Til now I've always used Ziploks or other polyethylene bags, but seasoally dust is a major issue here. Certain times, Grafmatics are all but unusable and I resort to Quickloads. Do the anti-static bags work to keep Fidelity type holders from getting a charge?
I also bought a lifetime supply of 3M anti static bags on eBay, like 3000 of them for only $50-60. I thought I would use them once and pitch them but they last forever...Originally Posted by jp498
Yes, they do. They also dissipate any charge the holder may have when put in a bag.
My problem lately has been that the bag companies seem to be switching from putting the zipper on the short end to the long end.. at least on the quart size... this makes it pretty much unusable for my 4x5 holders.
Anything they touch, the static is gone.
I have a cheap resin plastic chair that used to zap me awful in the winter. I taped an antistatic bag to the seat; and the whole chair no longer zaps.
So one keeps their loaded holders in bags to prevent static electricity from attracting dust?
Rød grød med fløde.
The bags keep the dust out during storage, but in dry conditions (low relative humidity), taking holders out of (non anti-static) plastic bags can generate some static charges that attract dust. I live in an area of high relative humidity, so I have not worried about it too much.
A long time ago (1985) some computer geeks I met at a workshop had measured the static charge build-up caused by removing the darkslide of a modern film holder. Static discharges can do nasty things to computer components. What they measured with the film holders was significant. The speed at which the darkslide is removed greatly influences the amount of charge created (the faster -- the higher the charge).
I also have an anti-static brush I take into the field with me, and I give the darkslide a quick brush before inserting the holder into the camera -- mostly to keep the light trap as clean as I can.
Vaughn
I bought Hefty slider bags at Target. I have had no problems with static electricity but here in St. Louis we have high humidity.
I use quart size zip-lock (whatever the exact brand name is) freezer bags. They last a long time. I like the anti-static bag idea even though I haven't had static problems, and I'm in a dry area.
I may get some for my 8x10 holders.
I have some padded (bubble) anti-static bags for the 8x10's, but not zip-lock type, just fold the top over -- two to three holders per bag. I need to get more as mine are about toast (I have been using the same bags for several years). U-Line has them, but far more than I need in a box!
Vaughn
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