De Ionizing Air gun?

[Ronan2020]

Hi,

Does anyone have one that works well with a trigger that not just full blast? want it for dusting negatives and cleaning film holders,

Thanks all!

Ronan

[Drew Wiley]

You don't have a pressure regulator and gauge on your airline? You should set line pressure itself to around 20 to 30 PSI. Compressor tank pressure tends to be much higher. You also need a good air line filter in place to prevent moisture or crud coming through the hose. The problem with my old antistatic gun, which indeed has a trigger, is that the trigger valve often won't even shut at lower pressure. That's one reason I rarely use it, and do film work when ambient static conditions are low - which is rather common here on the foggy coast. The gun valve can be lubricated, but that's one more ingredient I don't want in proximity to film. I can also just wipe down the Formica countertop shortly before the work session, and that bit of moisture in the air reduces static. An old trick in dry climates was for darkroom workers to set out a tray of water and let evaporation humidify things; but I keep my film room completely separate from the sink room or any kind of serious dampness. I don't want any expensive equipment or film getting mold or rust.

[Zaseder]

Honestly, this is the first time I've heard of this kind of pistol. There are ionizing pistols that help remove tiny dust particles using static electricity. In addition to photography, I am fond of weapons, mainly pistols, so I understand this topic. However, unfortunately, I can't advise you anything in this case. By the way, yesterday I came across Beretta 96 review and price. Maybe you should read this information and buy yourself a regular gun, not a non-existent device. However, if I'm wrong, correct me. I didn't find any information on the Internet.

[John Layton]

I vaguely remember a very interesting product (maybe back in the early 1980's?) - was an airless "anti-static gun" which, when the sales rep. aimed this at a "demo" 4x5 negative which had been bathed in dust...this dust would magically fall off! Unlike Drew's example, I don't think there was any air involved, but I do seem to remember some kind of incorporated brush. Does anyone else remember this? Or maybe I'm out to lunch and this is still a thing?

Edit: I still have my "zero-stat" brush someplace...but I stopped using this as I was a bit creeped out by the radioactive (polonium, I think) granules glued behind the brush!

[freecitizen]

A Zerostat gun . I've had mine since the 1970s. Originally for my vinyl records. Piezoelectric, shoots ions at the record and neutralizes the static charge.

Also works in the Darkroom.

like this one …….

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26506776937...8AAOSwtUpeiz3H

[xkaes]

Forget static "guns" and radioactive brushes. What you need is a

VINTAGE KOSTINER ANTISTATIC BRUSH. NON RADIOACTIVE ANTISTATIC BRUSH. CAN BE CLEANED BY WASHING. GREAT FOR CLEANING SLIDES AND NEGATIVES FOR SCANNING.

4" wide. Here's one on EBAY:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/23434882281...wAAOSwIO1hxI3Q

BUT some LOW pressure compressed air really helps too.

[Drew Wiley]

Once old, those Kostiner brushes lose their treatment, and might as well be just any other soft-bristle lens brush. They never get negs REALLY clean either, suitable for serious enlargement. There is simply no substitute in my experience for a real air compressor and serious in-line filtration. But I clean negs directly in front of an equally serious anti-static air cleaner intake vent. Works better than an anti-static gun per se, though I have one of those nearby too if needed.

Desert winter climates or dry forced air heating would complicate things. Best in those circumstances to slightly increase the ambient humidity by sponging down countertop surfaces slightly prior to the cleaning session, or setting a pan of water out the evening before, an old darkroom trick if you don't have a formal humidifier.

[Michael R]

Why don’t you just work in your clean room?

Once old, those Kostiner brushes lose their treatment, and might as well be just any other soft-bristle lens brush. They never get negs REALLY clean either, suitable for serious enlargement. There is simply no substitute in my experience for a real air compressor and serious in-line filtration. But I clean negs directly in front of an equally serious anti-static air cleaner intake vent. Works better than an anti-static gun per se, though I have one of those nearby too if needed.

Desert winter climates or dry forced air heating would complicate things. Best in those circumstances to slightly increase the ambient humidity by sponging down countertop surfaces slightly prior to the cleaning session, or setting a pan of water out the evening before, an old darkroom trick if you don't have a formal humidifier.

[Drew Wiley]

What the heck do you think a true clean room is comprised of anyway, Michael? There is no forced air heating. It's passive electric. There are no sins or chemicals in there. The countertops are designed to be washable. The air cleaner is industrial grade composed of a huge bank of antistatic copper elements, not just one of the hamper-style filtration devices one sees everywhere today. The incoming air line was purged of any oil using forced acetone, then had three successive micro-filters added to it, the best I could find. The compressor itself is outside in a different room. I wear a 100% dacron true cleanroom smock in there. Never store any fiber-based paper or matboard in there. What more do you want?

Now having said that, I don't always necessarily use that particular room as a clean room. I have two of my smaller enlargers in there - two deluxe 138 chassis, one with a tricked-out 5X7 colorhead
on it, the other with a high-output 8X10 cold light atop it (my still bigger enlargers are in a different room). So I do all kinds of printing in there since it's such an easy room to keep clean and heated if necessary, that is, except for very large prints or 8x10 color film enlarging per se, done in the other enlarger room (no chemicals or sink in there either!). But anytime I need to use it again as an actual clean room for fussy punch and register film work, for example, I swab it all down, and take extra care with the clothing I wear in there. Usually, just carefully cleaning the countertop area and wearing a cleanroom smock is suitable for more routine clean tasks, like loading film holders.

I don't know what your custom is there in Montreal. But based on the weather reports I see, I presume you keep your sled dogs in the darkroom, to keep them from freezing to death at night. Maybe that explains all the hair on your negatives.

[Michael R]

There’s no hair on my negatives. Actually I’ve never found dust to be a problem when printing. It’s only something to worry about when it comes to loading film holders and during film exposure. I agree though it can be a real pain with any contact process including making/using masks.

As for the weather, yes we are in the midst of a nasty cold spell with way below average temperatures. There is something handy about tomorrow’s forecast though. Wind chill is supposed to hit -40 tomorrow morning, which is where C = F, so it would be the same temperature to an American.