From: dawiba@hotmail.com
[1] Re: how to clean
Date: Fri May 01 1998

If it's the film / negatives that are dirty, try:

1. Kodak make a solution called Film Cleaner. If you can get some, use as per instructions on bottle.

2. Alternatively, try re-washing the film in tank or tray of gently turbulent water, then hang film to dry.

For dirty prints, try re-washing as per the films. And when dry, put the films / prints in some of those protective plastic sleeves, to prevent further dirtying.

From: Jim Bradshaw jimbrad@erols.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs
Subject: Re: HELP: Dirty slides & negatives
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 1998

> I have several old slides and negatives that are dirty (finger
> prints, spilled crap, etc.) Can you tell me what I need to, and
> how to, clean film without destroying it? Any help would be
> greatly appreciated. 

Gene,

If the spilled crap is oil soluble, both it and the fingerprints can be removed by PEC-12 emulsion cleaner. The manufacturer is Photographic Solutions, 7 Granston Way, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532, USA, 1-508-759-2322. I would try that first. BTW, PEC-12 is also good for cleaning prints, color or B/W.

Anything that PEC-12 doesn't remove is probably water soluble and should be removeable in a solution of Photo-Flo or similar wetting agent, diluted as directed. Let the film soak for awhile and g-e-n-t-l-y rub the submerged film with your fingers - in the solution.

Good luck,

From: tnaser@my-dejanews.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: Help unstick flooded photos
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998

  shill66@typhoon.xnet.com (Steven Hill) wrote:
>
> I've got a small stack of autographed photos that have suffered water
> damage.  Is there *any*> way to separate them? Chemicals?
> -shill

Place the photos back in water and let them soak for awhile (10-15 minutes). By rewetting them they will usually come unstuck by themselves without the use of any chemicals. This has worked for me in the past.

Good luck,
Tom

rec.photo.misc
Date: Sat Jun 20 1998
From: Christopher Kaine ckaine@one.net
[2] HELP!!! Removing ball-point pen ink

Help:

My daughter has drawn on two irreplacable and important 20 year-old color and a black and white photos. IS THERE ANY WAY TO REMOVE THE BALL-POINT PEN INK????

Your assistance will be very welcomed!!!

TIA

Chris Kaine
ckaine@one.net

rec.photo.misc
From: mr645@aol.com (Mr 645)
[2] Re: HELP!!! Removing ball-point pen ink
Date: Sat Jun 20 1998

Try Windex, and rub lightly with your finger. Then rinse the prints in clean water with a drop soap, and let dry.

You could also have the prints digital repaired and reprinted.

Jon

From: "db" db@rock.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs
Subject: Cleaning Fungal Growth off Slide Film
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998

I have about a thousand slides with fungal growth on them. Some more severe than others. I have already cleaned a few hundred using EDWAL film cleaner (receommended by local photoshop). EDWAL sort of works, but I was hoping that there might be something better.

I saw a reference to PEC-12 in a magazine recently and they claim it can remove fungal growth from emulsion easily without damaging the slide.

Can anyone give me some advice on removal off fungal growth from slides in general, and make some comments on the comparative effectiveness and use of EDWAL versus PEC-12. Are there any other products of methods that you know of?

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Dion Kriel
dk@simrad.ca

rec.photo.film+labs
From: Dave@makki.demon.co.uk (Dave Jackson)
[1] Re: Fingerprints on glossy photos
Date: Sun Jun 21 1998

 > >> Joe Capasso wrote in message > >> >
> >> > Anyone know anything that will remove finger prints from a
> glossy finish
> >> >photograph?  Sometimes if it isn't that bad, just aplain
> tissue will remove
> >> >them...... Anyone know anything else??
> >> >
> >> >Joe
> >> >capasso@cyberenet.net

Lighter fluid on soft lens cloth usually does the trick. If stubborn try wiping on some nose grease (HONESTLY) first then lighter fluid on soft lens cloth:-)

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998
From: "Guillaume Dargaud" dargaud@sung3.ifsi.rm.cnr.it
Subject: Re: Cleaning slides

>Does anyone know if, how or where do you clean old photo slides (shot
>with a Nikon of course)? Can one do this oneself or is it a professional
>job?

- - For dust, use an pressurised air cannister.

- - For fingerprints, marmelade and such, open up the slide, put the film in a glass of water for 10 minutes, wipe it gently between your fingers, wipe it with an dry clothe (the kind that won't leave fluf).

