PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I just bought a film to digital conversion device to save as many as possible of my father's old regular 8mm movie films, some of which date back to possible the late 1940s. So far I have found only one or two reels that may be problematic. The biggest problem is a reel with what appears to be extremely died out film. I can unroll several feet (done very carefully and gently) but the film is curled to look more like a half of a straw instead of a flat tape. Plus, the film on the reel has the appearance of having been slightly deformed into a star shape in the layers closer to the center of the reel. I have attached a photo of the reel and film.

My question to any and all old timers or experts in Photography Land with experience in restoring movie film, for any ideas and suggestions of what to do and how to do it so I may convert this film to digital and save My Dad's movies.

Serious and honest responses please. I know some may have a comedic side that would like to make jokes (I have that trait myself), but I am very serious and ask for no frivolous answers. Thank you.

Attached file:
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Vaun's photography Loc: Bonney Lake, WA

No experience with such, sorry, but I'm wondering if you could set up the problematic reels with a humidifier if the film would uncurl.

Good luck.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

That is something to think about. Thanks for the idea, I'll keep it in mind.

Vaun's photography Loc: Bonney Lake, WA

You're very welcome. I hope you find something that will work for you.

Burtzy Loc: Bronx N.Y. & Simi Valley, CA

I'm a retired film editor and the only solution I have is to slowly and laboriously wind the fil off a bit at a time onto another reel and then wind it back onto the feed reel. This is not a good solution, but the last thing you would want to try is to re-humidify the film. It would most likely make emulsions stick together. If you can get the film off and back on the reel, you would still have some of that crimping in your photo, but any single strand running through your transfer device may make it through. Good luck.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

Thank you for your response. I have been able to wind off several feet, but the film feels rather dry and brittle and is curved (shaped like gutter or a stream bed) so it will not lay flat. I am hoping that something could perhaps replace some of the "flexibility" back into the film. In its current condition, I seriously doubt more than a few inches would make it through the machine without breaking. The machine is much like a film projector, the film must be flat to get the proper focus and image transfer.

Burtzy Loc: Bronx N.Y. & Simi Valley, CA

I understand the problem. My hope for you is that once you wind it off, then rewind it back, you can put just enough tension on the film to make it lay flatter. It's an iffy question.

Vaun's photography Loc: Bonney Lake, WA

I'm very glad you responded to this post. I definitely wouldn't want my thought to make his problem worse.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I had much the same problem with 8mm movies left to me by my uncle. They'd been stored for 60+ years.

I was told to unroll the film in the hottest, dry environment I could stand, i.e.: about 120°F, so I put an electric heater in one of our small bedrooms and heated up the room. I then respooled the old film to a much larger reel. The heat, not extreme, tended to soften the film (and emulsion) just enough to allow it to straighten without breaking. It worked.

I hope you have success with your project. One often finds a few gems on old film. I found some great footage of my uncle and dad after a successful goose hunt. I didn't even know my dad ever went goose hunting.

bwa

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I like your idea, however, I have around 200 feet of film to try to straighten out. I have successfully unwound around 50 feet and it is relatively flexible. Just exactly was the procedure you followed? Did you simply place the film, still on the original reel, in the room to allow it to get warmed? How long did you leave it in the room to allow it to get warmed?

I agree about finding gems on old film, on one reel, I found a film of my second birthday party with my family. I also found several other reminders of emotional incidents in my young life.

Seabastes

I don't know if they still offer this service but Costco photo offered scanning of film and I believed it did 8 MM. I found out unfortunately after I had disposed of my Dad's family photos and the 8MM early cartons in 8MM.
from Disney.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

1) Put all the equipment I'd need and the film in the bedroom
2) Heated up the room to about 120-130F
3) Left everything over night.
4) Grabbed a cold drink and loosely hand spooled the eight rolls of 8mm film to large spools, i.e.: 35mm film spools, about 6" min. inside diameter to 18" outside diameter. Only took about an hour to complete the whole process.

The film easily took on the curvature of the larger spools with no noticeable problems with emulsion cracks or broken film, at which point it was very easy to feed it through a rented copier to save it to DVD.

bwa