Why does nobody talk about the 10th roll being where bulk rolling finally clicks
I started rolling my own 35mm cassettes off a 100 foot bulk roll of HP5 to save money, and the first 9 rolls came out with scratches, loose spools, or light leaks. Roll number 10 was the first one where the tape held, the felt lip sat right, and all 36 frames came back clean from the lab in Columbus. Is it just me, or does it take about 10 rolls before your hands actually know what they are doing in the dark bag?
Ten rolls is generous, my first attempt looked like a raccoon got into the bulk loader and just gave up halfway through. Roll four was the one where I learned that "close enough" on the felt lip means a nice light leak running down every single frame like a little sunbeam of regret. By roll ten my fingers stopped shaking in the bag and I could actually feel the spool catch instead of just praying and winding. The dark bag is honestly the real teacher here, it just charges you nine rolls of tuition first.