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Author Topic: Film-Tech Media pads Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-16-2003 02:59 PM                     I have never found a good way to soak the rolls before loading to the cleaner. It's just too messy. The instruction sheets we have been shipping with FilmGuard kits now have pictures demonstrating the easiest way to saturate the pads. Basically I mount the cleaner on the platter or set it upside down on the edge of a table, then with the pads loaded and ready to run I pull 1/2 rotation of media from the supply side and saturate the "top" side. Then I roll it back and saturate the "top" side, which is really the other side. Repeat for the second roll. You won't lose a drop and it only takes about 15-20 seconds of time. The media in the picture is an old pic of Kelmar media. (Note the dates on this thread.) We have been running experiments with a few different textured pads like that, and the results have shown that while the FG is applied moreso in streaks (it smooths out during projection so it's a non-issue) a textured pad does a better job of scratch protection with dirty film. Think about this, if the film is dirty and you are using regular flat media, a large clump of dirt has nowhere to go. While the print has to be pretty dirty for this to happen (first run theaters generally don't need to worry about it), the texture does provide extra protection and permits cleaning at higher tensions without risk of scratching. This is because as a large clump of dirt is wiped from the print, the dirt gets caught down inside the grooves of the media while the film safely passes overhead, further protecting the film from scratching while still getting the benefit of a wiping style of film cleaning. The current media we are shipping is similar to the picture of Kelmar's textured media above, but is of a slightly higher grade and does not have the varying width issue and splices in the rolls like have been found in the Kelmar media. This fall we are introducing a new coupling core too which has it's own design benefits. You'll know it when you see it, because it says "Film-Tech on it. As always though, changes take a little bit of time to make it to the field, as many dealers have lots of stock in-house.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-16-2003 08:25 PM                     Our cleaners are mounted atop the projectors. Actually we are still using PTRs across the board but we do have one Kelmar cleaner and some FilmGuard for special situations. For some reason, our print of SINBAD was shedding very badly. One pass through the projector left dirt all over the place. FilmGuard sorted that out. ...back to applying FG to the web media... I apply it with the rolls in my hand, making sure that I first tape the end onto the take-up roller (or else the tape won't stick). I use latex gloves to prevent getting FG all over my hands. Love the smell! Is that an additive or is that how it naturally smells?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-16-2003 08:41 PM                     Doin' it the hard way, huh Manny? Guess it's coming time for me to make a video to show how easy applying it is. The mix doesn't smell too great on it's own. You're smelling an additive.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-16-2003 09:06 PM                     Leave me alone! Please Brad...Make the video.  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 07-16-2003 10:00 PM                     Manny, You should be using VINYL gloves instead of latex gloves. (if you want to wear them; this comment is more appropriate for those doing cleaning by hand) Oil/solvent based film cleaners will break down the latex and cause it to tear. Gawd, I feel like I'm giving a safe lecture. Danny  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-16-2003 10:06 PM                     Nobody panic! The gloves come off long before any latex breakdown occurs.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 07-16-2003 10:18 PM                        I've had best luck putting the cleaner on a table. The magic tape issue is easily fixed by cleaning the takeup core with a little naptha. For that matter, you can also use naptha to clean enough filmguard off the end of a roll to get tape to stick. We run double features at the drive-in. A white roll is long enough to run the whole show... and we're talking trailers, "T3", more trailers, then "Matrix Reloaded". If I had any gripe about the process, it'd probably be the quality of the spray head itself. Everything else is first class! One question, Brad. If this stuff will stay on a print for nearly a year before evaporating, how can you reapply a fully soaked pad weekly without a lot of accumulation? The media does seem to dry out over the week's time. Is there still sufficient solution on the print to accomplish it's purpose and still shield the print from accumulated dirt on the media? Is the print actually absorbing that much solution...... or ????  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-16-2003 10:45 PM                     A weekly rotation is what was found to be the best overall timetable. When it is said that it stays on the print for up to a year, that depends on the film stock, climate and is referring to completely evaporating to the point of not being able to tell it was ever applied to the film in the first place. Even though the pads start to dry out toward the end of the week, there is sufficient FG still on the print for protection. Most theaters don't have the luxury of a media cleaner per screen, so they hit a film for a few shows, then resoak and move it to the next one.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-16-2003 11:32 PM                        How about selling the media pads "pre-soaked?" Given a choice, that's how I'd buy'em. They could be packaged airtight, like moist handwipes are. What the hell, if they can sell "green ketchup" and cheese slices individually wrapped, then anything should be possible.  |  IP: Logged Steven Pickles Film Handler Posts: 81 From: Gainesville, FL, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 07-17-2003 12:48 AM                     Mike, I agree, that is a really good idea. Presoaked would be my preferred way to apply FG to a print... instead of having to mess with the cleaning rolls and applying the product myself.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 07-17-2003 02:15 AM                        It's an interesting thought. However, if the best method of application is to use a fully saturated roll, it would be much like a sponge. Any pressure would cause FG to press out of the roll. Shipping & handling might leave the roll quite a bit less saturated than it should be. Ahhhh... you say. Put the roll in a crush-proof plastic hermetically sealed container to prevent leaks and evaporation during shipping and storage! Good idea. How much extra should we pay for that???? The system is well worth the money... but it's by no means inexpensive. Brad's probably made a good compromise between efficiency and economics. That's my vote, anyway.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-17-2003 02:49 AM                        i don't really mind getting the stuff all over my hands. i figure it's healthy. filmguard cures everything, right? while we're talking about pre-soaked pads, it occured to me the other day to only throw away the spent portion of the media when unloading the cleaner. i snipped off the virgin ends that had never touched film, but were saturated w/ f-g, and put them in a baggy. now whenever i need to scrub off some tape gunk, i just reach for a pre-soaked wipe and don't need to further deplete my supply of "liquid gold". carl  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-17-2003 03:39 AM                     Presoaked pads will never happen. This was an original consideration, but after a minimal amount of testing it was found that the boxes would end up having a specific shelf life forcing constant roatation and also it would have drastically jacked up the cost. Then there is the issue of the wet ends for taping to the takeup cores. Trust me, the current way is the only way to go.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-17-2003 06:39 AM                     I liked the blue pads.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-17-2003 08:05 AM                     Yeah -- how the heck would you tape down a roll of media that had been pre-soaked? You'd go bonkers trying. (Trust me.)  |  IP: Logged

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