- - For scrapes on the _plastic_ side of the film (the front), I use Tetenal REPOLISAN. It works great but you have to be careful (it's a solvent of the film plastic): if you leave the slide too long inside, it will melt !

- - For scrapes on the _emulsion_ side (the back), there's nothing you can do short of scanning/retouching the picture.

Hope this helps,
- -----------------
Guillaume Dargaud
CNR/IFA
http://sung3.ifsi.rm.cnr.it/~dargaud/Antarctica/DomeC.html

rec.photo.misc
From: Kathy Flynn kalliope@pacbell.net
[1] Re: damaged photographs
Date: Fri Sep 04 1998

LenS's advice was correct. Once your water damaged photographs have dried the only way to separate them is to rinse them in a tank of cold, running water until the overflow runs clear. Do not run the water directly on the photographs as this may damage the emulsions. Cold water is important as the cold minimizes emulsion softening.

As soon as possible, start to gently separate the prints from each other, working with them submerged in clean water. Separate them as much as possible without forcing, then return them to the water bath as you start another batch. Return to previously worked batches for additional separation.

Wash separated materials in cold running water. Keep them submerged, since dried-on dirt may be difficult or impossible to remove. Then, hang to dry.

Kathy

From: mullin@selway.umt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: Preserving slides
Date: Fri, 07 Aug 1998

Istvan Zsolt Kovacs istvan@kom.auc.dk wrote:

> Hi!
>
> I'm relatively newbie in the slide photography, having a growing
> collection of shots. :)
> My question: what is the best way to store/preserve slide
> pictures (mounted/unmounted) ?

Store them in a cool, dark, place, ideally with about 20%-30% relative humidity. Unprojected Kodachrome will last much better than any other slide film, and much better than any color negatives or ordinary color prints. If stored in the dark, the first barely visible color changes should take about 100 years to manifest themselves.

Kodachrome fades quite badly when projected, so if you expect to project a particular image very much, make a duplicate on Ektachrome or Fujichrome and project that. 40 years later, when the duplicate has faded away, make another duplicate for projection.

--Chris mulin@selway.umt.edu

From: James Robinson @ERIE.NET
Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs
Subject: Re: Help!Mildew on slides
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998

Bill Cheesman wrote:

> I have some old 35 mm slides(Kodachrome) which have been stored
> improperly and have developed mildew on the emulsion side of the slide.
> Is there any way I can clean these or at least reduce the damage?  I
> plan to scan them so that I will be able to fix some damage.
>
> Thanks for any advice.

I'm not sure if this is your problem or not, but very old Kodachrome (pre 1960, as a wild guess?) was coated with a varnish that was sometimes attacked by fungus. The varnish can be removed, and if the fungus has only attacked the varnish, the slide will be relatively undamaged. If the fungus has attacked the emulsion, then some damage to the slide will have occurred. At least the damage will be halted by the treatment. Kodak at one time would remove the varnish for you, not sure if they still will, but they may still have the chemical available for you to do it yourself.

From: guyville@worldnet.att.net (Chris Hornbeck)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs
Subject: Re: Help!Mildew on slides
Date: 14 Aug 1998

I've used Edwal film cleaner, available at my local photo shop, to clean 1950's Kodachromes, removing the varnish in the process. Cottons swabs on a stick, changed often, did the trick.

These are my family's childhood slides, so God have mercy on me if I've done wrong....

But they look great.

Chris Hornbeck, Guyville

rec.photo.misc
From: Cruiser ziegler@mediaone.net
[1] Re: negative cleaning/restoration
Date: Sun Sep 06 1998

Hmmm, this is a tricky one. The best way to get them apart is to get them wet again. You need to use a wetting agent like Photo-Flo (a Kodak product, essentially a mild soap, available at any place that sells black and white developing chemistry), say a capfull in a tray of water at 68 degrees F. Hotter water could damage the film. Then let the negatives soak for up to a few hours. Eventually the water will soak through the paper and the paper will separate from the film. Hang the negatives to dry in a dust free place with film clips or clothes pins, being careful not to clip on the image itself.

