Perfix-Tape for 8mm film?

[Jack Link]

Hello,
I am collecting 8mm and Super 8 films for many years now and I have always wondered if perforation repair tape (like perfix or cinecare) ever existed for the 8mm formats.
Now and then I would have good use for it but I never managed to find any (16mm and 35mm no problem - but 8mm / Super 8 never).
Currently I am doing perforation repairs using a CIR Catozzo splicer. But its very hard to do for longer sections of perforation damage (if at all) and very tricky NOT to cover the picture area but the perforations only.
Does anyone here from the dedicated collectors know if perforation repair tape ever existed for the 8mm formats?
Or -even better- if there is still someone manufacturing it?

Thank you very much for any input
all the best
Jack

[Maurice Leakey]

I can't say it ever existed, but I can say I've never seen a Super 8 film repaired with it.

Maurice

[Joseph Banfield]

As Maurice said, I've never seen anything like that either for regular or Super 8 film, nor have I ever read about it. I would say it probably does not, nor ever did exist. The format is just too small would be my guess.

[Maurice Leakey]

Perfix tape was largely used by 16mm film libraries who had received prints back from a hirer containing some form of perforation damage whilst out on hire. Most people did not (legally) own 16mm features, so there were many film libraries in existence. Hence the need for Perfix repairing tape.

However, most collectors owned 8mm and Super 8 films so there there were much fewer libraries for these gauges. So it seems that Perfix didn't consider that such sales would be worthwhile to manufacture tapes for these gauges. Also, if they had, what a tremendous fiddle to handle such a narrow tape.

I worked for 50 years as a cinema projectionist and never saw any 35mm prints repaired with Perfix tape.


Maurice

[Joseph Banfield]

What Maurice said is spot on and to the point. But what I would add is that with 8mm film if you increase the edge thickness by adding a two-sided layer of tape to fix the perf damage you're going to get some pretty bad focusing issues during the time all that repair tape is running through the gate, especially when using very fast lenses where focus becomes critical. Just my thoughts.

[Maurice Leakey]

.......if you increase the edge thickness by adding a two-sided layer of tape to fix the perf damage.......

Most 16mm films that I have seen had Perfix tape only affixed to one side of the film.


Maurice

[Jack Link]

Thank you very much for your thoughts and Information.
I have applied the CIR tape to one side of the film only to do small perforation repair.
So I never had any focusing issues.
In theory someone who manufactures / perforates film could make such a perforated strip of tape.

All the best
Jack

[Jim Schrader]

Kodak presstapes are very strong for this purpose the tape will not tear like the cir tape will.

[Adrian Winchester]

Kodak presstapes are very strong for this purpose the tape will not tear like the cir tape will.

Jim - I was going to mention Presstapes but I wondered about the strength. Can they even fill the gap if there's sprocket damage, and would you apply them to both sides? Have you ever cut the edge off, to use it like sprocket repair tape? (Jack - if you're not familiar with Presstapes, they are 7 frames in length and they can be applied to both sides of a film. They are unusual in having small sprocket hole sized cut outs, so they extend all round sprocket holes. They used to be manufactured by Kodak Here are some photographed on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRESSTAPES...kAAOSwsnVdyXce

[Jim Schrader]

If you have a cir splicer that presses holes into the tape you can always try to use the non perforated part