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Author Topic: Cleaning Glass Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-29-2004 07:49 AM                        The first chief I worked for showed me his way of cleaning porthole glass: take a piece of newspaper, fold it to four thicknesses, put a few drops of projector oil on it and wipe the glass. Leave it for five minutes, then clean off the oil with an second, dry folded sheet of newspaper. It's always worked like a charm for me, leaving the port glasses absolutely spotless.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-29-2004 10:24 AM                     quote: ...why the hell does Windex claim to be streak free??? Windex is an "okay" cleaner if you use it right. Don't use too much of the stuff. Just one or two squirts on an average sized port window is enough. Then you wipe it with a paper napkin to distribute the liquid and dissolve the dirt. Next, you wipe the glass again with a clean napkin to remove the dirt and liquid. Wipe a third time with another napkin to polish the window clean. Your arm will be tired as hell and you'll have a pile of used napkins at your feet but the window will be clean. Like I said, Windex is an "Okay" cleaner. Sometimes you have to go back and do the whole process over again with clear alcohol to get it really clean. It depends on how dirty your windows get between cleanings. I have tried all different kinds of cleaners on port windows. To be honest, the only thing I have found that reliably does a good job is good old-fashioned ELBOW GREASE!  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-29-2004 10:52 AM                     Greasy windows = Film done right !? Actually, I have to agree with Randy. No matter what I use to clean booth windows -- I like Glass Wax (now discontinued) and AMC gave us this chalky liquid stuff -- it still requires a great deal of effort to get them really clean. Brad's next FT product should be a booth window cleaner called "Elbow Grease." I always use a little Elbow Grease...  |  IP: Logged Jackson Gilman Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Madison, WI, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-29-2004 12:33 PM                     As Mr. Stankey said, "It depends on how dirty the window is," our port glass is omega-dirty. So before I start using a light amt. of Windex, would a "sponge" method (such as squeegie-ing a windsheild) be good to get the mayflies and bubblegum off the surface of our port glass before we start putting in all that elbow grease? I'm only saying this as I'm afraid I'll be smearing, and possibly scratching the window further. Either way, thanks for the help, I know it's a "newbie-ish" post. Also, to maintain the continuity of product titling...Elbow-Grease should be hyphonated, and in that "Diablo"-esque font.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-29-2004 04:57 PM                     The absolute glass cleaner I have ever found or used is marketed by Louis Auto Glass, Inc. of 1512 N. State Streeet in Bellingham, WA. It costs about $2.50 per 19 Oz can. It is a chemical composition of 2-Butoxyethanol (111-76-2), Ethyl Alcohol (64-17-5), Methol Alcohol (67-56-1), Deionized Water (7732-18-5) and has a LP propellent gas. This stuff is good!!!!! Brad can attest to that. I used it to clean his grungy portholes in his screening room and when I got done, they were spotless and streakless. They were so clear that you really hardly any light was reflected back from his optical glass. I used the same stuff in Anacortes. I had to use a ladder to clean the auditorium side of the glass. Erecting the latter and removing the ladder took longer than actually climbing up on the latter to clean the glass. It took about 15 seconds to clean the booth side of the glass. When I got done, there was a substancial increase of picture quality on the screen. I could not believe it. I was going to send a couple of cans to Brad (I left him with a "demo" can but I better make good on my promise.) I'll ask Brad to give a review on it, and I am positive it'll be an A+++++. I'll never use anything else to clean porthole windows.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-29-2004 06:10 PM                     The name Elbow Grease is already taken! I'm surprised Phil didn't know about this already!  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-01-2004 08:51 PM                     _____ Anyhoo, is it the ammonia that creates those streaks on the glass? And if so, then why the hell does Windex claim to be streak free??? _____ The last time this topic came up, I mentioned something that a professional auto detailer told me: that a lot of glass streaking comes not from the cleaner but whatever you are using to wipe with. Turns out that you should never use a cleaning cloth that has any traces of fabric softener on it, it seems that the alcohol in the cleaner emulsifies the softener in the rag and causes streaking. Also, most store bought paper towels contain a type of softener in them from manufacture. His suggestion: blank newsprint, which can usually be found at shipping and packaging stores. In a pinch, wadded up newspaper will do. This, by the way, is his favorite glass cleaner, I tried it myself and found that it took off the schmootz that Windex wouldn't touch, now I don't use anything else, it's that awesome. It's available at most Pep Boys and other auto stores.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-02-2004 02:11 AM                        no doubt this is a quality product, and i'm eager to try it, but i can't help noticing the company's name: stoner. way to go, marketers! carl  |  IP: Logged

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