Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Filmguard - any alternatives to dry web cleaners?

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Topic: Filmguard - any alternatives to dry web cleaners?

Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-17-2001 08:33 PM

After many weeks of campaigning i finally got my management to order us some Filmguard. We have a bad problem with static and i think i convinced them that filmguard was the way to go.

Unfortunately, while a bottle is on order which hopefully will eliminate our static problems and help with film shredding, we don't actually possess a dry web cleaner, so the actual cleaning and "wet gate" property's of filmguard are out of our reach.

Basically we can't afford a cleaner at the moment. We are an independant and have a kind of 'hand to mouth' existance, i'm sure many indepedents out there can sympathise.

So, can anyone recommend anything that we can do. Can we build one ourselves? Our staff are very technically competent, and our retired (officaly!) chief is the king of manufacture!

I know that in the long run a £555 pound (sterling) dry web cleaner is an investment in that the quality of our presentations will go up by an im-measurable amount, but i am told we cannot afford that just now because of other (understandable) purchases. So we have to make do.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 06-17-2001 09:00 PM

You can pick up used cleaners on Ebay and through some dealers who move used equipment. A good place to try is International Cinema in Florida.

When you get your FilmGuard, get a lint free cloth (some paper towels are very plush and will do the trick too) and fold it over a few times to make a square about the size of your hand. Spray the FilmGuard directly onto the cloth so that it is fairly well saturated, but not dripping. Start the platter spinning and then wipe the top edge with the cloth starting at the outer edge of the film and working your way into the center of the roll. Run the next show soundtrack edge down and then wipe the other side. That will kill an amazing amount of static and cut down on the print shedding as well.

If you run on reels, you will need to wipe the edges of the film while it is on cores.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-18-2001 02:57 AM

...unless you are lucky enough to have Goldberg 6000's with the floating hub. That way, if she's already made up to reels it is just as simple as applying to the print as it would be on a platter.

------------------
"If you think THIS is fantastic...wait until you see the full effect with the HIMP!"
- Chief Inspector Clouseau.

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Aaron Mehocic
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 804
From: New Castle, PA, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-18-2001 09:22 AM

Andy,
I apply Filmguard in the manner that Brad suggested in his post because, like you, our company does not want to invest in media cleaners. I'm almost through a whole bottle now and I have never had any problems with a film after the application process. At our theatre, Filmguard is controversial. I am the only one of five operators who uses it and I bought it out of personal expense to myself. But I'll tell you this . . . I DON'T WORRY ABOUT STATIC LIKE THE OTHERS. Hell, I seen everything from ionized static elimination brushes

to static dryer sheets clipped to the filmpath

. Nothing works as well as Filmguard. Now if I can only get the others to understand.

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Geoffrey Weiss
Film Handler

Posts: 68
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: May 2001

posted 06-18-2001 10:49 AM

I'm a collector on a limited budget. Though I plan to acquire a cleaner in the future, I can't afford to do so now. I know that you don't recommend hand-cleaning with Filmguard, but will I be doing more harm than good if I try it--especially if I can rig a device to maintain even pressure across the film as I rewind it (by hand) and inspect it?

I've always figured that doing something is better than doing nothing. Is that not the case here?

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 06-18-2001 11:51 AM

You can do it by hand, but the trick is just not to go overboard or the film will end up being overlubricated. One ounce is enough to clean an entire feature. If you find you are using more than that, you should lower your usage. Many people who are used to hand cleaning are used to going through an entire quart on one feature. This is not the case here.

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Mike Jones
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Birmingham, MI, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 06-19-2001 12:30 AM

Yeah, I do this the way Brad said as well. Saves alot of time and for us, works wonders on static. I rub it directly on the film and also over the take-up platter. When the show starts to loop while running, I'll rub some on the inner platter and it almost always stops.

I've run into the problem before though of projectionists putting too much on and the film shakes badly going through the gate.

good luck

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