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dh003i
17-Sep-2009, 13:06
Hi all,

When looking for an air filtration solution for my workstation, I ran across a suggestion to use fabric softener, as it is charged to attract and pick up dust. I bet this would work well when loading film into the holders in a film loading bag (i.e., to clean the holders).

I also saw suggestions to use a small vacuum cleaner and fresh disposable garbage bag inside the changing bag.

jeroldharter
17-Sep-2009, 14:18
I once rode to the airport with an eccentric old woman wearing a scarf filled with dryer sheets. She told me that it kept the static out of her hairdo when flying. Maybe I should try rubbing my darkslides with Bounce.

dh003i
17-Sep-2009, 14:42
I once rode to the airport with an eccentric old woman wearing a scarf filled with dryer sheets. She told me that it kept the static out of her hairdo when flying. Maybe I should try rubbing my darkslides with Bounce.

Just thing of Mr. Snuggles next time your changing film:

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/53/snuggle.jpg

PS: while finding that, I found a hilarious commercial for an old game with the snuggle in it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlWKgYWugss). (warning: this is funny but may disturb some).

false_Aesthetic
17-Sep-2009, 15:25
I tried Bounce.

Took care of dust but left fabric softener in its place.


T

BetterSense
17-Sep-2009, 19:12
Fabric dryer sheets all work the same way...fat. Basically they use a form of tallow both to help conduct away static charges and to reduce triboelectric charging. Static-Guard is the same thing in a spray bottle. I use static guard on my vinyl records to absolutely kill static. It's miraculous, especially during dry OH winters where I used to be able to sit in the dark and watch blue sparks race around the record, with rather audible results. I use it now on my film-loading area, film holder-holding-ziplocks, and carefully on my film loaders and darkslides.

dh003i
21-Sep-2009, 20:58
Fabric dryer sheets all work the same way...fat. Basically they use a form of tallow both to help conduct away static charges and to reduce triboelectric charging. Static-Guard is the same thing in a spray bottle. I use static guard on my vinyl records to absolutely kill static. It's miraculous, especially during dry OH winters where I used to be able to sit in the dark and watch blue sparks race around the record, with rather audible results. I use it now on my film-loading area, film holder-holding-ziplocks, and carefully on my film loaders and darkslides.

Do you actually spray it on the inside of your film-holder where the film goes, or around the outside and near the folding compartments? If you used it on the flat surface where the film goes, wouldn't you be worried about residual lipid being left over and smearing your film?

BetterSense
22-Sep-2009, 06:19
Do you actually spray it on the inside of your film-holder where the film goes,

Lightly, yes.


If you used it on the flat surface where the film goes, wouldn't you be worried about residual lipid being left over and smearing your film?

No. It's not like there's a detectable layer of gunk left on it.

jp
22-Sep-2009, 08:19
In addition to having had to deal with dusty negatives, I'm also allergic to dust (or dust mites rather), so I'm sometimes a snob about the topic.

Using a central vac is pretty much the only way to actually remove dust when you vacuum. Any other vacuuming, unless it's some sort of HEPA system that's in perfect working order and adjustment, is going to stir up dust. (Basically remove some big pieces in exchange for smaller pieces.)

Some dust is attracted or retained by static electricity. I've tried spraying fabric softener around, and its effect was temporary, and I don't like needlessly spraying any chemical.

If you want to stop static, which dryer sheets are indeed good for, antistatic bags are great. Computer parts come with them. Any local computer repair shop probably disposes of scores of them on a regular basis, and they come in all sizes. These are the pink or metallic plastic bags that electronics ship in. They'd probably be great for storing film holders. You can also attach them anywhere you need to kill static. I've taped them to a plastic seat before that used to zap me real good everytime I got up. Just having it on the seat solved the problem 100%.

Drew Wiley
23-Sep-2009, 19:10
Antistatic sprays are routinely available from tech and industrial suppliers. I have
been using them on my darkslides and filmholders for decades. Photography in the
desert would be unthinkable without this. And a single bottle will last a long time
because you only need to spray your slides about every five or ten years! There are
many sources, but McMaster Carr is a good place to start for both this and the pink
antistatic bags. While you're at it, order an all-dacron cleanroom smock too, and
you'll solve about half your darkroom dust problem instantly.

dh003i
23-Sep-2009, 22:10
Thanks all for your suggestions.

I have a white porcelain-feeling table in my basement that I can clean off nicely and use as my work-area for film. I'll use that spray stuff on it.

Drew,

A cleanroom smock...am I supposed to wear it? Huh? I'm doing this in my basement, which is not a clean-room (although I'm getting a changing bag).

Also, you say a single bottle of the anti-static guard will last a long time because you only need to spray every several years, but I read on an eBay auction of Static-Guard that it's only supposed to last a day. Is there a special kind your using?

PS: What about these products? A Kinetronics Mini-Stat Bench-Mount Two-Brush Anti-Static Film Cleaner (http://www.calumetphoto.com/1/1/20687-mini-stat-bench-mount-two-brush-anti-static-film-cleaner-kinetronics.html) and Edwal Anti-Static Film Cleaner (http://www.calumetphoto.com/1/1/9722-anti-static-film-cleaner-32-oz-edwal.html) (some kind of liquid).

BetterSense
24-Sep-2009, 09:15
Maybe Static-Guard only lasts a day when used as intended...on clothing. Or maybe they tell you that because they want to sell Static-Guard.

My vinyl records, once wiped with a very thin layer of Static-Guard, retain their completely static-free properties indefinitely. I also find that film holders certainly don't need to be treated every day, although I do retreat them lightly when I reload them on the theory that they are handled roughly. It's no a magic bullet, but it really helps to treat plastic that otherwise is a complete static-magnet. I really think plastic film holders are a giant step backward from wood and metal ones.

Drew Wiley
24-Sep-2009, 10:32
I'd have to go to the lab to see what brand of antistatic spray I've got, but it came
from a cleanroom supply, not a photo supplier. The Kinetronics brush works briefly but
is otherwise stone age. I sometimes carry one if I'm using a changing tent. Again, I'd
recommend looking at a list from an industrial supplier catering to the Silicon Valley
crowd or whatever. All kinds of useful things for dust and static control that you'll
never find in photo catalogs or sites.

gevalia
29-Sep-2009, 06:40
All,

I have found a lot of good advise on this forum but this racks right up there at the top. Damned good.

Ron

dh003i
18-Oct-2009, 08:19
I sprayed my dark-slides and inside of film-holders with the antistatic-spray (flammable) aerosol (http://www.mcmaster.com/#6038t11/=444fmb), but it seemed to leave a thin layer of the lipid behind, even after I wiped down with a t-shirt which I'd also sprayed a little with the spray.

I loaded the film, hope it will be ok.

Robert Hughes
19-Oct-2009, 10:29
So ... do you run the dryer at "Permanent Press" for that fluffy, static-free negative?

dh003i
19-Oct-2009, 10:45
I sprayed my dark-slides and inside of film-holders with the antistatic-spray (flammable) aerosol (http://www.mcmaster.com/#6038t11/=444fmb), but it seemed to leave a thin layer of the lipid behind, even after I wiped down with a t-shirt which I'd also sprayed a little with the spray.

I loaded the film, hope it will be ok.



I tested these anti-static-sprayed film-holders on a bad exposure, and there did not appear to be a noticeable layer of film left on the film after insertion and removal.