This is topic What's the easiest way to remove masking tape from film? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-01-2003, 10:00 PM:
 
I was given a print of a 1980's Festival Theaters policy trailer, but whoever used it last cut off the leaders and then put a big hunk of MASKING TAPE over then end. Since this has been like this for a number of years, the masking tape has left a nasty residue on the tail end of the trailer. There are also a number of fingerprints and crap all over the end of the film, since the tail leader was never spliced back on. Is there any way to clean this, or is it ?
 

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Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 05-01-2003, 10:19 PM:
 
I have used Filmguard to remove masking tape residue with great results. Obviously your situation is different then mine since my residue was only a year old at worst. Try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.
 

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Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-01-2003, 10:24 PM:
 
Filmguard will aid in masking tape residue removal.
 

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Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 05-02-2003, 01:24 AM:
 
I've always used lighter fluid (has Naptha in it).
 

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Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-02-2003, 04:04 AM:
 
Whew. I'm relieved to know this IS salvageable! Now I have to get my hands on some Film-Guard and I'll have to befriend a projectionist at the local megaplex so I can actually view this thing!!
 

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Posted by Mike Rendall (Member # 1499) on 05-02-2003, 07:46 AM:
 
From a scientific point of view, the best product so far that can dissolve the glue residue but without attacking the film base is 1,1,1-TriChloroethane. This substance IS hazardous to health when used in very large quantities but for small cleaning purposes on very bad prints with an open window or adequate ventilation is fine.

In the UK, this used to be sold as Tipp-ex thinner but I think they have since changed the base solvent.

Being a chemist I also tried a selection of other solvents (in a proper chemical laboratory rather than in a film exhibition environment) and I would discount any of the following as they didn't work :

Ethanol
Acetone / propanone (Eats polyester prints!)

I am still looking to see if there are any other solvents out there - (would be interesting to find out what the key ingredient in film guard is!)

Mike
 

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 05-02-2003, 07:52 AM:
 
Film Guard is great for cleaning dirt and hiding scratches, but for removing tape residue, I prefer ECCO 1500 film cleaner, available at many larger camera stores and on-line. The ECCO works better on tape residue and evaperates quickly.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-02-2003, 08:04 AM:
 
Kodak's website has a list of solvents suitable for film cleaning:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/hse/solvent.jhtml?id=0.2.16.20&lc=en

1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) was widely used as a film cleaner (was the primary solvent used in many proprietary film cleaning formulas), but it is no longer manufactured because of the Montreal Protocol agreement to eliminate the use of chemicals that deplete stratospheric ozone.

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/

http://www.epa.gov/docs/ozone/intpol/

http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/ozonelayer/ozonemain.htm

http://millimeter.com/ar/video_kodak_receives_epa/index.htm

Mike Rendall wrote:

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Acetone / propanone (Eats polyester prints!)

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Just curious what does the 1,1,1 in 1,1,1-TriChloroethane stand for?

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Information only an organic chemist would love:

http://www.lhc.org.uk/members/pubs/books/chem/cheabaaa.htm

http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemical/trichlor.htm

(Same formula, different chemical structure or "isomers")
 

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Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 05-02-2003, 10:31 AM:
 
thanks, but what is an organic chemist.....
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-02-2003, 10:41 AM:
 

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...what is an organic chemist?

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Learn to be a Organic Chemist!!! Make plastics in your spare time!!! Make your own brewski!!! Why buy drugs, when you can make your own!!!

http://www.chemhelper.com/

http://people.ouc.bc.ca/woodcock/molecule/molecule.html

http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/organic/flashcards/

http://www.cem.msu.edu/~parrill/

BTW, I am NOT an organic chemist!
 

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Posted by John Spooner (Member # 1565) on 05-02-2003, 11:59 AM:
 
As a matter of interest I had encountered this type of thing in the past, sticky residue on the film from old adhesive tape.
I spoke to a professional window cleaner associate and he advised that they use eucalptus oil to remove such residues as left by stickers on glass surfaces.
I tried some eucalyptus oil on some sticky residue on a film tail and the residue came off quickly and completely.
You may care to try this method to remove the masking tape residue. John Spooner.
 

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Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 05-02-2003, 12:29 PM:
 
You should also probably store the trailer wound in the opposite direction for a while to help remove excessive curl and prevent focus problems if you ever get to run it.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-02-2003, 01:14 PM:
 

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You should also probably store the trailer wound in the opposite direction for a while to help remove excessive curl and prevent focus problems if you ever get to run it.

