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Author Topic: Cleaning Cart vs Cleaning Stuff at every projector Chris Medley Expert Film Handler Posts: 180 From: McKinney, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-07-2004 08:43 PM                        I am faced with the more efficent option of having cleaning supplies at every projector or having the more cost effective "cleaning cart"....which would you choose and why? I'm at a 14 screen and i require my staff to do a fair amount of daily cleaning on each projector.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-07-2004 08:50 PM                     We have a little bit of both. In the "bin" at each projector is the following: 1. Lense Tissue 2. Bottle of lense cleaner 3. cup full of Q-Tips 4. Paintbrush 5. toothbrush 6. rag Then, in a central location we have 1. GlassCleaner 2. 409 3. Film-guard 4. Paper Towels 5. Box of additional rags  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-07-2004 08:55 PM                     Shop rag and toothbrush at each projector, the rest in a centralized location. Assuming you are running film cleaners, you probably won't even touch the rag or toothbrush but maybe once a week.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-07-2004 11:24 PM                    Lens tissue and lens cleaner at each projector makes me fearful that the lenses are being cleaned too often. And the prospect that they actually need it is even scarier. The best thing you can do with a lens is to never touch it except blowing dust off of it.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-08-2004 02:03 AM                     What Steve said: "Lens tissue and lens cleaner at each projector makes me fearful that the lenses are being cleaned too often." Also the same concern for Q-tips(tm): don't clean the optical sound without doing a Dolby alignment. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Matt Zeiner Expert Film Handler Posts: 146 From: Windsor, CT USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 02-08-2004 01:03 PM                     quote: Also the same concern for Q-tips(tm): don't clean the optical sound without doing a Dolby alignment umm...why? Assuming your last A-chain was done with clean optics, then all mechanical and electronic failures aside, dirty optics will always stand in the way of good reproduction...  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-08-2004 03:17 PM                     Lenses are cleaned once a week. All projectionists are trained how to do this properly. Same goes for the soundhead. Since we started regularly cleaning them, the analog sound quality has improved.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-08-2004 03:47 PM                        Why is the booth so dirty that your lenses need to be cleaned weekly? No need to use the lens cleaner and lens paper that often. It should be sufficient to blow the dust off with a blower brush (available at camera stores; do _not_ use compressed air!). For the most part, the lens paper and lens cleaner fluid should be saved for cleaning off fingerprints and such, especially if you have newer (1960s and later) lenses which are coated (the coating can be removed with excessive cleaning). In a multiplex, I vote for having a shop rag and toothbrush next to every machine. A central compressed air system (or, better yet, vacuum) is nice to have, too. Sprockets, gates, and traps should be cleaned between every show (with exceptions for theatres using FG).  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-08-2004 04:17 PM                     "The best thing you can do with a lens is to never touch it except blowing dust off of it." _________________________________________________________________ Ouch! Thats a Bozo no-no! Of course this is the equivelent of sandblasting a lens(literally). When I did lens repair at Canon USA we were taught to never blow off a lens with air. Large debris was removed first with a camels hair brush and then we used Kimwipes lightly wound around and slightly overhanging the end of a large tweezers. This was dipped into a solution of 40% MEk and 60 percent denatured alcohol. This is done in a circular motion starting from the center and working out and does require some practice to do it right. I still do it this way today and a lens can end up looking like new and is spotless and void of any dust for at lesat a while. If you ahev alot of elements to clean the MEK gives you a great high as a side bonus . Ah yes the gold ole days at Canon when they made fine lenses and cameras....but no longer. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Chris Medley Expert Film Handler Posts: 180 From: McKinney, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-09-2004 01:57 PM                        Mark, Is there a reason for the MEK/Alch. Mix?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-10-2004 09:23 AM                     Chris, I believe the MEK helped it all to evaporate at an even rate...quite rapidly actually...also so there were no water droplets left behind fomr the alcohol. I never asked them about their proprietary mixture but if one just uses alcohol it leaves somewhat of a mess on the glass. Mark  |  IP: Logged Chris Medley Expert Film Handler Posts: 180 From: McKinney, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-10-2004 11:03 AM                        thanks for all your input  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-10-2004 09:07 PM                        Lens Cleaning: http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/white_papers/lens_cleaning.pdf Be careful when using MEK -- it will dissolve some materials, especially plastics and adhesives. Likewise acetone.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-11-2004 12:12 AM                        quote: Be careful when using MEK It's also regulated as a carcinogen, & as having an inhalation toxicity of HIGH.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-11-2004 06:47 AM                        MSDS for Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK): http://www.astrochemicals.com/10080.pdf http://www.2spi.com/catalog/msds/msds02850.html  |  IP: Logged

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