Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Modifying a Kelmar film cleaner

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-20-2003, 02:39 AM:

Is there a way to modify a Kelmar 70mm dry-web media cleaner so that it can be used with 35mm prints?

If so, how much are the parts to do so, and where could one obtain them?

Thanx!
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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-20-2003, 06:31 AM:

I am willing to bet that someone might be willing to trade you a 35mm cleaner for your 70mm cleaner. Anyone?

Edit: Idiodic spelling mistake.

[ 07-20-2003, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Joe Redifer ]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-20-2003, 07:27 AM:

You're not interested in changing out all of the external parts and such to make it appear to be a 35mm cleaner straight from the manufacturer, right? You just want it to be a functional 35mm cleaner, right? If so you don't really need much to do that. Just a razor blade, a 35mm roller on a shaft and about a buck in parts at the hardware store.

Mount the 35mm pads onto the 70mm shafts. Now note how much extra space there is on the shaft. Take a core and cut it so that it is this width. You now place the items on the supply shafts in this order...roll of media, dummy core, cap. You still use the 70mm takeup cores for takeup, it's just that the media will remain on the inboard side.

Now you need to modify the drive wheel. The easiest way is to just order the inner spacer between the two flanges of the drive wheel for the 35mm cleaner and replace it. The cheaper way is to go to the hardware store and purchase longer bolts that couple the flanges to the spacer and some oversized nuts. Use the longer bolts to connect the two flanges with the oversized nuts in the middle of them acting as a separator for 35mm film width. These longer bolts will then screw into the original 70mm spacer, but on the outside of the drive wheel. The best part about doing the modification "the cheap way" is that if it is ever desired to convert it back to a 70mm cleaner, all of the parts necessary, except for the 70mm input roller in the next paragraph and the two shorter bolts (which I would put in a small ziploc bag and tape to the inside of the machine), will already be on the cleaner being used.

Finally you will have to change out that 70mm input roller with a 35mm one.

There is a picture of a 70mm cleaner modified to run 35mm (but running 16mm) at this link.

Posted by Darren Briggs (Member # 1071) on 07-20-2003, 10:11 AM:

ill swap you one
Darren.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-21-2003, 03:43 PM:

I would swap, except the cleaner isn't mine! [Smile]

Thanks for the suggestions, Brad. I'll test it out next time I'm at work. Allowing for conversion back to 70mm is a big plus, since the owner has been talking about getting our 70mm system back up again. (Although, I don't think it's actually "down")

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