Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How to apply Film Guard to a Kelmar Film Clearer w/out a squirt bottle?

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Posted by Karl Borowski (Member # 5424) on 11-20-2009, 11:01 PM:

Hello everyone. After the extensive interlocking we did last night, our prints of Twilight have gotten excessively dusty.

Figured this would be a good time to test out some FilmGuard on an entire print through the film cleaner pad we have sitting around, neglected.

Unfortunately, we are out of Film Guard, so I just went and bummed some from another booth.

Problem is, it's in (and on [uhoh]

) a little plastic tub, rather than in a bottle with a spray head.

I don't want to risk contaminating the pad rollers with another cleaner, so if I can't find a clean one, what's the best way to apply it to the Kelmar pads?

I assume soaking a new one would leave WAYYYY too much on it. So what other methods of application are there?

Also, in lieu of a whole set of Kelmar's what is the best method to keep a print consistently lubed? Is once a day enough?

For now I am just using this treatment on one of our three prints to make sure it works better than our current methods.

Just out of curiosity, how will FilmGuard react with residual WD-40 and often too much BSI film cleaner and lubricant?

I'm hoping to implement this test tomorrow morning, so a quick reply would be really appreciated. I want to FilmGuard Twilight before the evening shows and interlocks so there is no streakiness I hear about here on the screen and no additional chance for dust accumulation and scratches during interlock chaos.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 11-20-2009, 11:14 PM:

Is Film Guard even available in "plastic tubs"? Hopefully you didn't happen to be given a knock-off.

Assuming the stuff is legit, why not just spend a few dollars on an empty spray bottle? You might even have extra empties to be used for cleaning supplies and you just label it as Film Guard.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-21-2009, 12:27 AM:

I think he went to another booth and that's the container they poured it into when they gave it to him.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 11-21-2009, 12:33 AM:

I interpret it as he brought a small amount back in an empty "tub" of some sort from the other theatre.

As Chris said, you should be able to use any clean unused plastic spray bottle, or you could just briefly dip half the roll in the "tub" and turn it over for a few minutes to allow the liquid to wick down through the rest the roll. If you get too much lightly squeeze the roll over the "tub" to remove some of the excess.

We run the cleaners on all our prints at least once a day unless we get a particularly dirty print. We usually re-wet the pads once a week. I rotate our pads between top and bottom as to utilize both side of the pad and get get about 20-30 run throughs on each side before replacing the pads. In effect I get about a month and half use per set of pads.

I've never heard of BSI, but if you get a print that has been Scotch Guarded the Film-Guard will pool up instead of soaking into the film and appear as splotches on screen. If that happens, install a pair of clean dry pads to remove the Film-Guard.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-21-2009, 01:44 AM:

Home Depot and similar places (probably even Wal-Mart) sell empty 32oz spray bottles for a buck or two that comes with a sprayer. That would be your best option.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-21-2009, 07:37 AM:

How about a turkey baster?

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 11-21-2009, 09:45 AM:

Put a little in a cup and dip.

Posted by Karl Borowski (Member # 5424) on 11-21-2009, 05:51 PM:

I have one other question:

What are tell-tale signs that Scotch Guard has been used?

Is there a characteristic smell or appearance.

What's the name of that other cleaning process I am thinking of where the lab applies it to second-run prints?

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 11-21-2009, 06:40 PM:

That's "Rejuvenation".

Its a volatile chemical applied to the base side only and is supposed to fill in base scratches with an identical refractive index filler.

Problems are that the print may well curl towards the base side with the attendant focus problems that incurs.

It also comes off as a fine white powder that covers the projector film path, lenses and sound optics.

Awful stuff.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 11-23-2009, 06:31 PM:

The film should have a nice reflective shine on both sides. if you catch the light just right on the emulsion side, you can even make out the texture of the individual dye layers.

If the print appears dull on one or both sides then some type of rejuvenation process has taken place, and the print can not be film guarded.