Nick Booth wrote:

> I've found a bag of negative shot in the 1960s by my father and would
> like to make my own prints. BUT..the protective paper sleeves have
> become stuck to the neg, I think because they've got damp at some point.
>
> Could some wise soul please lend me advise as to how best clean/wash the
> neg??
>
> many thanks
>
> --
> Nick Booth                                      Weta Digital Effects
> nick@wetafx.co.nz        PO Box 15 208 Miramar Wellington New Zealand
> http://www.wetafx.co.nz      Phone +64 4 380 9080  Fax +64 4 380 9010

From: LenS LENSTON@worldnet.att.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: damaged photographs
Date: 31 Aug 1998

Harr 32 wrote:

>
> I hope someone in this group can offer some suggestions....
> I was at a friends working on photograph albums and left a shoebox of pictures
> at her house.....near a window.....I left...it rained!  Now I have  about 15
> "booklets"
> that are stuck together.  Is there any way to salvage them?
>
> Can they be sprayed with something and separated?  Am I out of luck?
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated!
>
> DJH

You didn't mention what kind of prints they were. If they're Polaroid prints, I have no idea what to do.

If they're color prints made by drugstore or processing center, you might try soaking in room temperature water. Try a small "booklet" first. Some of them might come apart. Don't yield to the temptation to try to peel them apart too soon. If the soaking will work, they'll pretty much come apart by themselves. Now, please realize that soaking might ruin them, but if they're essentially ruined already, you have little to lose.

If they're black and white prints, definitely try soaking them in water.

Someone else might have some other ideas. Soaking is all I can think of.

Good luck!

-Len

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998
From: "Alex Cruickshank" cruias@ozemail.com.au
Subject: water-soaked negatives [v04.n178/11] [v04.n181/10]

>i recently discovered that my slides and negatives (spanning 12 years of
>work) had been exposed to water at some point in the last 6 months.
>(snip)
>my question is this: many of the negatives clearly have water between
>the negative and the sleeve. should i allow this to dry or keep them all
>wet (in a pan, etc) until i can take them to a professional lab to have
>them rinsed and dried?
>(snip)
>bradley

Bradley,

My quick suggestion is to be careful! The emulsion softens and may even separate from the backing. Mechanical damage is the most serious risk. I lost a batch of prints (150!) many years ago when the emulsion separated from the backing due to long exposure to water (24 hours)

A quick call to the conservators at your local museum or the professionals at your local pro-lab may provide some useful information. Otherwise I would slowly dry the negatives with minimal movement. Best of luck!

Alex

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998
From: "Guillaume Dargaud" dargaud@sung3.ifsi.rm.cnr.it
Subject: Re: water-soaked negatives [v04.n179/26] [v04.n181/1]

I'm in no way a specialist on the matter, but here's what I remember: Films that have been in water a long time tend to have VERY fragile gelatin. There can be also some color migration.

My advice would be to take some slides out, remove the possible drops of water by a light contact with a cloth and let them dry like this.

For the strips, take some out very carefully, possibly by cutting the paper/plastic of the sleeve.

For rolls of films: if unexposed, throw them away. If exposed... you have a problem. Ideally, you should soak them for a while, open them up in the dark, dry them in the dark, wind them back in. That's because the gelatin will stick to the back of the film and tear if it's dry.

Good luck and try first.

- -----------------
Guillaume Dargaud
CNR/IFA
http://sung3.ifsi.rm.cnr.it/~dargaud/Antarctica/

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998
From: "Curfman, Donald (GEIS)" Donald.Curfman@geis.ge.com
Subject: RE: water-soaked negatives [v04.n178/11] [v04.n180/1]

        > my question is this: many of the negatives
        > clearly have water between the negative and
        > the sleeve. should i allow this to dry or
        > keep them all wet (in a pan, etc) until i
        > can take them to a professional lab to have
        > them rinsed and dried?

Handle them gently, the emulsion will be very soft.

-Don

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998
From: "Parsons, Mark" MHP1@pge.com
Subject: re: water soaked negatives [v04.n180/3]

Bradley -

If your negs were exposed to clean water, they will be fine assuming you don't damage them trying to dry them. I wouldn't let them dry in the sleeves. You were smart to keep them wet. If they dry in the sleeves or in contact with cardboard or almost anything else, then you could have problems - - film tends to stick to things if touching something when it dries. One thing to be careful of - film is more sensitive to scratching when the emulsion is wet. Also, do not immerse in hot water OR rapidly change the temperature of the water they're in (in either direction). To do so can result in reticulation - fine cracks in the emulsion (crazing) caused by too-rapid expansion or contraction of the gelatin which holds the emulsion.

