|
Author
|
Topic: Product Review: Film-O-Clean
|
Douglas Meltzer
Moderator
Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted January 29, 2010 11:56 AM
For years I’ve been jealous of large format projectionists who were able to use a Kelmar style film cleaner not only to clean and protect the print but also for wet gate projection. Wet gate projection can make base scratches appear less noticeable as the fluid fills in the scratches and reduces the light scatter.
When I first started to collect 8mm films back in the 1970s, there were very few cleaning systems available. The Ecco 306 (There were a few different model numbers for this product) was for use on a rewind bench, with cleaning solution automatically applied to felt pads which would then dampen the cleaning flannel underneath it. The film (from 8mm to 35mm) would pass between the double sided flannel and the operator would have to manually pull more flannel from the feed roll as it became dirty.
Certain Goko editors had an accessory shoe where one could attach the Goko Film Cleaner, a small device with a roller and upper and lower felt pads that were to be moistened with a single drop of liquid film cleaner. The pads could clean a small amount of footage before having to be replaced. Goko also manufactured the same product for Elmo.
The Lindau Electrostatic Film Cleaner, positioned so that the film came off the feed reel and ran through “static charged bristles” before going through the projector, claimed to remove dust and dirt “electro-magnetically”.
I ended up simply using film cleaner applied to a felt cloth held between my thumb and forefinger while winding the film on a home made rewind bench. That was fine for cleaning and lubricating, but I had to put my dream of wet gate projection aside (No jokes about wet dreams, please).
In early October 2008, Roy Neil started a thread entitled “Anyone want a film cleaner?". Roy was about to begin constructing a Kelmar style film cleaner for his own use and he wanted feedback from Forum members about the possibility of making it available for sale. With many positive replies, He started working on the design. In February 2009 Roy posted that “Brand new Kelmar units sell in excess of $700 and after the last 3 months of work designing and testing the prototype for production, it’s easy to see why. Gearboxes must be engineered to strict tolerances or the gears wont mesh properly. In this instance I have to maintain gear spacing to a tolerance of +/- 0.002".
On May 5, 2009 Roy announced that the “Film-O-Clean” was ready. I purchased the Super 8mm version (Roy had also made a 16mm model).
When I first took Film-O-Clean out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality machining and metalwork. The unit looks great. The Film-O-Clean can be used on a bench for cleaning between rewinds or the unit can be mounted onto a projector using the optional Handle Clamp and Extension. I was anxious to see how effective the Film-O-Clean would be at wet gate projection, so I set it up on my Elmo GS-1200.
The clamp fits over the projector handle and is fastened by tightening two front bolts and a single rear bolt.
The Extension arm attaches to the Handle Clamp.
The Adaptor is placed on the end of the Extension.
Finally, the Film-O-Clean is secured onto the Adaptor.
--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....
| IP: Logged
|
|
Douglas Meltzer
Moderator
Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted January 29, 2010 11:56 AM
Figuring out the best position to attach the clamp and the support onto the Elmo’s handle was the only difficult moment I had in using the Film-O-Clean. I had to read that section of the operator handbook a number of times to figure out the correct mounting procedure. I wish the handbook’s pictures were larger and gave a closer view. Two rolls of Cleaning Media were already installed on the spindles, but the handbook gives clear directions on how to do this when it’s time to change rolls, although again I wish there were more close-up photos of this series of steps.
For wet gate projection, the handbook recommends using FilmGuard (which is the cleaning solution that I use) and following the manufacturer’s directions for application.
This method is to take the spray bottle of FilmGuard and while holding the sprayer tip against the media pads, spray the cleaner onto the pads until they are soaked.
Threading Film-O-Clean could not be simpler. The film goes through the upper roller, around the drive wheel, over one cleaning roller, under the other and finally through the output roller. In a matter of seconds, I was ready to try it out!
Film-O-Clean operates automatically as the film advances. The movement of the film rotates the drive wheel, which in turn advances the cleaning media so that the film is always in contact with fresh media. The two lint-free rolls remove dirt from both sides and (when soaked) lubricate the film right before it enters the projector’s film path.
To test out Film-O-Clean’s effect on scratches, I first took screen photos of prints running through the projector without using Film-O-Clean. Then I tried Roy’s new device. The results were quite pronounced.
A
B
In photo A from the Columbia 200’ digest of “Fail-Safe” there are three scratches on the left side and a scratch running down Henry Fonda’s left eye. In Photo B, the Film-O-Clean has lubricated the film enough so that the scratches practically disappear.
C
In photo C from the same film, there is a thick scratch (yes, this was an eBay purchase!) just left of center. With wet gate projection, the scratch has almost disappeared.
[ February 02, 2010, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Douglas Meltzer ]
--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....
| IP: Logged
|
|
Douglas Meltzer
Moderator
Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted January 29, 2010 11:57 AM
In this screen capture from the Marketing International feature release of “Grease”, there is an emulsion scratch over Ms. Newton-John’s right shoulder and a few black lines on Mr. Travolta’s back.
Film-O-Clean gets rid of the black lines, but (as expected) has hardly any effect on the green scratch.
