Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cleaning Masking Curtains

This is topic Cleaning Masking Curtains in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006788

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 12-18-2004, 02:07 PM:

Well, I did some searching but I didn't see much relating to the topic...

Our GM suggested we vacuum the maskings on a weekly basis...I think a more regular masking cleaning would be great but I'm not keen on using the vacuum we have. It's a Dirt Devil upright with a very short hose and a couple lame attachments.

Unless we can attach a longer hose to it there's no way we could do any more than half the masking in our biggest house leaving the top half dusty.

In the past I've had limited success with a dry swiffer. At the very least it gets rid of the stuff on the top surface of the cloth and makes it look pretty. Unfortunately it's a pain and it takes a lot of swiffer pads.

At another theater I worked at we had a very small vacuum that resembled a mini-shop vac. It was small enough to carry up the ladder and had a brush attachment that worked very well.

Is anyone else vacuuming their masking or is there a better way?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-18-2004, 03:23 PM:

..Get a tall step ladder, a backpack, or small "Hoover", or "Dust Devil" vac with the hose attachment, long extension cord and have at it - 'bout the only way to clean. Tell the custodians to not to blow so hard down by the screens since they're blowing up a bunch of dust which loves to stick to maskings and the screens when blowing down the refuse to be swept up, and have then clean behind the screens as well. It gets pretty messy back there and you don't know what "growing", "living", and being "created" back there with all of that refuse that is left behind.....

AND...since you're up there on the stepladder with that vac cleaning off the maskings, take that stepladder and backvac and go behind the screen and get serious with vacumming as well. For all of those "dustbunnies" that get attached to the back of the screen is causing the high frequencies, which is being broadcast from the HF horns, to be muffled some. For the HF's are trying to "scream" through all of those "dustbunnies".

Sound tekkies hate this - on wondering why HF's are not being clear as they should.

Good luck on this task. - thx Monte

Posted by Thomas King (Member # 2745) on 12-18-2004, 05:50 PM:

Cleaning... the masking?

I am perplexed.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 12-18-2004, 05:56 PM:

Weekly sure sounds like overkill to me--can't imagine a dirt/dust problem inside a building serious enough to justify such a cleaning frequency.

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 12-18-2004, 07:02 PM:

Yeah, once maybe twice a year tops.

Some HF horns have gauzes in them (I believe to stop ingress of mice/insects) that love to block up with muck. It's worth cleangin those once a blue moon too.

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 12-20-2004, 12:45 AM:

quote: Paul Mayer
Weekly sure sounds like overkill to me--can't imagine a dirt/dust problem inside a building serious enough to justify such a cleaning frequency.

The theater is in an agricultural town with fields less than 2 blocks away from it. Unfortunately, as with most places in the central valley, dust is a HUGE problem.
Obviously it doesn't help that the janitors use blowers, but that's what they have to do.
We clean screens bi-weekly most of the time and port glass friday thru sunday. If we don't do the glass every morning after the janitors have at it there's just way too much dust on the glass. Looks aweful.

I guess I'll be shopping around for prices on a good little cheapie-vac, I can't stand that stupid upright. I'll post back when I find a good solution.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-20-2004, 09:20 AM:

quote: Dominic Espinosa
Obviously it doesn't help that the janitors use blowers, but that's what they have to do.

I suspect that using blowers to clean the auditorium is MOST of the reason dust on the screen and masking is such a problem. [thumbsdown]

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 12-20-2004, 11:18 AM:

Yeah, why do janitors do that!?!? It only causes a bigger mess and it's not really "easier" because you have to sweep it up anyway. (Unless you're like most janitors and leave it all behind the screen or under the curtain! Grrr...) I can *maybe* see the logic in using them on a sloped-floor style, (and even then, using a push broom to sweep everything forward under the seats accomplishes the same task) but I have seen janitors using blowers in STADIUM auditoriums!! Now how in the world is that easier? You still blow everything into the aisle, and then blow it forward while stirring it all up... a broom would be easier!

Re: Masking curtains,
Personally, I'd do it once every two months. Maybe more often during the slower season. But by "personally" I don't mean me myself. You'd never get me higher than 4 steps up that ladder! [Wink]

At the same time, you could do an overall "check" of the general screen area for problems. (and see if the janitors are still leaving stuff...)

I have horrible allergies, so to me things seem to get dusty long before they do to "normal" people. [Smile]

=TMP=

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 12-20-2004, 11:36 AM:

Personally I can see their logic. It prevents them having to bend down and sweep under the seats.
If I had it my way they'd do it like I used to when I was an usher and just shove it all out to the steps and sweep it up. Sure it's an extra step over sweeping where you stand but you can get it all done in one fell swoop which is much easier when the auditorium is packed with shit.
Of course if they still wanted to use blowers that'd be alright with me as long as they blew it all out to the steps. They've gotta vacuum anyway.

Posted by Gordon Bachlund (Member # 124) on 12-21-2004, 09:48 AM:

It wasn't so terribly long ago that screens and masking were protected by curtains, a tidy bonus to their affect on showmanship. Ah, progress! [Wink]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-21-2004, 10:12 AM:

Maybe that is how they got the name dustcatchers by the bean counters when they started to not put them in [Smile]