By Elwyn Davies Area 3.

I started to process my own films many years ago, just after the war. In those days Pathe were supplying process payed films and firms such as Bauchet and Gaevart would supply tins of three rolls of 30ft lengths, none processed payed. I made a small drum, which was then painted with acid resisting paint. The films were of course black & white and most of the chemicals for processing would be purchased from the local chemist.

Some years later when the Russian OMO tank became available I started to process 9.5 Ferraniacolor. I used to buy 1000ft rolls and cut down to 50ft. As you know doubt know the tank was intended for 8mm, 16mm & 35mm, but by inserting plastic washers it is possible to widen the spirals from 8mm to 9.5mm. Ferrania was a really nice film and colour stability excellent.

I`m a member of "Group Ninefive" and every year the committee organise a Get Together. There are dealer stalls, a bring and buy and film show. Last year I was lucky enough to get a Bolex H9 camera for £60, its a camera I`d wanted for many years, but it did need some attention by a camera repairer. Previously at one of the stalls I had another OMO cine tank and now I have two.

Group Ninefive used to sell film until a couple of years ago, it is still available from France but processing is slow and one can wait months for a film to be returned. There is a need for a good processing service in this country when perhaps some of those who have given up filming in despair, would, if the film were again available, gladly polish up their old cameras and start filming again.

When Ferraniacolor became unavailable I started to build myself a slitter and a perforator. I`m no engineer but the purchase of a small Unimat model maker`s lathe spurred me on. It`s taken me a very long time indeed to get the perforator working as it is now. I started by slitting 16mm video news film, Ektachrome 7242 and Fuji RT100. Attempts to process using the E4 process were a failure which led me to apply for membership of the Colour Reversal Club. I wrote to Oliver barron for chemicals, I hadn`t a clue what I wanted but with his help and avid reading of the Newsletters, I started experimenting with various formulae.

I never did get satisfactory results with these earlier films but had much better results with Ektachrome 7240 and Fuji RT125. I still have some 7240 left but haven`t mixed any chemicals for some time now. The speed of these films at 125 ASA is a disadvantage and I curtail the first developer time to reduce the speed to 80 ASA, even this is at 16 FPS silent speed is too fast on a bright day. As the perforator was working reasonably well I toyed with the idea of re-perforating from 35mm to 9.5mm. Only two lengths of 9.5 can be slit from 35mm. I think with 8mm three could be possible.

The slitter consists of a guide shute where the 35mm film is inserted and guided to pass through roller cutters which reduce it to 19mm wide, it then goes through another roller cutter which slits the 19mm film in half to 9.5mm. Of course the slitting has to be done in total darkness, the hardest part is threading the film into the guide shute but once its in its easy to pass it over the rollers. The unwanted film with it`s 35mm perforations falls on the floor.

Feeding the film in to the perforator is more difficult but by rolling the film into a light tight black bag and allowing 15 inches to protrude, the film is threaded through the perforator with the light on. These few inches of film would be lost anyway with spool loading cameras. Perforating procedes in total darkness with fingers crossed that nothing will go wrong.

The perforator was made out of parts of a 9.5mm 200B projector which provided the claw mechanism and cam for the register pin. I`ve been asked for drawings of the perforator many times but as it was built by trial and error, I never did make any drawings. I believe that a model engineer could take measurements off it and make a much better job of it. The only engineers I know locally are not interested.

Early in June this year I and two friends went by coastal steamer up the Norwegian coastline. We were very lucky with the weather and I exposed over 1000ft of Konica R100 & Barfen 9,5mm. I`m very pleased with the film I processed in chemicals supplied by Area 3 Co-ordinator, Roy Salmons. The film was exposed at 50asa, 1st.developer 4« minutes.

There is no reason whatsoever why a standard 8 film could not be re-perforated as I have done with 9.5. If an engineer can be found to make a perforator & slitter, I`d be glad to loan my machine, he`d probably have a good laugh at my machine work. I`d like a proper 9.5 machine made as I can`t offer to re-perforate film for others in case I spoil expensive film.