zauhar
Veteran
OK, after months of using antistatic brush and spending a lot of money on air cans, I shelled out for the Booflet film cleaning gadget.
I have to say that while this thing seemed to work pretty well a couple times, usually it does not remove dust and lint very effectively, and in one case I am convinced it ground stuff into the emulsion!
Anyone have experience/recommendations for this device, or have I been bilked? Before you ask, yes, I use the cleaning pad before cleaning the film. (Maybe I'm doing that wrong?)
Thanks!
Randy
I have to say that while this thing seemed to work pretty well a couple times, usually it does not remove dust and lint very effectively, and in one case I am convinced it ground stuff into the emulsion!
Anyone have experience/recommendations for this device, or have I been bilked? Before you ask, yes, I use the cleaning pad before cleaning the film. (Maybe I'm doing that wrong?)
Thanks!
Randy
Denverdad
Established
Unfortunately, the Booflet is another in a long series of devices which I have had to add to the "doesn't work as advertised" category. When I first bought mine many years ago, my initial reaction was that it seemed like a well made quality device which should work well. But for whatever reason, it just didn't seem to pick up the dust, lint, and other debris like it was supposed to. I actually still have mine (including the full stack of cleaning paper), and it is for sale at a good price if anyone wants to see if they can make it work better than it did for me!
For reference, two other dust control devices which have been disappointments to me include the antistatic brush (the one with the little piece of polonium in it) which in my testing proved to be no better than a regular brush at removing dust; and secondly, the white cotton gloves that everyone seems to tout. I've tried at least two different brands of the latter which were advertised as being "lint-free", but in my experience they still tended to spew fibers onto the film. Perhaps I just bought the wrong brands. But nowadays if I need that level of protection while handling film, I rely on latex or nitrile gloves.
My standard dust control methodology now is a combination of minimizing sources of dust as much as possible to begin with, wearing latex gloves for key activities, and then using compressed air as necessary to blow off any residual dust/fibers prior to scanning. I also place the film in sleeving material immediately after development and drying (this is one of the places where I use gloves). I should note that using the comressed air effectively takes some practice in order to avoid spewing propellant onto the film, but with care it works well.
By the way, one of the most effective dust removal methods I have discovered is a DIY electrostatic technique requiring a suitably sized artist's brush in conjunction with canned air. I forget exactly where I read about this technique, but basically what you do is to blow comressed air through the bristles until they pick up a static charge (which you can see by the bristles starting to splay apart from eachother), and then swipe the brush over the film. This seems to be more effective than just blowing compressed air over the surface. It has the downside of requiring a LOT of compressed air, and for that reason I don't use it very often.
Jeff
For reference, two other dust control devices which have been disappointments to me include the antistatic brush (the one with the little piece of polonium in it) which in my testing proved to be no better than a regular brush at removing dust; and secondly, the white cotton gloves that everyone seems to tout. I've tried at least two different brands of the latter which were advertised as being "lint-free", but in my experience they still tended to spew fibers onto the film. Perhaps I just bought the wrong brands. But nowadays if I need that level of protection while handling film, I rely on latex or nitrile gloves.
My standard dust control methodology now is a combination of minimizing sources of dust as much as possible to begin with, wearing latex gloves for key activities, and then using compressed air as necessary to blow off any residual dust/fibers prior to scanning. I also place the film in sleeving material immediately after development and drying (this is one of the places where I use gloves). I should note that using the comressed air effectively takes some practice in order to avoid spewing propellant onto the film, but with care it works well.
By the way, one of the most effective dust removal methods I have discovered is a DIY electrostatic technique requiring a suitably sized artist's brush in conjunction with canned air. I forget exactly where I read about this technique, but basically what you do is to blow comressed air through the bristles until they pick up a static charge (which you can see by the bristles starting to splay apart from eachother), and then swipe the brush over the film. This seems to be more effective than just blowing compressed air over the surface. It has the downside of requiring a LOT of compressed air, and for that reason I don't use it very often.