What I would do is proceed from here as though you had just finished developing a roll of film in the darkroom: Remove the film from the sleeves and wash in clear water. You've already done this enough, I think :-) . Rinse in photo-flo solution to avoid spots from hard water leaving mineral deposits on the film (a drop or two of detergent in a quart of water will work as well). Squeegee the water off with a film squeegee or clean wet fingers (I prefer fingers - less chance of scratching). Then hang the film in a dust free environment until dry (clothspins on a string stretched over the bathtub will do). Then place negs in new sleeves and you're done. You can salvage the contact sheets the same way, except don't bother with photo-flo rinse (will save you lots of time vs. having to print up new proof sheets for all your negs). Feel free to e-mail if you have further questions. (I know the agony of losing precious negatives).

Best wishes,
Mark Parsons

rec.photo.film+labs
From: "Knox Custom Labs" knoxlabs@totalink.net
[1] Re: cleaning 35mm negatives
Date: Fri Jan 15 1999

Ask your lab to re-wash your negs. Make sure they soak long enough to soften the gels on the film base, re-wash, then stabalize again. After drying, your film should be clean. (scratches are there for good)

Andy Pastuszak wrote

>Hello all,
>
>Please excuse if this question has already been asked, but I could not
>find anything on an internet search and photo.net did not have anything
>on this topic,so here goes.
>
>While cleaning out my trunk,I came across a bunch of negatives lying
>that were about 9 years old.  There are some fine sratches on them, and
>these is a chance that there was something spilled on them.  Some have
>fingerprints and dirt on them.
>
>Now, I know you're all cringing after hearing that, but these pictures
>were taken LONG BEFORE I knew a damn thing about film and cameras and I
>forgot they even existed.
>
>I would like to clean off the negatives and send them off for reprints,
>since they do contain some memories my wife and I would like to keep.
>Obviously the scratching will be a problem, but I would like to see what
>I can get.
>
>How do I clean these things off?  Damp cloth?  Dry cloth?  Pray to God?
>
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>Andy Pastuszak
>pastusza@voicenet.com     

From rec.photo.misc
From: Carolyn Hansard abodemc@mags.net
Subject: Re: Fingerprints on Prints
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998

Avraham Mark Jacobs wrote:

> How do you remove fingerprints from prints without damaging the prints?
> TIA
>
> Avie Jacobs
> jacobs@csis.csis.csd.metrotor.on.ca

Use lighter fluid (Ronson or Zippo). Don't try anything else.

From: "Robert" lightpainter@psn.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc,rec.photo.film+labs
Subject: Re: Fingerprints on Prints
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1998

Photographic Solutions makes a product called pec-12 It will take even sharpie (permanent marker) markings off of prints.

Buy it from a camera store in your area or try B&H; photo.

-Robert

From: Elizabeth Stone elizabeth@photosol.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs
Subject: Re: Fingerprints on Prints
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998

> Will pec-12 remove the (sniff!) mildew that has grown on these?  I'm
> serious. I was very excited upon finding these slides, and then was
> totally let down to discover the mold.
> --Larry

Yes; PEC will remove the mold. BUT keep in mind that mold eats the emulsion (if it is truly mildew, it is only on the emulsion side; the side that has the processor/film type printed on the mount). Once the mold is removed, there may be little or no emulsion left if the damage was severe. More details can be seen at our website or by calling.

David M. Stone
PHOTOGRAPHIC SOLUTIONS, INC.
http://www.photosol.com

Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999
From: Alan Zinn azinn@netbox.com
To: panorama-l@sci.monash.edu.au
Subject: Re: OT: FUNGUS ON TRANNIES

>>Does anyone know of a remedy for fungus on trannies?
>
>Film cleaners do kill fungus as they contain mostly spirits.
>
>Zonghou Xiong

The problem is that the fungus eats away at the emulsion so that there is no way to get rid of the damage. I am hopeful that the new digital duping processes will alleviate some of the damage in the same way as dust and scratches. btw did someone point out that it is the Ektachrome type film that is most susceptible to fungus? I've never seen fungus on old Kodachromes.

AZ

From: Richard Davis scanman@atlantic.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Restoration Tutorial Photoshop
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999

Additions of 20 photos showing a step by step process of the attempted restoration of a seriously fire and water damaged photo. The new photos with information on how this restoration was accomplished have been added to the Restoration album at Photopoint.

[Ed. note: page was at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=10081 - now not found by link checker 2/2003]

There are also two other Tutorials on Photo Corrections and Changing heads to new bodies. I will be adding to these Albums as time permits so if you are interested in work of this type you may want to check back from time to time. If so you may want to bookmark the URL.

