How do You load a 10.5" Reel

I see people usually load there reels with no tape sticking out in the front. Since I've never used such a reel, is there a slot which you feed the tape into when winding it on the takeup reel? Or do you let it stick out in the front and wind it on? Maybe someone can show me some picks of how its done. I always got the feeling I wasn't winding it on right.

Have a peek at how this user does it. He does it very quicky. He holds the tape thru the windage hole, and presses it on the reel hub and wraps it up some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPcEMXlbomw

I've tried loading movie film onto reels in the same way and it always seems to slip off. This is why I was wondering. That or your finger holding the tape gets in the way on the second wrap. I guess you just have to try it to know.

Some 10.5" reels (plastic) do have slots for tape threading. But the general idea is that one needs to press the pointer finger on the tape, wrap it so that the next layer presses the first - while removing the finger - and voila!

Of course, many times it fails. I once thought it was threaded ok, and when I pressed PLAY (at 15ips) the take up reel started winding like crazy, taking up tape ok but the whole thing slipping. It eventually got tight, snapping the tape in a very bad way.

A trick I sometimes use: A small piece of splicing tape at the end of the leader tape. You just press it on the hub and it sticks. Threading is done and the tape will hold enough to have a perfect take-up, while it will just go off when rewinding.