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quote:

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Learn to be a Organic Chemist!!! Make plastics in your spare time!!! Make your own brewski!!! Why buy drugs, when you can make your own!!!

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someone quick, remind me why i am a projectionist......
 

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Posted by Don E. Nelson (Member # 1049) on 05-02-2003, 04:33 PM:
 
aahhhhhh,............I was going to ask the F-T Forums how to remove 35mm film from masking tape, so that I could re-use the masking tape and throw the film away, but it looks like I won't have to ask that question now. . Thanks

By the way, at lunch today I went to the U.S. Post Office and bought 3 sheets (10 to a sheet)of stamps, honoring :"American Film Making: Behind The Scenes", I was very impressed with how they look. Each stamp is the size of a frame of 35mm film and depicts a different aspect of film making. The film editing one is especially good, now how about a stamp paying tribute to projectionists.
 

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Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 05-02-2003, 07:22 PM:
 
On some realy bad masking tape dried up goo, I used Goof-Off, and then lighter fluid.
 

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Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 05-03-2003, 05:43 PM:
 

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Just curious what does the 1,1,1 in 1,1,1-TriChloroethane stand for?

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The 3 Chlorine atoms are all bonded to the first carbon atom. I think.
 

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Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-03-2003, 05:51 PM:
 
Thanks for all the tips/suggestions. I found some old 3 inch 16mm cores at work, so I put two of those together and wound my trailers on those. (Unfortunately the rewind bench we've got is 16mm so I ended up winding them on very carefully by hand.) There was some curling in the film so I wound them the opposite way on the cores. I've decided not to try to clean it until I get access to proper cleaning equipment, since the entire print needs cleaning. (And leaders put back on...) These trailers have more than likely been sitting at the back of some drawer ever since Festival morphed into Mann, so they probably haven't been touched in 15 years.
 

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Posted by Mike Rendall (Member # 1499) on 05-06-2003, 03:32 AM:
 
Yep - You're correct... To work out molecules it is usually easier to work in reverse. In the case of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane start with the ethane molecule. This is C2H6, working forward we then know that there are three chlorine atoms replacing 3 of the hydrogens. C2H3Cl3. Finally the numbers tell us exactly what atom(s) the chlorines are on, as was discussed previously, the first carbon.

Er - my text diagram didn't work because the system removed all the spaces - watch this space, I will upload a picture....

Sorry to bore people. With regards to Trichloroethane(TCE), it is possible to purchase it from our laboratory suppliers for chemical use. It may be worth trying to see if other companies would be willing to sell it to you in bottles of about a litre?

Our laboratory suppliers are : Sigma Aldrich UK Website .

P.s. Sorry, I am unable and unwilling to get chemicals for anyone so please don't ask me. Thanks
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-06-2003, 07:06 AM:
 
I thought that the European Union had banned sales of 1,1,1 at the end of 1995. I took my film archiving master's degree in 1995-96, and distinctly remember being told in one of the lectures that archives around Europe were busily stockpiling drums of 1,1,1 for their ultrasonic cleaning machines, because it would be illegal to buy and sell it as from the end of that year (95). Maybe he really meant illegal to manufacture it, and existing supplies could still be traded. Percholoroethylene is, AFAIK, the solvent of choice for ultrasonic cleaners now though there was a huge debate about it at the time, with some people arguing that distilled water would in fact be more effective.
 

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Posted by Mike Rendall (Member # 1499) on 05-06-2003, 07:37 AM:
 
You are correct in saying that it is not available for purchase for industrial purposes, but it is still available for feedstock usage (i.e. for conversion in the chemical industry to something else.)

Mike
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-06-2003, 03:00 PM:
 
Aha... so if I try to buy this stuff on the pretext of using it as an ingredient for chemical weapons, then no problem... but for cleaning films... sorry mate!

I do remember the lecturer proudly telling us that he had several drums of 1,1,1 stashed under the very room in which we were sitting, which got me wondering whether gas masks might not have been a good idea...
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-06-2003, 03:10 PM:
 

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I do remember the lecturer proudly telling us that he had several drums of 1,1,1 stashed under the very room in which we were sitting, which got me wondering whether gas masks might not have been a good idea...

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