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Author Topic: Kelmer cleaner tutorial Chris Nolan Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Fairfax, Va, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 07-09-2008 03:33 PM                     Anyone know where I can see a video tutorial for the Kelmer film cleaner? Each of my projectors have them attached, but none of my fellow projectionists were trained on how to use them, and my superiors don't like them because apparently back when they did use them they caused print damage (likely due to improper training). Until I came to this site, I thought nothing of them, but I seem to get the feeling that they are a regarded highly by you lot. So I did some digging around and I know we have plenty of Media Pads and the Film Guard spray. Any assistance would be helpful, I asked our Tech, Dave Ayers, and he told how to set it up, but that was before I found the Pads and Guard, and I would much rather see it in action before I end up destroying a print.  |  IP: Logged Eric Womack Film Handler Posts: 23 From: Pickerington, Ohio Registered: Aug 2007 posted 07-09-2008 04:23 PM                     Chris, Google Kelmar's web site. They have a diagram that is excelent on how to thread the cleaners. that is how we learned and I have not had any issues with print damage.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-09-2008 06:19 PM                        quote: Eric Womack Google Kelmar's web site. Or better yet, post a link. This might already be in the manuals section...if not, here it is.: Kelmar Film Cleaner manual (pdf)  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-09-2008 08:17 PM                     Look here.  |  IP: Logged Chris Nolan Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Fairfax, Va, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 07-09-2008 10:21 PM                     This is all very helpful, thank you! What about the proper way to apply the Film Guard solution? Do I just spray down the Media Pads?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-09-2008 11:37 PM                     There should be instruction sheets enclosed with the FG kits. Just press the tip of the sprayer up against the pads and completely saturate them to get them wet. If you do a search for FilmGuard here, there are tons of discussions on the best ways to use it.  |  IP: Logged Chris Nolan Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Fairfax, Va, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 07-10-2008 01:31 AM                     Yeah, that instruction sheet would be great, but remember I said I had to do some digging just to find the spray bottle (which I actually ended up finding at our sister "art-house" theater), so I'm not gonna hold my breath on the belief that I might be able to find a piece, or a few pieces, of paper. How many sprays would you say is a good average or limit for proper saturation? Sorry for continuing to harp on this topic, but I take the quality of our prints very seriously as we are a second-run theater. Anyone who's anyone knows we have a stigma for lesser quality everything (but that's what you get when most of your stuff is secondhand), and I'd like to do whatever I can to improve our image. And I did do a search of other topics, and all I could find were the same phrases you just gave me. I guess through being tired of repeating the same instructions over-and-over. Any chance that instruction sheet can be found online?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 07-10-2008 02:14 AM                        Chris, just keep spraying until the pads are completely saturated. Ideally a drop or two should drip off of the bottom as you do this. No cause for alarm there. (This next part is optional) don't forget the "leader" of the media that isn't on the roll, but already wound over the shafts where the film will contact it. No need to saturate the take up part of the media. You can skip saturating anything that isn't on the roll itself if you have long enough leaders that will motor through and advance the media to where the "wet" stuff starts on the first thing to hit the screen.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-10-2008 09:44 AM                        quote: Chris Nolan How many sprays would you say is a good average or limit for proper saturation? Spray heads tend to vary. I would say the average is around 25 - 30 squirts per pad. Usually the spray heads will last a while, but they can sometimes leak or wear out mid-bottle, so I always use them as long as possible and keep spares on hand as I can accumulate them.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-10-2008 02:24 PM                     If there is damage to prints from the cleaner posts without media when not in use, this can be caused by not having or using a "bypass" threading. If the cleaner is threaded without media present, there is the possibility of damage as the film scrapes over the uncovered posts of the cleaner. A proper installation provides a path for the film without using any of the cleaning features. Does your booth have this "bypass" capability? Do all operators know how to do the "bypass" threading? KEN  |  IP: Logged Chris Nolan Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Fairfax, Va, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 07-10-2008 07:30 PM                     Yes, Ken, we do have it set up to easily bypass the cleaner. Until I decided to start using it again, it was almost as if the cleaner wasn't even there. I have no idea what my GM meant when he refered to prints being damaged. Here's a fifty dollar follow-up: How crucial is it that the media pads stay taught (even though I'm sure this stays in the range of "the utmost", and is there a need for them to stay as taught when not in use?  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-10-2008 07:50 PM                     Hi Chris. Congratulations on being one of the few that hears something stupid and rightly assumes it's not just "how it is". A lot of folks get things in their heads, like say "film cleaners scratch prints" and just swear them off entirely. Anyway. I'm not sure I understand what you're meaning by taught. If the movement of the film is preventing the take-up of used media something is wrong. Sometimes the rubber shim on the take-up spindle gets shoved into one of the plastic ends or something. It's normal for the supply-side to be a little bit loose while it's running; the film is pushing in the opposite direction. And as far as saturating the pads goes, a lot of people tend to get confused -- in fact it's been discussed here before. A little bit goes a long way. FilmGuard is really efficient! I've found I get best results, at least on Christie media cleaners, by spraying from the outboard edge of the roll to the inboard edge in one continuous motion such that a little less than 1 pull of the trigger lasts all the way across. Then I rotate and repeat until the pads are nicely soaked. Good luck and happy cleaning.  |  IP: Logged Chris Nolan Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Fairfax, Va, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 07-10-2008 09:09 PM                     To be specific, they're just very lose when not being used. They definitely get a bit tighter once the film is running through the cleaner, I was just checking to see if its being this lose when not in use was cause for alarm.  |  IP: Logged Alban Birch Film Handler Posts: 63 From: Luxembourg-city , Luxembourg Registered: Jan 2007 posted 07-16-2008 06:31 AM                        I hope it's ok that I post my question here. Is the Christie Cleaner a relabeled Kelmar? Thanks  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-16-2008 01:07 PM                     Instruction sheets Yes, the Christie FC1 is essentially the same as the Kelmar cleaner.  |  IP: Logged

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