Jeff
zauhar
Veteran
Jeff, thanks for the response. I am always glad to know that I am not a complete idiot and others also can't get something to work.
What I have discovered is that a "fresh" (meaning brand-new) antistatic brush does a great job of loosening the crap on the film, which can then be blown away pretty completely using compressed air. But the effectiveness of the brush seems to degrade with time. I tried rinsing one thoroughly with water, which didn't restore it much; however, finally reading the directions, I see the advice is to use shampoo (apparently oil from your fingers is what really messes up the brush).
In any event, while the brushes are not cheap, you can buy a bunch of them for the cost of one booflet!
The artist's brush approach sounds interesting, I will give it a try.
Randy
What I have discovered is that a "fresh" (meaning brand-new) antistatic brush does a great job of loosening the crap on the film, which can then be blown away pretty completely using compressed air. But the effectiveness of the brush seems to degrade with time. I tried rinsing one thoroughly with water, which didn't restore it much; however, finally reading the directions, I see the advice is to use shampoo (apparently oil from your fingers is what really messes up the brush).
In any event, while the brushes are not cheap, you can buy a bunch of them for the cost of one booflet!
The artist's brush approach sounds interesting, I will give it a try.
Randy
Denverdad
Established
Interesting notes about keeping the static brush clean. In my case i don't think that played much of a role, since from the very first use straight out of the box, the brush just didin't seem to do anything. My only guess is that mine was perhaps sold to me in something less than "fresh" condition. I did buy it new, and from a reputable supplier; but who knows!
While I'm thinking about it, it occurs to me to mention something I discoverd a while back which really improved the whole dust contamination issue - the use of a film dryer, as opposed to the practice of simply hanging the film in the shower to dry. Now this only applies if you happen to be a roll-film user, but if you are it may be worth looking into a Senrac Rapid Rollfilm Dryer, or something similar. If you are not familiar with this device, it is basically a leafblower-like thing with an air filter attached, into which you place the film, reel and all. The idea is that the reel goes into the dryer straight from the tank, and once driy (I use the full 15 minutes on the dial), I pull it out and insert it into sleeving using gloves. This has been working well for me in terms of being able to keep the film largely free of contamination until I am ready to scan.
Anyway, good luck!
Jeff
While I'm thinking about it, it occurs to me to mention something I discoverd a while back which really improved the whole dust contamination issue - the use of a film dryer, as opposed to the practice of simply hanging the film in the shower to dry. Now this only applies if you happen to be a roll-film user, but if you are it may be worth looking into a Senrac Rapid Rollfilm Dryer, or something similar. If you are not familiar with this device, it is basically a leafblower-like thing with an air filter attached, into which you place the film, reel and all. The idea is that the reel goes into the dryer straight from the tank, and once driy (I use the full 15 minutes on the dial), I pull it out and insert it into sleeving using gloves. This has been working well for me in terms of being able to keep the film largely free of contamination until I am ready to scan.
Anyway, good luck!
Jeff
MartinP
Veteran
Long ago I worked with plastic cups (exciting I know) and one of the keys to filling them with the relevant powdered-drink without mess was static charge. In the same way that moving film around can generate static electricity and attract dust, these plastic cups picked it up as they went through the machine.
The established and effective answer was to control the humidity so that the static leaked away on the surfaces before the powder-filling part of the process. I'd suggest that one of the big (accidental) differences between dusty-film filled darkrooms and other darkrooms is the humidity. Get a humidifier in there and see how that goes.
I take few anti-dust precautions except for a Rocket-blower on the neg carrier. Fortunately this part of NL is mostly quite damp, so that may well account for the lack of dust problems here.
The established and effective answer was to control the humidity so that the static leaked away on the surfaces before the powder-filling part of the process. I'd suggest that one of the big (accidental) differences between dusty-film filled darkrooms and other darkrooms is the humidity. Get a humidifier in there and see how that goes.
I take few anti-dust precautions except for a Rocket-blower on the neg carrier. Fortunately this part of NL is mostly quite damp, so that may well account for the lack of dust problems here.