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Topic: Name That Chemical

Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-06-2001 08:34 PM

So I'm finally going through the boxes of stuff we have from closed theatres. Can anyone tell me what the following chemicals would be good for in a first run theatre that only shows polyester film and uses tape splices?

1) Rubber Cement Thinner
2) Paint Thinner
3) Turpentine
4) Gum Turpentine
5) Neumade Removex
6) First Run (made by Big Sky)

If any of these can do me any good, could someone describe how they are used? Thanks.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-06-2001 09:42 PM

Rubber cement thinner: Thinning rubber cement... really.
When our theatre first opened we used to get our "ad slicks" in the mail. When we wanted to put an ad in the newspaper we would have to "paste them up" and send them to the newspaper. They used rubber cement to do tha pasting. Of course with all that rubber cement hanging around and sticking to everything in site (and getting hard as a rock) you needed to have something to remove it (or soften it up again). Nowadays they just FAX the ads in. There is no need for them to paste them up because the newspaper downloads the camera art by computer or something like that.

Pain thinner, Turpentine: Thinning paint.
Have you ever had to repaint the stalls in the bathroom because some idiot scraped filthy words into them with a pocket knife? Where there's paint, you must have thinner, right?

Renovex? Don't they use that to kill rats and things?

For the most part, I don't see why you need all those chemicals in the booth. Sometimes people who clean out the closets and things downstairs have a tendancy not to want to throw things out like they ought to. Instead they stash things up in the booth. If you don't have a use for any of these things I'd just toss them. (Or take them to the community recycling center)

Old chemicals just present a hazard.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-06-2001 09:58 PM

My thoughts exactly Randy. And yes, i know that Rubber Cement Thinner and Paint Thinner are used to thin rubber cement and paint

. I thought that they might have some other 'special' use, oh well. We use acrylic paints instead of oil based, so the thinner is pretty useless (and yes, I've had to paint many a stall and door).

I'm mostly curious about the Remoxex and First Run (the can of First Run is almost full, does that mean they just got it or that its useless?).

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-06-2001 10:13 PM

First Run is basically the same thing as Renovex, only not as toxic. When Bob Maar invented Renovex, he made it as toxic and lethal as possible. You can use First Run to clean dirty film and stuff like that, but it is not as good as FilmGuard, nor does it offer the protection that FilmGuard does. You can use First Run to clean up gunky splicers and stuff like that, though.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-06-2001 10:14 PM

You people use rubber cement to put ads together? Yuck. A much better method (though one that's more expensive) involves using heated wax in order to adhere stuff to the paper. The nice thing about this method is that it doesn't get gummy stuff all over the place and it allows easy repositioning of items on the page. Every print shop and the newspaper office should have a waxer (the machine that heats the wax and applies it to the stuff you want to stick down) and you could probably get a used one fairly inexpensively.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-06-2001 10:21 PM

Randy is right - just get rid of that stuff.

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Joe Schmidt
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 172
From: Billings, Montana, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-06-2001 11:54 PM

YES... and don't forget all the trouble they had with that chemical in those tanks in "Return of the Living Dead" which were made by the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers.

Jimmy Karen gave it a whack... and KAVOOOOM!

Reel 1 of that movie is one of the funniest things ever made, but after that it goes downhill fast... into the ground, one might say.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-07-2001 12:30 AM

I know some kids who made little "skeletons" by cutting up Q-Tips® and sticking them together with rubber cement.

I never really liked using rubber cement to do paste-ups but that's what they wanted to do. I always told them that there must be a better way but who's going to listen to me?

If the film cleaner isn't too old I might think about stashing it away someplace safe for "emergency use". I'd have to think about it for a while, though. Just the thought of having this closet full of odd chemicals gives me flashbacks of Jack Nicholson as The Joker in the first Batman movie.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 05-07-2001 06:43 AM

You can usually contact the manufacturer, and ask for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that provides information on the safe handling, storage and disposal of the chemical. Many MSDS's are available on-line. All of the chemicals you mention are solvents, and need to be disposed of properly --- most communities have an environmental facility that accepts used solvents for disposal. Keep them in their original containers.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 05-07-2001 07:46 AM

Dustin, RenovexII - New and improved film cleaning solution to keep film fresh for sharper pictures and clearer sound. It is non-toxic and environmentally safe. RenovexII, renders film anti-static, dust won't adhere. It puts new life in old film, reduces film damage and lengthens film life. Safe to use anywhere. It dries instantly. Since, my friend (Joe "the nose" Redifer) thinks that it is one of my many inventions,
let's not tell him that I wish that were true. However I only sell "RenovexII".

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 05-07-2001 09:03 AM

Save the paint thinner for cleaning/degreasing metal projector & soundhead parts. You never know when an RCA gearbox might slam and you need to cleanup those gears and bearings.

I cleanup the squirrel cage blower on Super Lume-x lamphouses with either paint thinner or mineral spirits. Cleans 'em right up.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-07-2001 01:29 PM

Oh yeah! I forgot about Renovex II, the sequel. This version is not toxic. Although I wouldn't recommend sitting around and sniffing an open can for hours!

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 05-07-2001 02:01 PM

Joe, Please remember the size of your nose. What may be dangerous for you to sniff is probably safe for the rest of mankind.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-07-2001 03:29 PM

You're right, Bob! I forgot to take that into account. Every time I ordered Renovex they (MTS West) sent me First Run instead! I guess I've been sniffing that too long.

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-08-2001 01:35 AM

quote:
1) Rubber Cement Thinner
2) Paint Thinner
3) Turpentine
4) Gum Turpentine
5) Neumade Removex
6) First Run (made by Big Sky)

Actually, it looks like a list of things
the projectionist was snorting in bored
moments. Did he have equilibrium problems?

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