Which works best for wet mounting in a Coolscan 9000 - Kami SXL 2001 or SC 2001?

[philipus]

I am awaiting delivery of an Image Mechanics wet mount tray for my Coolscan 9000 and am looking into fluids.

Kami has been recommended and there are two types of liquids - SXL 2001 (which is sold in the US as SMF 2001) and SC 2001.

From Kami I have been informed that the SXL is as liquid as water and useful for larger formats than 6x6. The SC has a thicker, gel-like consistency and is suitable for smaller formats.

Would anyone be able to tell me which would work best for a 9000 with a tray?

Thanks in advance for any light shed on this conundrum
Philip

 

[sevo]

Neither is supposed to be good for the CS9000, but I use SC nonetheless. It is fairly immobile, so there is little risk using it in a double glass carrier. SXL by contrast will migrate all over the place unless you use it in a proper edge taped glass/film/mylar sandwich, which limits it to scanners with enough of a glass base to put a strip of adhesive all around the negative.

 

[philipus]

Thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that the SXL would work even without tape. What spreads outside the area covered by the film should evaporate, no? Perhaps it makes a difference if one places a glass on top (I have the Focal Point glass).

There's a pretty big price difference between SXL and SC I believe.

 

[sevo]

Thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that the SXL would work even without tape. What spreads outside the area covered by the film should evaporate, no?

Yes. But it is very volatile, and flammable - indeed it appears to be identical to (purified) lighter fluid. You have to be really fast, or it will dry up from the edges. And the safety inside a non-explosion proof electrical device is a bit questionable as well. Drum scanners did occasionally explode when explosible gas/air ratios formed inside the scanners, but thanks to their construction it usually only blew the lid off. I don't really feel like repeating that with a solid metal device...

Going by the smell, SC 2001 seems to be the same solvent, but gelled, so it will stay in place even if you don't tape it up.