Okay, I'm stuck. Loading Film...

[jjstafford]

Thanks to APUG's Mr. Luke, I have a Fuji QuickLoad, but I can hardly afford to shoot QuckLoads for my personal projects, and besides I have a lot of sheet film in the freezer.

A couple of months ago I was in an accident that mutilated fingers, thumb of my left hand, leaving the remains numb and immobile (fused and pinned). I have tried and tried and just have had no luck at all in loading 4x5 film holders. Now I'm trying to noodle out some kind of appliance to help load them one-handed, and frankly I'm feeling very stupid about it.

Any hints, ideas? In the meantime, I continue to practice in a changing bag... without luck, but still trying.

Thank you,
John J

[jd callow]

Send me the film and the film holders and I'll load them for you.

I also have an extra 10 film holders (thank you Matt Carey) and will load those up for you as well. It could get a little costly in shipping. I can take the 5 mins daily if needed. It sure as h3ll wouldn't be any skin off my teeth.

There might also be some APUGers in your area who could help. Lower shipping and faster turnaround.

Short of that teach a friend or neighbor. Frankly, I'd like to meet the person(?) who wouldn't take 5 - 10min out every day or couple days to do this.

[Ian Grant]

A clamp or vice or something simple to hold the film holder, leaving you free to use your right hand to load the film.

Have easier ideas which would take too long to write down

Ian

[User Removed]

I use one hand only, to load 4x5 and 8x10 film holders. I place the film holder on a counter with the slide part pushed against a wall, I can then take my one hand and slide the film in and then close the film holder. Its also easy to do it on your lap too.

[jd callow]

Have easier ideas which would take too long to write down

hehehe

wish granted.

[jjstafford]

[...]Have easier ideas which would take too long to write down

Ian

Someone already sent me an email saying something about "where the sun don't shine."

But thanks to all, John Callow, McPhotoX, and yourself. I have an idea now. I'll make a wooden platform to position the film-holder with the slide open just right and a lever to hold the flap open.

Really, this has been a humbling experience. Thanks very much.

[John Bartley]

Someone already sent me an email saying something about "where the sun don't shine."

But thanks to all, John Callow, McPhotoX, and yourself. I have an idea now. I'll make a wooden platform to position the film-holder with the slide open just right and a lever to hold the flap open.

Really, this has been a humbling experience. Thanks very much.

Hi John,

The folks who send private messages only to flame because they're afraid of what others might think of them aren't worth the time of day - ignore them (why am I telling you what you already know )

If you'd like some sort of holder holder built (I have a couple of ideas on how) let me know. My basement and shop are pretty well equipped for project construction and all it takes is a bit of time and a bit of material and they're both yours for the asking.

cheers from Canada eh?

[jjstafford]

Hi John,

The folks who send private messages only to flame because they're afraid of what others might think of them aren't worth the time of day - ignore them (why am I telling you what you already know )

If you'd like some sort of holder holder built (I have a couple of ideas on how) let me know. My basement and shop are pretty well equipped for project construction and all it takes is a bit of time and a bit of material and they're both yours for the asking.

cheers from Canada eh?

That's very nice of you. I do have a shop and can still work with it if I move very carefully. The irony of this is that I mauled the left hand on the table saw as I was making a right-hand grip for a person with a partially disabled left hand. Silly me.

Yes, and thanks for the Canadian cheers, eh.
--
jj in MinneSnowta

[User Removed]

You could make a flat table to lay the film holder on, and then have a ridge at one side of it to butt the top of the film holder against when you slide the film in. The ridge would only be a few centimeters high so you could slide the darkslide out over top of it.

Ryan

[Charles Webb]

Wow, like Yogi sayes "Deja Vou all over again"! Approx two months ago while making a front Packard shutter mount I managed to do the same thing
with a table saw. Now with my wallet some $8,000.00 plus flatter I am trying to resume the things I have been doing for more than 50 years but find I can't do it. I still have my left thumb, but it is useless for anything but hitch hiking. I normally held the holder in my left hand and with my thumb and forefinger guided the film in with my right. Now with a stump with no sensitivity I have had a heck of a time loading film. I will be constructing something similar to what you guys have suggested. Thanks for the input!

I really thought I was the only person in the world that could stick his hand into a construction grade power saw. I could have bought several of Jim Galli's lenses and had some left over for some film with what I donated to a couple of "pill rollers".