Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Film Guard with no pads?

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Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 12-29-2004, 01:59 PM:

Long story short, we're out of cleaning pads,we have Film Guard and we need to use it. The manager recommended spraying the film down, (while running) gently run a towel over the film while runing it to the take up platter soundtrack down, then spraying it down again and runing it right side up. Is this the best method? Are there other methods? Am i gonna fuck up my film?

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 12-29-2004, 02:06 PM:

So are you gonna stand there while the film is running and spray the entire print down? Not sure if a towel is a good idea..could scratch the print or fabric from the towel could get caught in the sprockets or something like that.

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 12-29-2004, 02:08 PM:

the towel is like a cloth diaper towel, smooth. and i don't put too much pressure on the towel either.

Posted by Barry Martin (Member # 1376) on 12-29-2004, 02:09 PM:

I remembered reading this from the Film Guard page in the Products section of the board:

quote:
What if I don't own any media cleaners? You can still use FilmGuard to effectively eliminate static charges and shedding from your prints! The method in this case is simple. Spray a thick cloth with FilmGuard and then wipe the cloth on the top edge of the print as it is laying on the platter. The ideal procedure is to start the platter spinning (from a makeup table or an obstruction in the centerfeed arm) and wipe slowly from outside edge to the center. There should be a definite "wet" glaze to the print. On this next performance, takeup the film "upside down" from your normal procedure and when the show is over, wipe the other side (now up on the platter) in the same manner as before. (Note: using FilmGuard in this manner will not offer cleaning benefits...only the elimination of static and print shedding.)

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 12-29-2004, 02:13 PM:

Awesome!!! Thats what i needed to know.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 12-29-2004, 02:25 PM:

Oh, I thought you were planning on Filmguarding the image area of the print, not just for static elimination.

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 12-29-2004, 02:41 PM:

well. affectively the film guard seeps about halfay down the image frame, and doing it uside down does the other half of the image frames. You can actually see the film guard covering half the image frames as it goes into the houseing.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-29-2004, 05:42 PM:

If you're seeing the FG "seep across half the image," you are using WAAAAAY too much FG.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 12-29-2004, 09:11 PM:

The instructions on how to lubricate and control static on a print without the media pads are in the enclosed instructions with each bottle.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-30-2004, 02:02 AM:

..kind of the "pits" when the manager of a theatre doesn't want to spend the small amount of dough for a box of the green media rolls for the Kelmars. Shows that he doesn't really want quality presentations...-worrying about the money too much by cutting corners to save pennies. - Monte

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 12-30-2004, 05:15 AM:

A little tip...the green media is abrasive. If you are going to buy Kelmar brand media, specifically request the "white".

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-30-2004, 07:52 AM:

Or just buy Film-Tech media, which is better and which I believe is cheaper, anyway. [Smile]

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 12-30-2004, 11:45 AM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
..kind of the "pits" when the manager of a theatre doesn't want to spend the small amount of dough for a box of the green media rolls for the Kelmars. Shows that he doesn't really want quality presentations...-worrying about the money too much by cutting corners to save pennies. - Monte

Hopefully that's not the case and someone just dropped the ball on keeping track of inventory or they ordered it but the order got delayed for some reason.

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 01-01-2005, 07:01 PM:

[ 04-08-2005, 09:31 PM: Message edited by: Charlie Frisby ]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-01-2005, 07:19 PM:

quote: Brad Miller
The instructions on how to lubricate and control static on a print without the media pads are in the enclosed instructions with each bottle.

Have you read the instructions? They are quite clear regarding this and there is even a picture.

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 01-01-2005, 07:35 PM:

The instructions where no doubt trown away by a former sloven employee, however we have a order og FG coming in monday. In fact i will go to the web site and read it now. You guys have been more than helpfull.

Frisby

Posted by Matthew Jaro (Member # 1786) on 01-01-2005, 08:38 PM:

I have a related Film-Guard question. The manual says to soak the media pads with Film-Guard. With a new roll, does the Film-Guard penetrate to the bottom layer of the media pad, or should you periodically re-soak the pads as they unroll?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-01-2005, 08:56 PM:

It will absorb until the entire roll is saturated. After that, any more will literally drip off of the pads.

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 01-03-2005, 05:13 PM:

The info page on film guard was more than helpful. I sudggest every one sit down and have a read. Its in the products section
[beer]

-Frisby

Posted by Kevin Wale (Member # 1851) on 04-08-2005, 12:33 PM:

[ 04-09-2005, 01:56 AM: Message edited by: Kevin Wale ]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2005, 04:43 PM:

quote: Kevin Wale
Very many personell changes and who knows how many bottles of film cleaner this theatre will go through in a week. LOL.

We have two machines and 5 houses that are set up to mount them.

I hope that was a joke. Bottles a week, as in plural? Not for a 5 plex! One bottle should last you more than a month with 5 screens cleaning every screen and every show.

Posted by Kevin Wale (Member # 1851) on 04-08-2005, 04:47 PM:

[ 04-09-2005, 01:57 AM: Message edited by: Kevin Wale ]

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 04-08-2005, 08:18 PM:

When I first started at the theater I was so unaware of film guard's importance, but over the past few months I have become the FG natzi. As it goes, 5 of our 8 platters equip to run with our cleaners. I rotate the two cleaners we have trough out the week. I initally saturate the pads really good, and after that only slightly when switching the cleaner from plater to platter.

On the special occasion that we scratch a film, I use new pads and saturate it pretty good ONCE!!! Then run it as many times as I can before the film ends up on the back three screens. Other than the scratched film days, I use new pads every new release night so the new film gets clean pads and a good amount of FG.

It's not anything special, but our film looks damn good.

FG, a damn fine product!

Friz

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 04-08-2005, 08:37 PM:

I've never tried this, but often wondered. Could I run my film through a bath of FG? I wouldn't be in the same tub, maybe a tub close to it, but that's besides the point....the film would have it's own bath.

Posted by Charlie Frisby (Member # 2927) on 04-08-2005, 09:03 PM:

I have no idea why a film would need that much FG...but I am sure the suppliers wouls lovvve to sell you that much FG.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2005, 09:19 PM:

People have done it on some very wraped, vinegared and "far gone" film Dean, but honestly just use a normal Kelmar cleaning machine and follow the instructions...it's the PASSES through the cleaner that will make far more of a difference.

Posted by Kevin Wale (Member # 1851) on 04-08-2005, 10:31 PM:

Wouldn't a bath make a pretty big mess of things too? Are you talking during a regular running or during buildup???

When running, the tree has the film tight as it returns to the platter. How would one get the film to pass through a bath?

Really though, the film can only hold so much FG on it. If the pads are soaked, there is already pretty much all the FG a film can hold placed on it anyway right?

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 04-09-2005, 06:29 PM:

I was just posing a 'what if'. Not literally soakin the print, but for something that's old and damaged.