Fred Picker's antistatic brush

[Drew Wiley]

There again, any serious industrial or cleanroom supply will carry a useful selection of anti-static gear. All the brushes and whatever ever sold for film use are pretty insignificant
compared to the need for such things in electronics and computer chip mfg. In other words, this kind of equipmt is readily available today. One of the problems with typical household and shop circulating air cleaners (and cheap darkroom ones) is that they actually charge the air with static. But there are all kinds of ways to tame this if someone
does a little homework.

[Roger Cole]

"...or anything else that produces dust..."

The big producer in many darkrooms it the towels you use to dry off your hands, trays, etc. Even when fairly wet just handling them puts those long fibers in the air.

I struggled with dust on negatives for a long time, and got many helpful suggestions here. Then I bought a large Honeywell HEPA air filter unit. I blacked out the red lights that indicate it is on and at what speed.

Before I load the holders I run it for a few hours in the darkroom. After the film is in the slots, I pull the slide back almost all the way to fully expose the sheet, then turn it over and let the output of the unit (which goes up at about a 10 degree angle) blast the face of the film. Then I slide in the the darkslide, flip it over and do the same thing to the other sheet.

I don't think I've had a speck of dust in the three years since I've started doing this, it has ended the problem.

Looks like there are a lot of items old and new to handle dust on the negatives. I'll have to research to see what is available.
Kevin I really do like the idea of a HEPA filter and blasting the film after you put it in the holder. Sounds like a really good idea. Prevention is a good thing!

I have a Honeywell HEPA filter, but the motor has started making horrendous noise (though it still seems to work) and I've not been using it much lately. Kevin, can you share which model you use? I usually run it for an hour or so before loading, but it never before occurred to me to set it up on the table (it lives on the floor under it now) and have it blast the film with its output before closing the dark slide. I have enough allergies that it would be good to have a new one anyway, and I was just talking a couple of days ago to my fixit buddy who is going to do the basement build out, eventually including the darkroom and plumbing, about getting started.

After mentioning on here that I seldom had dust and thus tempting fate, I've had every single negative from the last two batches ruined by it. The only things I am doing differently are loading in my "not as clean as the old one but I but do what I can darkroom" and adding blasting the film after loading with canned air. It would be odd for that to make it worse, but if the darkroom is that bad I also find it odd that I have less problems with dust on my negatives once printing than I did in the old darkroom. That may be down to an Ilford Antistaticum I've been using, though. I've only used it to clean negatives before printing, but I've heard a couple of people suggest if for cleaning holders so I'll try that.

Come to think of it, I was using a roller type cleaning device I got years ago from the old F Stops Here store (sold mainly for cleaning x-ray holders and such) and recently stopped in favor of instead brushing the holders with a Kinetronics brush. I will go back to that - maybe using both. That would mean I use the roller cleaner, an anti-static brush, and the Antistaticum. I'll have to think about the proper order!

I love shooting with large format but between my recent dust woes, some new problems with processing unevenness which I may or may not have sorted out, and if I do then I seem to have some minor light leaks now but at least that's fixable with some more tape, I get sorely tempted to just get an RB67 and hang up the Linhof. Of course a new camera would also fix the light leaks, if in fact that's the problem.

About the unevenness - I'll get into this in the thread I started on the Jobo and don't want to sidetrack this one.

[Kevin Crisp]

I have a Honeywell Model 17250, currently $109 at overstock.com. They have a similar current model out, controls look a little more modern. It has red lights near the buttons which I covered with gaffer's tape. Mine was $5 at the local junk store, non-operational, because some kid had put little Xmas bulbs into it. Bought it and took those out and I was all set since it had a new filter. The output goes up at about a 30 degree angle, which makes it handy for holding the film holders upside down to give them a blast after loading. I run it before loading film holders and whenever I am cleaning up in the darkroom, or getting ready to hang film up to dry. There are 50+ good recommendations on this site for cutting down dust, but nothing made the difference that this did once I started blowing off the film just before closing the dark side on it.

[Roger Cole]

Humm, searching "17250" returns no results at Overstock.com. There are several Honeywell air cleaners though. The old one I have is shaped like this Enviracaire but an older design with controls on a panel at the bottom:

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden...7/product.html

EDIT: Very weird, but searching "17250" and "Honeywell 17250" and the like directly on Overstock does not find it, but searching "Honeywell 17250" on Google turns it up on Overstock as the very first link.

EDIT II: Also currently out of stock at Overstock.

[Kevin Crisp]

I believe the current model is the 17000. The round ones distribute the air gently and in many different directions. Effective I am sure, but the upright ones send it all out in a forceful "whoosh" out the top, which is better for blowing off film holders.

[Roger Cole]

Makes sense. My old one is round. I see some similar ones on eBay.

[Larry H-L]

Thanks Bob!

I couldn't remember the name, but that is exactly what I was looking for.

Looks as though they are.

http://www.amazon.com/Milty-anti-sta...words=zerostat

[Roger Cole]

I believe the current model is the 17000. The round ones distribute the air gently and in many different directions. Effective I am sure, but the upright ones send it all out in a forceful "whoosh" out the top, which is better for blowing off film holders.

Amazon has the 17000 for $110.54 and eligible for Amazon Prime shipping, which I have.

Sorely tempted to pull the trigger on one.

[jonreid]

Speaking of dust removal. Twenty years ago I assisted a commercial photographer and would do some printing for him.
He had this dust removal system that worked a treat but I've never seen it again. It was a sticky roller slightly wider than 120. You would roll it either side of the strip of negs and the dust would stick to it. When the roller was cruddy you would roll it along a pad of sticky strips. The strips were stickier than the roller. When the strip got cruddy you'd tear it off to reveal a new fresh one. Worked a treat. Didn't appear to leave residue on the negs.

Jon

[Roger Cole]

Speaking of dust removal. Twenty years ago I assisted a commercial photographer and would do some printing for him.
He had this dust removal system that worked a treat but I've never seen it again. It was a sticky roller slightly wider than 120. You would roll it either side of the strip of negs and the dust would stick to it. When the roller was cruddy you would roll it along a pad of sticky strips. The strips were stickier than the roller. When the strip got cruddy you'd tear it off to reveal a new fresh one. Worked a treat. Didn't appear to leave residue on the negs.

Jon

One Pass Cleaning Roller. I have one bought from the old F Stops Here store, now gone. I bought it after seeing a review in View Camera, I believe. It does work well, though I had stopped using it on holders but now think I should start again. I'm not sure what I'll do for the sticky pads once I run out. I haven't checked to see if the system may still be available from other places.