Cleaning Film - Electrostatic Cleaners and Filters

[Stephen Willard]

I print and sell big photographs on a regular basis which means tiny tiny dust spots on the negative print real real big on big prints. Dust for me has historically been a real nightmare.

I have tried air scrubbing using portable air cleaners up to installing a $3000 electrostatic cleaner in my forced hot air heating-cooling system. My success with air scrubbers has been real limited.

I have also tried oiling my negatives and that work real well except it is messy as hell and not easy to cleanup. So I gave up on that approach because it took me longer to apply the oil and cleanup than it did to spot a print.

What I found that works very well is the combination of a compressor with a two gallon tank that can generate at least 80 psi connected to a electrostatic gun and the Wall Mart Evercare lint roller. The Evercare lint roller pulls off all dust on the negative that compressed air will not get. It does am amazing job of getting everything, even those really tiny specks that stick real head to the film surface.

It is important that use the Evercare brand because the sticky surface does not leave any residue on the film. All other lint rollers will leave goo on the negative. Note, cleaning the negative with the Evercare lint roller takes practice before you can do it correctly without damaging the negative. Practice using the lint roller on some scarp film before you use it on a good negative. For the record, I have never damaged any negatives using the Evercare lint roller.

Hope this helps...

[yelmarb]

I print and sell big photographs on a regular basis which means tiny tiny dust spots on the negative print real real big on big prints. Dust for me has historically been a real nightmare.

I have tried air scrubbing using portable air cleaners up to installing a $3000 electrostatic cleaner in my forced hot air heating-cooling system. My success with air scrubbers has been real limited.

I have also tried oiling my negatives and that work real well except it is messy as hell and not easy to cleanup. So I gave up on that approach because it took me longer to apply the oil and cleanup than it did to spot a print.

What I found that works very well is the combination of a compressor with a two gallon tank that can generate at least 80 psi connected to a electrostatic gun and the Wall Mart Evercare lint roller. The Evercare lint roller pulls off all dust on the negative that compressed air will not get. It does am amazing job of getting everything, even those really tiny specks that stick real head to the film surface.

It is important that use the Evercare brand because the sticky surface does not leave any residue on the film. All other lint rollers will leave goo on the negative. Note, cleaning the negative with the Evercare lint roller takes practice before you can do it correctly without damaging the negative. Practice using the lint roller on some scarp film before you use it on a good negative. For the record, I have never damaged any negatives using the Evercare lint roller.

Hope this helps...

Can you tell me what brand the electrostatic gun is?

[Peter De Smidt]

Stephen, I bought one of the Evercare rollers, although it has a different handle. How do you keep the sheets from coming off as you roll it over the film? I've tried both directions.

[Drew Wiley]

Hi Stephen. Don't know if I'll get to the northern Winds this Sept; more likely, take along hike in Kings Can again to save gas money. Interesting system you've got going. I rarely use my own anti-static system because fog most of the year keeps things a bit humid; and I use passive electric heat in the darkrooms. Our dry weather is typically just October to November, but last year even much of that time was rainy.