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Author Topic: Excessive Humidity William Dickson Film Handler Posts: 41 From: Riverside, Ca. USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-25-2003 03:07 PM                     Currently the air conditioners in our booth are not working properly. This morning when I came in it was well over 80 degrees and I would guess the humidity to be above 80%. You could definitely feel the moisture in the air. Recently we have had two brain wraps where the film going into the control plate pulls the next piece of film into the control plate with it. We have Christie AW3s. Could this be caused by excessive humidity? The film does seem to feel a little sticky. Is there a way to check excessive humidity like there is to check low humidity by taping a piece of film on the wall? Also, does anyone know anything about California's law regarding comfortable work environment temps? It averages between 90 and 95 degrees in the booth for most of the day. Thanks  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-25-2003 03:15 PM                        Very high humidity can indeed make the film physically "sticky", and actually may generate static (more charge is generated when stuck together surfaces separate -- open a "Band-Aid" in the dark if you want to see static discharge). Moist film emulsion is also softer, and more likely to scratch or leave hardened deposits in the gate. Hanging a short strip of print film in the air is a quick (but not very accurate) test of proper humidity. The strip of film should ideally have just a slight amount of "positive" curl, where it cups slightly with the emulsion side at the bottom of the "cup". If the A/C is poor, consider the purchase of a dehumidifier to get the relative humidity down to the recommended range of 50 to 60 percent RH. Use an accurate digital humidity gauge, available at Radio Shack or Edmund Scientific for around $20 US.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-25-2003 03:18 PM                       quote: open a "band aid" in the dark if you want to see static discharge Other Mr. Wizard-style fun: Wintergreen LifeSavers spark when they break. You can see it in the dark, when you bite into them. Try it! And CoffeeMate-brand creamer will explode if you throw some in the air and light it!  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-25-2003 03:40 PM                        quote: And CoffeeMate-brand creamer will explode if you throw some in the air and light it! Airborne dust explosions have resulted in many deaths: http://members.aol.com/powderfax/page003.htm http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5174.html  |  IP: Logged John Anastasio Master Film Handler Posts: 325 From: Trenton, NJ, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-25-2003 07:20 PM                        Uh oh...I'd better vacuum under the bed.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-25-2003 07:39 PM                       quote: Airborne dust explosions have resulted in many deaths: It has something to do with what's in it, because other creamers won't burn -- only CoffeeMate.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-25-2003 07:48 PM                  Actually it has to do with surface area and ignition point... a material that is "finely divided" like sawdust. Baking flour, corn starch, are other "explosive" materials. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Travis Hubrig Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Minot ND, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 07-26-2003 12:24 AM                     SH** No more smoking in the kitchen  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 07-26-2003 07:24 AM                        quote: And CoffeeMate-brand creamer will explode if you throw some in the air and light it! So Tim, what other hobbies do you have? quote: Very high humidity can indeed make the film physically "sticky", and actually may generate static John, how about static being generated in very dry rooms? Because the layers become harder and there is more friction?  |  IP: Logged Mat Fleming Film Handler Posts: 14 From: Newcasatle upont Tyne Registered: Apr 2003 posted 07-26-2003 08:22 AM                     At last a thread my science knowledge is up to. Try these - Whacking a sugar cube with a hammer in the dark makes a pretty cool blue flash. Wiring a pickled gerkins into mains electricity makes it glow. - but don't sue me if you get electrocuted please.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-26-2003 09:10 AM                        Very dry conditions lower the conductivity of the gelatin emulsion, since there is less moisture in it.  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-26-2003 12:05 PM                     90-95 degree temps. ar not good for electornic equipment either. You could be shortening the life of your sound equipment. Try this: sometimes a surge or a quick power outage will cause the compressor to draw a lot of current, and trip the braker. Look for a triped braker. It will be halfway inbetween on and off. You must turn it off first, then turn it back on. My guess is that it will be a two or three gang braker. Often, there are also fuses in a box somewhere near the compressor unit, check those as well, but make sure the power is off to the compressor unit first! If all else fails, tell your cheep-idiot boss he is about to have some very expensive equipment repair bills, in addition to fixing the A/C.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-27-2003 10:24 AM                        In our recording studio and in the network equipment room we keep A/C running 24/7 and bring the temp down to 65 degrees. It's even pretty cold for some human beings, but we don't give a rats butt about how comfortable they are, as long as the equipment is happy. We've even taken to putting up a sign saying, "STOP WHINING AND PUT ON A SWEATER." Talk about high humidity, the "booth" in the park has no heat or humidity control at all except a fan that does nothing but move the dripping, moist hot air thru it. For the past number of weeks in NY, it has been raining day in and day out. So far, we haven't had any prints sticking so badly that it threatened to become really problematic, but for some reason the estar base print ran much more noisely than the acetate. Frank  |  IP: Logged John T. Moon II Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Las Vegas, NV, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 07-27-2003 12:55 PM                     It seems here in Las Vegas were it's dry most the time, being in the desert and all,we have had very humid conditions for the last week. During that time the booth has been "Sticky". I have noticed all 14 of my projectors have been wanting to double strike the lamps occasionally or even strike 4 to 6 times in a few cases. It's only when the humidity gets this high. This happens 1 or 2 times a year. What's up?  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-28-2003 07:01 PM                     I have also seen temperature and humidity affect the performance of xenon lamps, such as the number of strikes it takes to light the lamp. I can understand temperature, but how does relative humidity affect a sealed environment (the lamp) in such a manner?  |  IP: Logged

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