Thank you for any interest,
Rick

Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000
From: tintype@megsinet.com (Peter Mikalajunas)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: FUNGUS! My slides are being devoured...

...

>HELP!  I realize this may not be the place for this
>question, but thought I'd start here.  A selection of my
>transparencies have been attacked by fungus.  I am
>requesting any information out there on how best to proceed.
>Is there a wash or other solution?  Any ideas appreciated.
>
>Chris Anderson
>http://www.darklightimagery.net

Well, if the fungus has had time, it may be too late.



Kodak publication E-30 covers this at:


Kodak
Pub. E-30
 


On a couple of slides that are hopeless you can also try the
following:



Remove them from their mounts and place on clean dry surface.     



Remove all surface debris with some canned air.



Very lightly, with a small cotton swab apply hydrogen-peroxide (the
stuff they sell for cuts in a pharmacy).  The cotton should just be
lightly moist.  If this helps, place the slide in bright sun and allow
to dry for a 48 hours.



In some cases, where the fungus has not ruined the emulsion, this can
help.



The best thing you can do, is take all the slide out of storage.  Lay
them out in bright sun light for a day or two.  This will promote a
natural drying process, assuming your relative is at or below 50%.
The UV from the sun light will also help to kill off the fungus.


                                                                 
Spend some time on the Kodak site looking at what they have to say
about storage.



The problem is that for good storage, slides should be kept in
darkness.  That sets up the 1st condition for fungus growth.  You have
to control the other 2 conditions more closely, temperature and
relative humidity, if at all possible.



Peter Mikalajunas


Photo links

http://www.megsinet.com/tintype 




Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000

From: Tony Spadaro tonysp@my-deja.com

Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs

Subject: Re: Cleaning Old 35mm Slides


Before you try anything - scan them at highest resolution and bit
depth. Then if you destroy the slide you have the scan. The surface
contamination could be a fungus which eats emulsion. If you remove it
you find a clear spot on your film.

	

  I use only a soft artists brush before scanning. So far no commercial
product I've tried has helped much on old slides, but I've not yet
tried PEC. The Digital ICE in the scanner is the best film cleaner I
ever found. Much practice with Photoshop helps too. The book "Photoshop
Retoucher's Handbook" is worth many times the price. If you just
rubberstamp around trying to cover blemishes you tend to make new ones
as you go.

	



From Nikon Mailing List:

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 

From: "Sirius" sirius@gtn.on.ca

Subject: Re: [NIKON] Sharpie markers survive Miracle!



> In case anyone else is curious, I just ran a Sharpie marker through my
> washing machine after a long photo trip.
>
> It came out nice and clean, and did not leak at all.  Of course I ran this
> test by accident.  I'm impressed at how well the cap is sealed and secured!




In case you're wondering, although advertised as "permanent", the ink
in a Sharpie marker can be removed from a negative or slide with
PEC-12 film cleaner. It will remove anything that's oil-based,
including fingerprints, but won't touch water-based inks.



Its inventor reportedly spilled several chemicals on irreplaceable
negatives belonging to the photographer for whom he was an assistant.
They noticed that it cleaned them and it took 12 tries to replicate
the mixture so that they could produce it in quantity.



Jeff






Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000
	
From: Zeuspaul john@zeuspaul.com

Newsgroups: rec.photo.film+labs

Subject: Re: Moisture damaged slides - need assistance



TheCharlie wrote:


>  Zeuspaul john@zeuspaul.com wrote:
>
> >Ron Ginsberg wrote:
> >>
> >> Zeuspaul wrote:
> >> >
> >> Should a wetting agent be added to the isopropyl for smooth application
> >> and reduce spotting in drying? If so, which.
>
> NO ISOPROPYL alcohol, under ANY circumstances!!!
> (Most isopropyl alcohol is sold as 'Rubbing Alcohol" )




Kodak recommends Isopropyl Alcohol.  They recommend you do not use
rubbing alcohol as it has additives and will streak. They also indicate
it has water in it and may soften the emulsion and may cause damage to
the image forming dyes..



Kodak quoted material




http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/cis145/cis145.
shtml



Solvents


 You can use some solvents to remove grease, oil, and dirt from
 photographic products. Kodak has reviewed the performance of a
 number of photographic cleaning solvents. Although we have not tested
 all the cleaning solvents on the market, we have found that isopropyl
 alcohol is an effective cleaning solvent for photographic materials.