Film-O-Clean worked amazingly well on the GS-1200 which has a fixed handle, but I was curious as to whether the Handle Clamp would work properly on folding hinged handles, such as those atop the Bauer T510. It took a bit of trial and error to figure out the best way to fasten the unit to the projector. Unlike the Elmo GS or ST where the extension arm attaches to the right side of the clamp, I had to put the extension on the outside left of the clamp to align properly with the film path of the Bauer. The placement of the clamp and the support prevents the Bauer’s handle from folding in and the Film-O-Clean was just as secure as when mounted on the GS. I covered the handle with a soft cloth so as not to scratch it. I would suggest taping over the corners of the clamps and support as well so as not to scuff the top of your projector.
I probably won’t be using Film-O-Clean on the rewind bench too often. Before I screen a film for the first time, I like to hand clean, which is the best way to check for sprocket damage, bad splices, loose sound stripe and the occasional staple! In the past, if I had not screened a previously cleaned film for a few years, I would clean it again on the bench before threading it up. With Film-O-Clean, I can just watch it right away knowing that any dirt will be removed before the film ever reaches the gate. Lubricating the film also helps reduce sound head wear. As someone who cleans the projector before each use, I’ve noticed that the film path stays cleaner for a longer period since I began using Film-O-Clean.
For those who project both Super 8mm and 16mm, Roy offers a16mm conversion kit, which includes 16mm rollers and a 16mm Drive wheel. Film-O-Clean comes with 2 rolls of cleaning media, which provide approximately 3-4 hours of cleaning time for 16mm and 6-8 hours for Super 8. You have the option of rewinding the media for reuse, but I feel more comfortable with starting a new roll. A Universal Bracket is also available for anchoring Film-O-Clean to a sturdy surface, such as large pedestal projectors or a rewind bench.
Current pricing is $249.95 for just the unit and $299.95 for a bundle that includes the unit and the clamp system. This is remarkable considering the price of a Kelmar cleaner is $700.00 without mounting brackets or adaptor plates.
Film-O-Clean is an unqualified success. Wet gate projection enhances the image on the screen, protects your valuable print and will help in the maintenance of your projector. I find it astonishing that over three decades past the peak of Super 8mm, there’s a wonderful new device on the market. Thank you Roy!
In the US and UK, Film-O-Clean is available online at http://www.film-supply.com/. EU sales are handled by Wittner-Cinetec at http://www.wittner-cinetec.com/.
Doug
--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roy Neil
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 203
From: Menlo Park, CA
Registered: Sep 2007
|
posted March 01, 2010 10:39 PM
2. Was "Fail-Safe" previously cleaned with FilmGuard prior to running it through the Film-O-Clean on the projector, or was this the first cleaning? I've been wondering how well FilmGuard itself fills scratches on the film, and how much is due to the "wetness" of the wet get.
Thank you, I appreciate the kind compliment; Indeed I hope Film-O-Clean enhances everyone's film appreciation ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
In order to visibly remove base scratches, it is first necessary to remove any and all dirt/debris from the scratch.
When Film-O-Clean is used with cleaning media saturated in FilmGuard, first the media works to remove the dirt/debris - and at the same time leave a micro thin layer of FilmGuard on the film. After the dirt has been removed from the scratch, the FilmGuard is now free to 'fill' the void. This micro thin layer is all that is required to greatly diminish base lines/scratches when projecting. Since FilmGuard does indeed evaporate albeit slowly, I always use Film-O-Clean whenever I project film. This helps to keep the prints clean and properly lubricated with a nice, smooth, even application of FilmGuard.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eckhard Behme
Junior
Posts: 1
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Mar 2010
|
posted May 07, 2010 03:51 AM
@ Roy
Greetings from Berlin!
I purchases a unit from Wittner and am quite pleased with the results.
The FOC is used to prep 8mm films for digitizing, where surface dust has been a huge problem. The unit does remove almost all of it, making my transfers decidedly better.
As far as mounting is concerned, I decided to go a different route. My Meopta film-rewinder is relatively small and uses a wooden base. None of the adapters would work, because they simply placed the FOC too high.
So, I turned the unit on its side, facing away from me, with the two small rollers at the top, Then I used the body screws, to attach the unit to an alu angle bracket, which in turn was then screwed to the base board. Rock solid with absolutely no flexing.
For film-threading, I must lean over the unit, but that's a minor inconvenience.
I wind the film from right to left first, using a microfiber cloth and a cleaning fluid from the graphics industry. That also allows me, to feel defective splices or other film problems.
Then I wind the film back from left to right through the FOC and then place it in a zip-lock bag for transfer to the capture room. Works great!
Since the initial cleaning removes the scum, the FOC tape remains quite clean, allowing me, to reuse it six times. Even then, it isn't really dirty.
The only ongoing beef is that those finger screws tend to loosen during operation and need to be retightened quite frequently.
Unfortunately, I also work with quite a few sub-standard films (from the former East Germany), with worn out sprockets and often rather thick splices. Those films tend to get stuck in the tape. So, now I am thinking of also attaching an antistatic brush for just those films.
But overall, I find the FOC a worthwhile purchase!
Thanks and Ciao for now!
Eckhard
--------------------
8mm Schmalfilm-Archiv Berlin
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic
