Keeping Glass Negative Carrier Clean

[jeroldharter]

I am going to be printing a lot of 8x10 negatives soon and will be using a glass negative carrier for the first time.

My carrier consists of a clear glass sheet on the bottom and a frosted white glass on top which sandwiches the negative. I am wondering what it the best procedure for using it and keeping it clean. I used some tape on one end to make a hinge which I think will be useful and prevent the panes of glass from sliding over the negative and potentially scratching it. But when I load the negative, I have to place it down on something and that could cause problems.

Any better suggestions than this:


Clean the inside glass surfaces of the sandwich with compressed air
Clean/dust the negative
Position the negative in the carrier and close
Clean the outside surfaces of the negative carrier



Does it make any sense to mask the negative carrier for 8x10 size?
Is water the best glass cleaner or something else?
I also have the 8x10 Beseler Negaflat carrier. I like the 4x5 version and use it all the time, but the 8x10 is different and I don't have the knack of using it yet. So far I cannot get it to hold the film flat because it seems to bow slightly. Any tips there?
Any advice or other comments is appreciated.

[Brian Ellis]

I had a Beseler 4x5 glass negative carrier. The carrier was easier to keep clean than I was expecting. Usually I just brushed it with the same anti-static brush with which I cleaned the negative, then hit each side it with a few blasts of canned air before putting the negative in. When there was something on it that the air wouldn't get off I cleaned it the same way I clean camera lenses, with an old clean tee shirt and a few drops of a liquid lens cleaner. Never had an 8x10 carrier.

[ic-racer]

Jensen optical has a file on the site about class carrier cleaning. I tried it; basically soaking the glass in Windex. It did not seem to be much better than just spraying it on and wiping off, but it may be worth a try.

I have a HEPA dust filter that runs full blast when I'm loading the holder. Since I'm using diffuse light, I just clean the inner surfaces and the negative. So, 4 surfaces total.

I use a blower bottle and a brush. On my wish list is a 10" brush from B&H which I think will make things easier.

I let the light box do the masking. (Same with the smaller negatives in the big glass)

I have a home made glass carrier for another enlarger. I put some tape on the bottom, so when I set it on the counter, the glass doesn't touch.

How does that frosted glass on the top work out? Is the frosted part in contact with the negative? I would think that will show up on the print

[Andrew O'Neill]

I'm with Brian on this one. I too fretted about how to keep all that glass clean but it really isn't that difficult. I usually just blow any dust specks away with canned air. The negative always gets a blowing and cleaning with pec wipes and pec liquid cleaner before going into the holder. Make sure your work area is clean, too. I always wipe down the work area with a damp cloth before loading up the carrier.
The holder is homemade with 1/8 inch A/N glass on top and 1/8 inch plain old glass on the bottom.

[jeroldharter]

Anybody tried using Rain-X on the glass?

[bob carnie]

Here is some tips that I use

keep the room clean and with high humidity
Open carrier over light table
I use a scanner type Varn cleaner on both inside surfaces
I use regular bounty cloths
place negative into position and tape one side
Use canned air to blow the neg from the side which forces the negative to ripple
and shake out any dust.
Close Carrier and inspect negative with a loupe
Repeat if needed
then Clean the two outside surfaces and inspect image again with loupe.

After a period of time this will become second nature and as long as your darkroom is clean , filtered and higher than normal humidity , dust will not be such a problem

[wfwhitaker]

Ground your enlarger. Some enlargers actually have a connection on the frame specifically to run a ground wire. Find a suitable point such as a [metal] cold water pipe to connect to.

For several years I've used Hope's Perfect Glass, a non-ammonia cleaner for cleaning negative carriers (and windows, too).

[Drew Wiley]

I have triple filtration on my air line, with the hose itself solvent scrubbed inside. The
carrier is placed beside an electronic air cleaner beneath a machinist's inspection light. I wear an all-dacron cleanroom coat. If you don't have a decent air compressor, get one. Canned air is a joke unless you've got unlimited money to waste on it (try filling
your tires with the stuff). I keep on hand many types of glass and film cleaner, plus
microfiber lens cloths. And I frequently romove both pieces of glass from the various
carrier, gently scrub them with a very fine pad and vinegar-Windex, rinse them, then
blow off all the water droplets with the blowgun on the air line.

[bob carnie]

I have found that canned air is not a joke and if used in a clean area just the right tool to get rid of dust.
What I do not like is compressor type air lines with multiple copper and brass fittings , the pressure of air blasting through these lines pick up flakes of copper, brass that are used to connect the lines together and create chaos on your lenses and film.
Not to mentioned the oil that gets blown through these at a high velocity.
I see you triple filtrate which is very good which should take care of most of the crap that can happen.
I have worked in enough labs to know that lenses from these operations using compressors and not being as diligent as you are basically pitted and oil deposits sliming up the surface.


I have triple filtration on my air line, with the hose itself solvent scrubbed inside. The
carrier is placed beside an electronic air cleaner beneath a machinist's inspection light. I wear an all-dacron cleanroom coat. If you don't have a decent air compressor, get one. Canned air is a joke unless you've got unlimited money to waste on it (try filling
your tires with the stuff). I keep on hand many types of glass and film cleaner, plus
microfiber lens cloths. And I frequently romove both pieces of glass from the various
carrier, gently scrub them with a very fine pad and vinegar-Windex, rinse them, then
blow off all the water droplets with the blowgun on the air line.

[Drew Wiley]

Good point, Bob. You don't just grab any old cheapo Home Depot air hose and compressor. My compressors are oiless and well-built (USA). The final hose is urethane and had acetone and alcohol shot thru it, same with all the fittings. The filters are serious too. But at the rate I use air, canned air would cost more in a couple of months than the whole built-in setup. Plus if you don't use the can correctly you can get some nasty propellant mess coming out, at least with some types. An air compressor is also useful for cleaning prints before and after mounting and all kinds of other shop duties as well. The amount of pressure coming out is adjusted with the branch line regulator. Plus, if needed, I have an antitstic gun for the airline too. Money well spent.

[bob carnie]

I too use a air oilless air compressor for my mounting area as you describe


Good point, Bob. You don't just grab any old cheapo Home Depot air hose and compressor. My compressors are oiless and well-built (USA). The final hose is urethane and had acetone and alcohol shot thru it, same with all the fittings. The filters are serious too. But at the rate I use air, canned air would cost more in a couple of months than the whole built-in setup. Plus if you don't use the can correctly you can get some nasty propellant mess coming out, at least with some types. An air compressor is also useful for cleaning prints before and after mounting and all kinds of other shop duties as well. The amount of pressure coming out is adjusted with the branch line regulator. Plus, if needed, I have an antitstic gun for the airline too. Money well spent.

[Ginette]

Good point, Bob. You don't just grab any old cheapo Home Depot air hose and compressor. My compressors are oiless and well-built (USA). The final hose is urethane and had acetone and alcohol shot thru it, same with all the fittings. The filters are serious too. But at the rate I use air, canned air would cost more in a couple of months than the whole built-in setup. Plus if you don't use the can correctly you can get some nasty propellant mess coming out, at least with some types. An air compressor is also useful for cleaning prints before and after mounting and all kinds of other shop duties as well. The amount of pressure coming out is adjusted with the branch line regulator. Plus, if needed, I have an antitstic gun for the airline too. Money well spent.

I didn't know about but it was very low price so I pick-up an Hand Ion Static Prevention Air Gun and Controller recently on the BAY item # 290375069261 and wish to couple it to a good oil free compressor. I look to airbrush unit like the Silentaire Scorpion I-W Air Compressor or the Scorpion I-WC (around 135-180$ on the Bay) It is a good choice ? Any suggestion.
About the filters, do you add it or the already included in this compressor type.