 Isopropyl Alcohol


 We recommend isopropyl alcohol that has a purity of 98 percent or
 higher as a good, general-purpose cleaning solvent for photographic
 materials. Isopropyl alcohol (also known as 2-propanol or isopropanol)
 has several benefits. It is available in small volumes at a reasonable
 price; it has been successful in cleaning tar, streaks, processing
scum,
 and opaque from photographic products; and it had no detrimental
 effect on the image stability of the emulsions we tested.



 Use only isopropyl alcohol that has a purity of 98 percent or higher.
 Alcohol with a lower purity, such as rubbing alcohol, will cause
 streaking and take longer to dry. Also, the higher water content of
 rubbing alcohol may cause the emulsion of the photographic materials
 to swell, resulting in physical damage and possible deterioration of
 image-forming dyes.



 To use isopropyl alcohol:


      Make sure your work area is well ventilated, with sufficient positive
      air flow.
      Use only a soft, lint-free cleaning applicator (e.g., a cotton swab,
      cloth, or glove).
      Slightly moisten the cleaning applicator and re-moisten it as
      needed. Do not saturate the applicator with alcohol. Too much
      alcohol can produce streaks and result in a longer drying time. (If
      streaks form, you can usually remove them by wiping the area with
      a fresh, dry cloth.)
      Clean a small area at a time.
      Repeat the application if necessary to remove foreign matter such
      as china marker, crayon, or other wax-based markers.




End Kodak quoted material






[snip]


> >Not according to Kodak.  The reason for using isopropyl alcohol with no
> >additives is it dries with no residue.
>
> This is false. (unless you can actually FIND Isopropl alcohol that has
> no additives..)  Most Isopropyl alcohol has petroleum distillates in
> it. It absolutely DOES have additives, and it absolutely WILL dry with
> residue!!!




As recommended by Kodak I bought the isopropyl alcohol at a chem supply.
I have not seen any residue.



[snip]


> >  I use alcohol saturated PEC pads to gently wipe the alcohol
> >wetted slide.  Then I use a dry PEC pad and blot the slide by holding it
> >against slide without movement.
>
> ??  I'm not sure I understand this.




PEC pads can be abrasive without a lubricant. So I blot the film when
drying it.  Rubbing it may scratch it.  Blotting the film removes most
of the alcohol.  The remainder dries in a few seconds as long as you
have not added any water.




> >My only problem is the alcohol runs the red ink on the old Kodachrome
> >cardboard mounts.
>
> You dip mounted slides?  Really?!?  I would never think of doing that,
> as it's too easy to remount them..  (But hey.. just asking..)




The cardboard mounts have identifying notes on them in my father's
original hand writing.  It takes about 30 seconds to clean the slide in
the mount.  It would take me a lot longer to remove and clean and
remount and relabel.  There are about 3000 slides.



> >  So I move quickly...just a few seconds for the first
> >alcohol dunk  then a second quick dunk and gentle wash with the alcohol
> >soaked PEC pad then the blot with the dry PEC pad.  I use about 10 PEC
> >pads for a group of 100 slides.
>
> I'm surprised at this technique. I've only used the alcohol as a final
> step, as it 'wicks away' the distilled water..




Kodak recommended alcohol as a general purpose cleaner and as a cleaner
to remove fungus so I used alcohol.  They also recommended against water
as it would soften the emulsion and may damage the image forming dyes so
I used no water.  Also if you dip a cardboard mount in water it would
damage the mount.  I am not recommending cleaning in the mount as Kodak
recommended against it.  However it worked for me and I did not want to
throw away part of the irreplaceable family history.





> >Afterwards I hand wash the PEC pads with dish washing soap followed by
> >several rinses in distilled water...then dry them in the oven.( it saves
> >a few bucks)
>
> It would seem to me that this process costs more in time and effort
> than the price of PEC pads..  (But I've never tried it.. I'm only
> imagining that it would..)




It takes me about five minutes to wash the pads.  Its an hour round trip
to the store to buy more.



