Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Best method of splicing 16mm film?

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Posted by Mel Orr (Member # 10702) on 12-24-2018, 05:24 PM:

I recently purchased a Bell & Howell 273A film projector to play old 16mm home videos my grandfather recorded back in the 50s and 60s. The machine worked smoothly until I tried rewinding it the film, following the manual's instructions. About a fifth way through, the film snapped cleanly, almost between frames.

What's the best way of splicing the film back together? I did a little bit of research and I've seen different suggestions of tape and film cement. What's the best recommended product for such a fix and where can I buy it?

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 12-24-2018, 10:38 PM:

Do a search on Ebay for 16mm tape splicer. You'll find all you need.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-25-2018, 05:46 PM:

I saw a Griswold 16mm wet splicer at a thrift store that had a decent price on it.

I do have a Cir 16mm tape splicer.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-25-2018, 11:03 PM:

For your purpose, I would suggest tape rather than cement, because:

- Most film breaks can be repaired with tape without having to cut off and lose any footage. With cement you are more likely to have to cut away film.

- The process of making a tape splice has less of a learning curve than that of making a cement splice. While an unclean film break can in theory be repaired with cement without trimming it to the nearest frame line on either side, doing so is a highly skilled art that takes years of practice to perfect.

Unless CIR or Neumade still do, I'm not sure if new 16mm splicers are still being made. Even if they are, prepare to pay several hundred bucks. Other places to look include the for sale/wanted section on this site, Ebay, Craigslist, etc., and specialist film equipment vendors that serve the collector and archival market, for example Urbanski Film.