Using and adjusting maier-hancock cement splicer and DIY film cement

[Jon Byler]

I just got my hands on a Maier-Hancock hot splicer for a good price. Does anyone have any tips for adjusting the scraper? The instructions that I've found mention a shim to set the height, but I did not get one with my splicer. If anyone knows the appropriate thickness, I can find or make a shim to do the job.

I don't do enough splicing to merit having a bottle on hand that will go bad before I use much of it, so was wondering if anyone has had any luck with DIY film cements? There are recipes here:

https://www.filmkorn.org/super8data/...ilm_cement.htm

Kodak uses nitro-cellulose in theirs, rather than cellulose acetate to thicken it slightly. Only chemical that is not so easy to find seems to be dioxane. Methylene chloride seems to be the primary ingredient in weld-on acrylic cement, acetone and various alcohols are easy enough to find at a paint supply house.

I tried with just the acrylic cement (basically thinner than water liquid), but didn't have any luck. I think it evaporates too fast, or needs some film stock dissolved in it. weld-on #4 is doubt 50-50 or so methylene chloride and methyl acetate, with possibly some acrylic monomer added. I'm going to try with weld-on #3 if I can find where I put the bottle of it that I had. it has about 80-95% methylene chloride, and the remainder being Dimethyl Glutarate and a small amount of Methyl Methacrylate Monomer. The last recipe on the page from filmkorn is basically straight methylene chloride with a bit of ethanol.

One thing that I thought I would try is skin-shield liquid bandage. This might do well with a little extra acetone or weld-on #3 added.

For now, all experiments are being done on scraps of leader that I've got laying around. I'll not use any mystery stuff on actual films, until I've determined that they are safe!

I have tape splicers for where they are better suited, but figured this cement splicer would be good to have in my bag of tricks. Any tips, thoughts regarding cement splicing, especially DIY cement, would be greatly appreciated.

[Nantawat Kittiwarakul]

It's been a long, long time ago since my last cement splicing.

I once faced with the home-brew cement which was waaaaay to thin to be applied by normal brushing method (as it would evaporate immediately). So I had to adapt my splicing technique somewhat.

If my memory was correct I just laid the left film end ABOVE the right end and clamp it down. Therefore both film ends would be overlapped with left edge over the right edge (vice versa of normal orientation). Then using a small brush to apply the cement AROUND the overlap. The cement would "run" into and fill in the the overlap area itself (by capillary action I think). Finally clamped down the right part as per usual. The resultant splice would be just as strong as with usual method.

Not even sure if I still have my cement splicer lying around anymore. But if I did I may take pics of my method and document it then.

[Jim Schrader]

Mine was set up when I got it and still works pretty good, if you bring it forward then put it down on the scrape plate like your going to scrape a film there should a tiny bit of light shining through use a scrap piece of film to set it, there is a small Allen set screw on the side, I would put your scrap piece of film on the plate bring the scraper all the way down loosen the set screw the scraper should drop then tighten the set screw and try that. I put a piece of paper on mine and it dragged the paper instead of tearing it. I use to experiment with super glue on films worked pretty good but messy, I use kodak film cement to mostly add leader on my films not so much in the middle of films.

[Brian Fretwell]

I'm not sure that it is the same dioxane is used for film cement but it is reported that 1-4-Dioxane is a likely human carcinogen. Which may be the reason it is not easily available.