This is topic Alchohol swab in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 07-04-2002, 12:39 PM:
I like how Christie gives you an alchohol swab with each xenon bulb in case the bulb is touched. Can I buy these at a local store? What type of store? And does it matter what kind of alchohol I use? (I don't know what kind is on those Christie swabs, but I've always been told to use denatured alchohol.)----------
This one time, at projection camp, I cleaned a xenon bulb with alchohol, and it was SOOOO funny!
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 07-04-2002, 02:45 PM:
I never knew that! 
I have been installing Christie lamps for 10+ years and I never knew that they gave you an Alchohol Swab in each lamp box. I didn't belive it when I read this post and went to look in a box. There it was in the little Zip Lock bag in the box. In all my years I never touched the lamp glass so I never needed to wipe off fingerprints.
I know I am one of the least observant people I know, but damn! Well I guess that is my new thing to learn today.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 07-04-2002, 04:15 PM:
What? You didn't believe little old me? I'm hurt! 
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 07-04-2002, 06:51 PM:
Ken, maybe they give that swab to wipe something else when the damn thing blows up. 
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 07-04-2002, 08:38 PM:
Actually it is a tiny ballistic jacket in case your tech is Austin Power's "Mini Me" .....a few weeks ago I did some projection / tech training for 60 people and this was one of the items we mentioned.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 07-05-2002, 12:27 AM:
TexPad 801
Posted by Philippe Laude (Member # 79) on 07-05-2002, 01:03 AM:
Ken,
you could use isopropylic alcohol.Philippe
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 07-05-2002, 01:15 AM:
Ken, I use isopropyl alcohol and distilled water (and plenty of it) to clean a suspected contaminated bulb. If I accidently touch a xenon bulb, I'll give the whole bulb a bath....seems to me one clean spot on a dirty bulb can cause almost just as much of a problem as a dirty spot on a clean bulb. As we all know, uneven thermal stress in critical areas of glass is not a very good idea.Don't use tap water. It has too many impurities that are left behind when it dries. If you don't have distilled water available, just a couple of bottles of Isypropyl will do.... 
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-05-2002, 02:16 AM:
We have IPA (isopropyl alcohol, not India pale ale unfortunately 
) swabs which come in sealed paper wrappers in our first aid boxes. I promptly remove these because the idea of using a corrosive chemical to treat a wound is just plain stupid, not to mention the fact that (i) some people are allergic to IPA and (ii) the use of any medicines or chemicals, apart from water and saline solution in eye washes, is illegal in first aid at work here.If you're going to use the stuff on any significant scale, it would probably be a lot cheaper to buy a bottle of IPA and a packet of lint-free (i.e. non-abrasive) cloths than individual, wrapped swabs. As you're not using them for first aid, they don't need to be clinically sterile.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 07-05-2002, 02:21 AM:
....and don't use the same wipe twice. Just like cleaning a floor or a window. You can't clean a window with a dirty rag. Nor can you clean a floor with water that is dirtier than the floor.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-05-2002, 03:07 AM:
...and yet you CAN clean film with "dirty media pads"! (I didn't mean to take away from your serious and good advice, Paul. I just hear that a lot from hard-headed people who won't give some new things a chance. Ya gotta admit though, it's funny to watch people's reactions when it is proven to them.)
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 07-05-2002, 11:10 AM:
quote:
If you're going to use the stuff on any significant scale, it would probably be a lot cheaper to buy a bottle of IPA and a packet of lint-free (i.e. non-abrasive) cloths than individual, wrapped swabs. As you're not using them for first aid, they don't need to be clinically sterile.
I'm not going to be using them on a significant scale. Just to clean a bulb if it is touched. Speaking of first aid, I didn't even think of that. Although they don't need to be clinically sterile, would those work?
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 07-05-2002, 11:52 AM:
Brad:
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-06-2002, 06:17 AM:
Ken - can't see any reason why they wouldn't work. As they are sterile, you'd be sure that there's absolutely nothing in the sealed pouch except the cloth and the IPA.You would have to make sure that the cloth is lint-free, though, or else it might scratch the surface of the bulb.
Posted by Justin McLeod (Member # 1329) on 07-08-2002, 05:06 PM:
I wear thin white cotton gloves when I install a new christie bulb. That way im shure not to get any finger prints on it
Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 07-09-2002, 05:34 PM:
Whenever possible, leave the original wrap or plastic clamshell on the bulb until it is fastened in place and cables tightened before
uncovering the quartz. That's good safety, and prevents fingerprints...........................................................
"In Projection Camp, One-Time-Alice
Used a Xenon bulb for a phallus
They found her vagina in South Carolina
And the rest of Alice-- in Dallas!"
Posted by Justin McLeod (Member # 1329) on 07-09-2002, 05:49 PM:
That is an intresting idea, i never thought of doing that.
I will try that out the next time im authorized to change out a bulb.