way of knowing for eye inspection if a film is polyester or acetate?

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on July 30, 2011, 08:45 PM:

I've always liked tape over cement. My cement splices have always come apart for some reason and I can't quite get the hang of the scraping off the emulsion prior to splicing.

Posted by John Davis (Member # 1184) on July 31, 2011, 07:07 AM:

Julian,
my method of telling polyester apart from Acetate is to let a decent length of the film just hang off the reel; Polyester tends to have little or no curve memory and will normally hang straight down,
John

Posted by Maurizio Di Cintio (Member # 144) on July 31, 2011, 09:20 AM:

Also you can hold the side of a reel with film against a source of lught: if it's poly, it will let much more light through than acetate, and will have a whitish apparence.

Posted by Ilias Sifakis (Member # 2417) on August 01, 2011, 12:39 PM:

I know that this may sound silly, but is there any tutorial or video explaining how to do a connection with tape??

I have a couple of tape splicers that a friend gave, but I haven't actually figure out how to properly do a connection. I always get bulky and oversized connections.

I have no problems with cement splicers though...

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on August 01, 2011, 02:33 PM:

Most tape splices should not be bulky the ends should join together and the tape holds the two together some splicer’s have perforation punches which punch the holes in the tape for you or if you use the Kodak press tapes the holes are already in the tape.

Posted by Joseph Banfield (Member # 2082) on November 13, 2011, 07:46 AM:

From my experience with cement, it does not hold up in the long run and just falls apart in the projector as the splices age. Tape however, holds up very well indeed! People claim film cement actually welds the film together but give that same film a quarter turn a year or so later and it will pop right apart in your hands, which means it is indeed a very weak weld. Even scrapping both pieces of film before applying cement seems to make little difference in the final strength. There is nothing more annoying than having a film come apart during projection because of a weak cement splice.

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on November 13, 2011, 08:32 AM:

Fresh glue is important in making durable cement splices. If the glue is starting to look opaque in the bottle, it is getting old.

I use both tape and cement and have had perhaps 3-4 cement splices come apart. The rest, made from about 1977 on, run fine to this day.

For cement, I highly recommend a Hahnel or similar motorized splicer, with the burr-wheel which automatically scrapes the emulsion correctly prior to the application of glue.

Claus.

[ November 13, 2011, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Claus Harding ]

Posted by Joseph Banfield (Member # 2082) on November 14, 2011, 03:35 PM:

Claus, I just picked up one of those Hähnel motorized splicers at a flea market here in France on Sunday for a couple of Euros and must admit that I am totally intrigued by this contraption. I do use fresh cement at all times but have never been crazy about how these splices hold up in the long run as I said in a previous post. What I am crazy about with this splicer, however is how almost flat the splice is compared to any cement splicer I have ever used in the past. It is virtually the same thickness of the film itself, which can pass the film gate even easier than a tape splice! I just love the way this splicer bevels both edges of the film into an almost perfect wedge shape...I'm hoping the splices will hold that I have made with this splicer and would love to be using film cement again instead of tape!!!

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on November 14, 2011, 03:51 PM:

Joseph,

Excellent! Just make sure you have a small air blower (like a rubber bulb type) to blow the emulsion dust off the two ends of film after the scraping, before applying the cement.

Good Luck!

Claus.

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