Care of Film Holers

[seawolf66]

I have some 5x4 film holders some are fine and some to need cleaning whats the best way to do this: It may seem foolish question ,Do not li8ke waste-ing money to buy more holders since these only need cleaning! thanks to all who respond to this question: :)

[Ron Marshall]

What sort of dirt is on them? I have only ever wiped mine down with a damp cloth to take dust or fine silt off mine.

[Eric Woodbury]

I bought some used holders once that had dirt in the light trap. I found somewhere with compressed air, lots of it, and blew them out. All holders, I brush them out every time I reload them, I keep them in plastic bags and ammo boxes when not in use, and those with shiny darkslides have gotten a wipe of anti-stat on occasion. Before I put them in the camera I wipe them with a brush and tap the dirt off.

Get them clean, keep them clean.

[seawolf66]

Took a better look at them film holders its either salt water of Fixer got on them will
let soak in plain water for a while and the scrub them with a brush plastic and see if that cleans them since there all plastic: thanks for your thoughts and comments\\\Laurten

[Eric Leppanen]

I heartily recommend Brillianize (www.brillianize.com). It was reportedly recommended by John Sexton (see http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=2218), and I have been very happy with it. Not only is it a good plastic cleaner but it has antistatic properties as well. Clean with Brillianize and brush with an antistatic brush and you should be in good shape.

[fhovie]

Mine wear and need some of this: - I have used other tape and gotten away with it - cracks and bends are a deal breaker but a blast of air and a moist cloth should keep them in business for at least 50 years - maybe a hundred:
http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/FI4506/

[John Kasaian]

I've got a little shop vac with a micro attachment dedicated to photographic gear. The small nozzle even does a number on the light traps. It sucks up dust and debris, which IMHO is beter than blowing it out with compressed air since you never really know where it will come to rest (especially if you're doing this in your dark room!)

[fhovie]

good point - always easier to prevent than to deal with the dust that is there in the air. I have a shop vac that I pull out as well but it is noisy and a hassle at times.


I've got a little shop vac with a micro attachment dedicated to photographic gear. The small nozzle even does a number on the light traps. It sucks up dust and debris, which IMHO is beter than blowing it out with compressed air since you never really know where it will come to rest (especially if you're doing this in your dark room!)

[Keith Pitman]

I would be cautious about soaking film holders; you may damage them. Wiping with a damp cloth is a better remedy. Another way to get dust out is to tap them (gently) with a plastic or wooden rod. For routine maintenance, as someone mentioned, a canister vacuum cleaner is great to suck the dust out. I use it every time I reload at home. In the field, canned air used away from where you are reloading is a good solution.

[Mark Sampson]

I keep my 4x5 film holders in quart-size ziploc bags, when loaded and ready to go. The empty ones live in a plastic box with a sealable lid; they are sold at bedbath&beyond type stores to hold sweaters, etc. This method helps a lot to keep the holders clean, once you get them that way.

[ic-racer]

I got some dirty 4x5 holders that were not used much and they cleaned up nicely. I used a combination of compressed air (80psi) and a strong shop vac with a brush. I also used q-tip swabs to clean what I could of the channel before the light trap. For the surface and darkslides I used 409 cleaner. I found lacquer thinner would clean everything (including permanent marker) off the white information area without damage to the white area, but it can melt the black plastic so be careful.

[thedeep]

so is washing (not soaking) in water not a good idea?

[resummerfield]

I buy used plastic holders, and when I get them they are almost always very dusty. First I vacuum them carefully with the slides in place, remove the slides and vacuum them again, and then I blow out the light trap with about 90psi air, from the handle side to the film side. Finally, I dip them in warm, soapy water and scrub them with a brush, flushing out the soapy water and light trap with warm tap water. I let them dry a few days without the slides, and then check them with a strong light before I start using them.

I store holders in plastic bags, and before loading vacuum them with a dedicated vacuum brush end.