Reloading single-8 carts with super-8

[Gabe Agoado]

Can this be done? Will the different thickness cause issues or no?

[Mana]

Yes can be done. There was a video of someone setup on Vimeo i think. Just need to load 40ft instead of 50ft to avoid any problems.

[Gabe Agoado]

thanks

[7OSE9]

Maybe I was able, I'm afraid of not being able to do so well in the dark, and then use a precarious cartridge (risk of breakage, film block, scratches, etc.).
If there is someone who does interests me very much!

Gabe: what Single 8 camera that you have?

[mr8mm]

You should be able to load Agfa Aviphot 200D with out much trouble. This a thin ester base film similar to the film FUJI loads into single 8 cartridges. The 200D is very thin and should easily load 50 ft into cart.

[mr8mm]

FYI: I believe the base material thickness for the various stocks is different. Agfa is thinest, TRI-X is thinner then the Vision 3 films but thicker then Agfa base material. The Vision 3 negative stocks have the thickest base materials. What does all this mean? It means that you can load a longer or shorter length film depending on the film stock used. You can load a full 50ft of Agfa, maybe 45 ft of TRI-X and 40ft of Vision 3. Would anyone like to measure the various thickness of the film stocks and give us a report? I'm too lazy to measure but I have had experience loading the various film stocks and I can tell that a spool of agfa has a smaller diameter than a spool of V3 for the same length of film.

In any case you can't get away from handling the film and cartridge in the dark. I would advise to practice loading cart with a length of leader or waste film in the light until you are so good at it that you can do it the dark with confidence.

good luck

[avortex]

Adox, Foma and Orwo can be refilled at about 13 or 14 meters. Same for Vision3 500T. It also depends on the technique used. I use this very same machine: https://vimeo.com/7795956

About the hand process to do it, first you have to shoot the super-8 cartridge till the end (without exposing it, of course!)
Make a little hole on the film (any paper perforator is ok) or use the hole that is naturally present at the end of the film in the super-8 cartridge. Engage it on the left side reel of the single-8 cartridge. There's a pin for that. Some people do it just with adhesive tape, but I found the perforator system cleaner...

Then, in the dark, start rolling the reel till you nearly fill that side of the single-8 cartridge. Be careful no to overfill it. The film has to have a minimal freedom of movement.

After that, you can take the final leader out of the cartridge, close it, and (if you want) turn the lights on. Now you make another hole at this end of the film. Close the lights again, open the cartridge and engage it at the right reel. Be sure that the film pass outside the cartridge with the emulsion out and the perforations down.You're done!

I also recommend to lubricate the cartridge a little bit. Camera gate lube, like the one sold by Wittner, does wonders with thicker stocks (Velvia, Ektachrome,...)

Practice first with a trashy piece of film with the lights on. Don't worry if it looks complicated at first sight. It's a very easy process as soon as you get it.

[aj]

Maybe I was able, I'm afraid of not being able to do so well in the dark, and then use a precarious cartridge (risk of breakage, film block, scratches, etc.).
If there is someone who does interests me very much!

Gabe: what Single 8 camera that you have?

Preparing the housing can be done in daylight
Best to find an early edition (light near pastel green box) these are taped together and easy to open.

[Arislan]

Adox, Foma and Orwo can be refilled at about 13 or 14 meters. Same for Vision3 500T. It also depends on the technique used. I use this very same machine: https://vimeo.com/7795956

Is this machine something I can buy somewhere, or find plans for, online? I need this in my life!
Thanks

[aj]

It was nothing. Just a board with a few pins to hold reels. For winding a Fuji single-8 was used Just held onto the board and the cartridge in, film was fed in with the door open.

Apart from abandoning the super8data website the little **** also seems to have deleted his videos. Some contributor.

[Arislan]

I suppose I could built that myself, does anyone know where to find the slitter?

[avortex]

Is this machine something I can buy somewhere, or find plans for, online? I need this in my life!
Thanks

This machine was made as a unique model. The author is not building this kind of instruments anymore. You can make something similar if you buy a Fujica P2 and adjust the motor to run in backwards. It's really a great help when recharging Single-8 cartridges

[avortex]

Apart from abandoning the super8data website the little **** also seems to have deleted his videos. Some contributor.

If I remember rightly, super8data didn't have any videos uploaded, just info and pictures. The video of the single-8 recharger machine was made by the man who built it and is not related to Carles Pradera, the creator of the super8data webpage.

By the way, Carles is a very good friend of mine (in real life, not a virtual one). He spent some money and a lot of his free time doing all the investigation and keeping it alive during several years till he moved to other interests. I can only congratulate him for all that work.
If you want to blame anyone, please refer to Wittner who now owns the domain and the content.

[Arislan]

This machine was made as a unique model. The author is not building this kind of instruments anymore. You can make something similar if you buy a Fujica P2 and adjust the motor to run in backwards. It's really a great help when recharging Single-8 cartridges

Is that just a matter of putting the batteries in backwards? How do I revert the P2 motor? I guess I'll need to buy a really trashed out one, the only P2 I own has never been used since purchased. Got it last month.

Actually I'd need to find a source of bulk S8.

I like the stuff from Retro-8 but it comes up to a lot of money.

[avortex]

Is that just a matter of putting the batteries in backwards? How do I revert the P2 motor? I guess I'll need to buy a really trashed out one, the only P2 I own has never been used since purchased. Got it last month.

Actually I'd need to find a source of bulk S8.

I like the stuff from Retro-8 but it comes up to a lot of money.

I don't know how to do it because I bought the finished machine. But if you have a friend engineer it should be a simple task to do. And P2 are so cheap these days! ;)

For bulk film it's complicated nowadays: you only have B&W stocks (Scala and -if you do the slitting- Fomapan). Perhaps if Kodak releases the new Ektachrome in DS8 (I highly doubt it) you can slit it at home too. In any case, you can always refill your Single-8 cartridges from super-8 ones. A bit of extra work, but always worth it.