Zeuspaul





From Rollei Mailing List;

Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000

From: Richard Knoppow dickburk@ix.netcom.com

Subject: Re: [Rollei] Re: Forget politics, need ansd help with glass
plates!



you wrote:


>I have inherited a closet full of negatives,  prints and glass plates dating
>from the late 1930s with many shot before June, 1910 (one of the Lumiere
>Autocrhome boxes -- lot 448 -- says it is to be processed prior to that
>expiration date). I want to dust them. clean them and eventually scan them
>and/or make prints.
>
>Some are 4.5x6  stereo sets on glass, the Lumiere plates are 6x9 and there
>are some other odd sizes in black and white glass emulsions..
>
>I assume that one does not wash glass plates with water . Should one try
>eyeglass cleaner on the non-emulsion side? Should pne just blow them with
>compressed air and use a soft brush to try to clean the dust off them?
>
>Amd what about mildew?  I also inherited a Goerz Anschutz that looks to be
>OK (if I can figure out how to work the FP shutter) but the leather case it
>came in is mildewed, and I would like to kill the fungus and save the case.
>Any help with that would be appreciated.
>
>For the record the great uncle who was the family photographer served with
>the Austro-Hungarian Mountain Artillery and was captured early in thre
>Italian Alps and spent most of the war interned. The photos my dad took in
>in Europe followed him to the States, which he came to to leave the Nazi
>business behind.
>
>He used a Rolleicord, in case we need to stay on Rollei topic
>
>I also have a bunch of very strange but extremely sharp photo that contact
>print at approximately 1 inch square. I found a contact strip shows
>double-perforations and makes 1-inch negs.. Anyone know what sort of camera
>that could have been? whatever it was it was sharp as a tack! At first I
>thought it might have been a 1/2 frame Leica. Were those made before WWII?
>




  You will find a great deal of information on fungus and mildew on the
Conservation On Line site at http://palimpsest.stanford.edu  Its not easy
to get rid of.



  Do NOT clean the negatives with water or anything that has any water in
it.  Kodak now recommends pure Isopropyl alcohol for emulsion side
cleaning. I've been able to get 99+% pure Isopropyl at Fry's, a computer
store, it was with other cleaning materials. Surface dust should be blown
off with a hand blower. Canned air tends to be too forceful and can leave
a deposit of moisture behind. I would use cotton swabs with the cleaner
and use each only one time. Cleaning the back depends on whether its
coated or not. Some glass plates have gelatin on the back, originally an
anti-halation coating. If the glass is not coated the alcohol or glass
cleaner will work. Just keep it off the emulsion side. Embedded dust will
leave damage to the emulsion, the visible blemishes must be tollerated or
touched out in the prints. 


  Probably the negatives should be copied before doing anything to them.
The emulsions may be tough but some old emulsion will just fall apart when
touched and much will dissolve in water.



  Emulsion which has been attacked by fungus is always water soluble, even
if the fungus is gone. Copying them as they are is about the only thing to
do although the pure alcohol may clean them up.



  You should contact an experienced conservator. Try George Eastman House
for a start.



----

Richard Knoppow

Los Angeles,Ca.

dickburk@ix.netcom.com





rec.photo.misc

From: James Robinson wascana@my-deja.com

Date: Sun Mar 25 2001

[1] Re: Novice needs help salvaging flood damaged prints/negs



Steve Schweickert wrote:


> I suffered a flooded basement some years ago and have now found a box of  old
> photos and negatives that are water damaged and stuck together. What is  the
> best way to clean up, peel apart, and otherwise handle both prints and  negs
> so that I then can get the best scans into photoshop. I can handle the
> photoshop end but I am clueless on the best handling and restoring of  prints
> and negs.




Kodak has a web page that covers the basics of that subject:




http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/service/faqs/faq0700.shtml



In addition, if you do a search in Google or Altavista, there are a
couple of web sites that discuss photo preservation and restoration.
They have some additional pointers on things you might try, like
applying a separated emulsion to another base.



In short, if the negatives or prints have dried while stuck together, it
may be impossible to separate them.  Also, be careful about using too
warm water when attempting to separate things since it softens the
emulsions and will make it easier for them to separate from their
backing instead of from each other.





rec.photo.misc

From: dickburk@ix.netcom.com (Richard Knoppow)

Date: Sun Mar 25 2001

[1] Re: Novice needs help salvaging flood damaged prints/negs



....



 If the photos are of value I would try to contact an experienced
conservator. You may be able to reach one through one of the larger
holders of photo collections. I would try the Library of Congress, the
Getty Museum, Rochester Institute of Technology, for starters.



  Also see the Conservation On Line site for possible additional
information http://palimpsest.stanford.edu



  This is not a trivial problem. The emulsions may have become soluble
and are also likely welded together where they were in contact. There
is also the problem of fungus, which is very common where material has
been in flood water. Even if the fungus is in an inactive state if it
was there  it may have partially digested the gelatin making it
soluble. This is why resoaking shuld be done with great caution.



