my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » What can you wipe film with that wont scratch it? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: What can you wipe film with that wont scratch it? Josh Jones Redhat Posts: 1207 From: Plano, TX Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-16-2003 12:18 AM                        I was making up a print tonight, and on my own prints I like to use filmguard to remove the tape residue. The problem is The CPI wipes or delicate task wipers arent good for much more than wiping your ass. They do scratch film. I need something that is soft enough to rub the residue off without forming balls of lint or furr. What are your guy's recommendations? By the way, greeting from the ball of insanity they call senior year Josh  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-16-2003 01:08 AM                     Usually, I don't use anything to wipe the tape residue off the film. If the film is not too oily, you can blot off old tape residue with a fresh piece of masking tape or splicing tape very much like you use tape to remove animal hairs or lint from your clothing. Unfortunately, some of the cheap splicing tape is almost impossible to peel off the film. Granted, you have to "work at it" a little, but it is better than scratching the film. As far as I am concerned, any movement of anything on a surface of anything that does not move with it will cause some form of scratching. In 16mm and 35mm applications, you might get away with it, but in a 70mm application, it can see a disaster waiting for a place to happen. If you have to wipe the surface of the film, may I suggest using the media material that is used with film cleaners. I think Brad might be able to shed some light on the subject. However, if the film is wiped too hard, it is bound to scratch anyway. Just be very careful on doing it. The media pads when used on a film cleaner will not scratch the film because the pressure they exert on the film is like a feather touch, unless the roll jams at a spot where a hunk of dirt on the media drags on the film. I never saw that happen - not yet, anyway. ...and congratulations on high school graduation.  |  IP: Logged John Anastasio Master Film Handler Posts: 325 From: Trenton, NJ, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-16-2003 05:17 AM                        I let the goo soak a little in FilmRenew, which seems to disintegrate almost anything (as I've said before, it's great for cleaning spots off your ties). Then I use a bit of the web media from my film cleaner and finish it off with a light coat of FG. I figure that any microscopic scratches that I induce on the surface still beat the hell out of all that schmutz left over from the tape.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-16-2003 07:07 AM                        Soft, lint-free wipes like "Kim Wipes" are often used. Even soft wipes should not be used dry, as any dirt captured can abrade dry film: Kim Wipes Kim Wipes BH Photo BH Photo Cleaning Supplies  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-16-2003 08:10 AM                     "The problem is The CPI wipes or delicate task wipers arent good for much more than wiping your ass. " _________________________________________________________________ Josh, You're starting to sould alot like Paul !!! Mark  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 05-16-2003 08:54 AM                        CPI wipes are KIM wipes. Actually they're KIM wipes and a sticker.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-16-2003 09:11 AM                     I've used Webril Wipes for years since good old Marty Bahn first put me onto them. The type I use are 3" 2-ply squares packed 100 or so to a sleeve. They're widely used in the printing industry (I get mine free from a friend who owns a newspaper), so a graphic arts store would be a good place to start looking for them. I've never seen any evidence of scratching with them.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-16-2003 09:14 AM                     The best way I've found to get tape adhesive residue off the ends is to use duct tape. Take a piece and stick it on the film end (use decent pressure to really stick it), but leave a tab at the end towards the reel. Peel it off and presto!, usually all the goo stays stuck to the duct tape and pulls off the film. Pure isopropyl alcohol is fair for removing tape goo, it doesn't attack the emulsion, and leaves no residue. I'd rather not use FG for that job as it does leave a protective coating that the new tape might not stick to particularly well. Heroic efforts to remove the goo usually get me a worse looking splice frame with scratches or emulsion layers peeled away. Goo shadows are less visible than scratches or bright green blotches.  |  IP: Logged Christopher Seo Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 530 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-16-2003 09:14 AM                     As Paul said, I think even the softest cleaning material will scratch film with too much pressure. For spot cleaning of film I use generic cotton swabs with a "feather pressure" as Paul says. I've also discovered "ScottPure Critical Task Wipes" which seem to be Kimberley-Clark's top of the line. They will scratch film dry, if you press really hard, but they're the gentlest I've yet seen, way better than, say, lens tissue. They're extremely soft, yet tough, and don't develop lint. I got them online at Edmund Industrial Optics. Don't have any actual dry web media so I can't compare, though. Of course cleaning the film dry is asking for trouble anyway... I always use Film-Guard or 99% isopropyl alcohol.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 05-16-2003 09:31 AM                    I like to put on a pair of the white editing gloves, soak the fingers in Film Guard, and using my fingers in he gloves, carefully work the residue off. When you're done, go about three feet up the film strip and close (loosely) your gloved fingers on the film and pull the film CAREFULLY through the fingers. This will pull all the dust off, leaving it nice and clean. I've done this dozens of times, and it works nicely. No scratches. Just be patient, and don't over work it, and don't put too much pressure on it. It will all come off. The only problem is that the end is usually so soaked in Film Guard, it can be difficult to re-splice with a tape splicer.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-16-2003 10:25 AM                        Webril wipes: http://www.artstuff.net/webril_wipes_and_pads.htm http://www.dickblick.com/zz489/01/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=1796 http://www.misterart.com/store/view.cfm?store=001&group_id=1540 http://www.4onlineart.com/Safety-and-Cleaning/  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-16-2003 01:18 PM                     Duct tape works nicely. However, be sure to use high quality duct tape such as 3M. Some sledge-hammer specials that sell for $5.00 for a ten-roll pack will leave more residue than what they will remove.  |  IP: Logged John Schulien Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 05-16-2003 03:33 PM                     When replacing gooey splices, I use filmguard on a piece of cotton cloth to dissolve and lift away the goo and dirt, then I wipe the film ends with a clean cloth soaked in Techchem Image film cleaner (pure tetrachloroethylene.) This wipes the filmguard right off, then quickly evaporates away, leaving the ends clean, dry, and ready to resplice.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 05-16-2003 03:48 PM                  I agree with using Webril Wipes. Expensive, but worth it. Used them for many years in the large-format industry. Also, someone mentioned film width Vs. visible damage and said it was more noticeable in 70mm. I disagree, the magnification is much less for comparable screens in 70mm than in 16 or 35mm. Any noticeable flaws, including film grain, is inversely proportional to film frame size and directly propotional to magnification. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-16-2003 05:16 PM                     Phil, I'll correct myself about the 70mm. What I was thinking of is the Iwerks and Imax setups. One microscopic speck of dust will look like a big blob on the screen, from what I have been told. Is this correct?  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.