Betterscanning.com film holder and wet mount solution (in Australia?)

[welly]

Hey guys,

Just took receipt of my betterscanning.com film holder. I've run a few test scans and I've got to say - very impressed. It's far, far sharper than my old Epson film holder (on a V700) so pleased with that. I'm currently just dry mounting but would like to give wet mounting a go. I'm unable to import wet mounting solution from the USA so need to find something more local. Is it a specific liquid or is there a substitute I can use for lack of finding the "correct" stuff here in Oz? Or any Aussie peeps out there who might suggest what I need and from where?

Cheers!

[mdm]

You can get this stuff shipped surface mail. http://www.wetmounting.com/Pages/lumina.html Its very expensive and the Canada Post shipping is very very slow, maybe 3 months but more like 4. Its very nice to use. What I do is wet mount the emulsion side only to the glass using a piece of blotting paper and a rubber brayer on the other to remove bubbles and excess fluid. Its quicker and the results are good so far. I only wet mount something I am printing, I just scan dry with the 8x10 area guide or epson holders for everything else because scanning is a major time waster and hard drive filler upper. Their fluid is probably worth the wait and one bottle will last a long time if you dont wet mount too much, which you probably wont because its time consuming. I dont do any negative cleaning after, just dry them.

Otherwise people say naptha/Everclear or mineral oil. I tried mineral oil, the disadvantage is the clean up and washing the negative. Water makes the emulsion swell and soften so using water risks scratches. The old school drum scanner guy who did some 35mm scanning for me used mineral oil. I imagine naptha is smelly and volatile.

[Ian David]

Hi Welly
I have several unused bottles of the Lumina wet mounting fluid (referred to by mdm above) here in Brisbane that I suspect I will not use anytime soon. Drop me a PM if you are interested, and we can discuss details.
Cheers
Ian

[ruckusman]

For wet mounting the pro drum scanner services use Parrafin, yep the stuff you get at the supermarket or chemist. It isn't a substitute - it's the real stuff
For cleanup - film/scanner glass etc get some shellite, the brand name for Naptha her in OZ, available at nearly every hardware store
Details on Naptha here:
http://www.nfsa.gov.au/preservation/handbook/conservation-treatments/solvents/

peace out

[chuck94022]

For wet mounting the pro drum scanner services use Parrafin, yep the stuff you get at the supermarket or chemist. It isn't a substitute - it's the real stuff
For cleanup - film/scanner glass etc get some shellite, the brand name for Naptha her in OZ, available at nearly every hardware store
Details on Naptha here:
http://www.nfsa.gov.au/preservation/handbook/conservation-treatments/solvents/

peace out

I have been looking for the same thing here in China. Pardon me jumping into this.

Which form of Parrafin? When I look on Wikipedia I see a couple of different things: kerosene (the fuel) and a medical type for constipation. Also, any idea what it would be called in the USA, generically anyway? I am in China, but at least knowing the USA product name would help me find it.

[ruckusman]

Yep that's an understandable confusion as kerosone is also parrafin, though kerosone doesn't go under that name in Australia.
It' parrafin BP (British Pharma - pharmaceutical grade) that you want, pure mineral oil, available from chemists, pharmacies - for constipation amongst other things

peace out

[Jim Andrada]

So let's see - I have a choice of something that will explode or something that will muck up the negatives or something that will give me the trots. What great choices!!!! Must be the reason I haven't tried it yet.

Seriously though I'm about to give it a try.

[ruckusman]

Well make it easy on yourself and don't lick the film clean unless you're having trouble with your bowel movements

peace out

[pinup tragic]

Quick and easy - lighter fluid .. a piece of clear 2mm glass ( 1mm if you can get it ) scan at 3200 dpi on the platen using the film area guide setting ( Epson V700 )
Cleans up ok too - lighter fluid is very fast to evaporate off the film.
Try a comparison with the betterscanning dry scan.

[chuck94022]

Scanning on the platen on the 750 will only work if you are lucky enough to have a unit with lenses that focus at the platen. Most seem to focus above that point.

I agree lighter fluid will probably do it (don't smoke or generate sparks - be careful if you are in a very dry climate). But perfect the focus first, using a variable height mount like the betterscanning mount, or by shimming whatever other mount you use. Wet mounting, in my opinion, is a waste of time if the film is not in the sharpest plane of focus.