 The general advise where photographic materials have been in floods
is to keep them wet until they can be washed with fresh water and
dried properly.



  Not ever a happy situation.


---

Richard Knoppow

Los Angeles, Ca.

dickburk@ix.netcom.com





Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 

From: "Al Denelsbeck" denelsbeck@ipass.net

Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.misc

Subject: Re: Old photo stuck to glass




"Joan" Bamboocradle@juno.com wrote 


> I inherited old family pictures when my mother passed away a few
> months ago.  I went thru family albums/frames.  There's a great pix of
> my grandfather (my mom's father), that I wld like to scan & send to
> family members. But.....I guess due to heat/humidity down here in
> Fla., the pix is partially stuck to the glass of the frame.
>
> Any suggestions as to how to unstuck it?  Pix is in excellent
> condition & I made NO attempt to pull it away from the glass.
>
> Thanx





    Joan, 



I had the same question a few months back, and every response
and search result turned up the very basic reply: soak it in water. The
print goes through water as a regular part of its process so it shouldn't
be harmed by this. 


    To be on the safe side, I shot several copies of the portrait first
and made sure I had a good backup before proceeding. Then I soaked the pic
and glass in a basin, completely submerged, for over 24 hours, testing it
from time to time. You have to be real careful doing this, since the
emulsion is softened and will lift off even easier - I would suggest
gently swishing the glass itself back and forth to see if the print is
still following. A few recommendations said use warm, not hot, water, but
the portrait I had (not all that old, from a pro studio) came loose after
another rinse in near-scalding water. 



    Then squeegee it off and place between blotter paper, pressing it flat
under the framing glass until it dries, or it may curl. Do *not* use paper
or cloth towels - the emulsion is still very soft and may pick up threads
and lint.



    The portrait I performed this on came out fine, with some faint
emulsion cracks from where the owners had originally tried to unstick it,
and where I had tested it after a full day's soak, which is why I said to
be very careful with testing. But it otherwise is in excellent condition
and now sits in a frame with a proper matte. 


    Good luck!



    - Al.
                 

                 

                 

From nikon mailing list:
Date: Tue, 07 May 2002 
From: Rick Housh rick@housh.net
Subject: Re: Cleaning slides

 you wrote:
>Mark and Rick Housh thank you for the advice.  Where do you get the Delta 1
>C-100 Total Emulsion Cleaner?

Most any photo shop that sells processing chemicals.  There are several
other equivalent products with different brand names, which seem to differ
little.

>   And lastly, where do you get slide mailers

Most photo mail/phone/internet order houses that sell film, such as B&H;,
Porters, Freestyle, etc.

- Rick Housh -


Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002
From: Colyn colyng@swbell.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: Unsticking prints from glass?

"Brett - N7OLQ" Brett_N7OLQ@yahoo.com wrote:
>I have a few 8x10 color glossy prints that got a little wet while they were
>framed and now about 1/3 of the photo is stuck to the glass.  I am going to
>peel it off, scan it at high resolution and hopefully clean up the damage
>and do a digital print of it.  What is the best way to get it off the glass
>with the least amount of damage?
>
>Thanks

Go to the camera shop and buy a bottle of photo flow solution.

Using distilled water about a quart in a flat pan put several drops of
photo flow per instructions. Place the glass with photo in it and let
it sit for 1 minute (it may take longer depending on how much of the
print is stuck to the glass.

After freeing the print, wash in running water for 5 minutes then let
the print dry..

Colyn Goodson
Ft. Worth, Texas
colyng@swbell.net


From: philtobias@aol.com (Phil Tobias)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Date: 24 Nov 2002 
Subject: Re: Unsticking prints from glass?


>>Why?? I've saved many old family photos this way.. It causes no harm to the
print.. Afterall, processing is a wet process..

        Why? I've personally seen photos destroyed trying to remove them from the
glass. This includes using the wet techniques we're discussing.
        In the case of an irreplaceable photo, scanning it first gives you "something"
to work with if removal fails.
        Better to be safe, than sorry. ...pt



From: bbeauban@aol.com (Bbeauban)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Date: 24 Nov 2002 
Subject: Re: Unsticking prints from glass?

Soak it in warm water with some photo-flo added. It will take quite a while for
the emulsion to absorb enough moisture to release. Scanning first is always a
good idea since you cannot anticipate what condition the print will be in after
it is removed.

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