Re: Attaching film in holders

[Richard Knoppow <dickburk@ix.netcom.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Healy" <emjayhealy@earthlink.net>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:05 AM
Subject: Attaching film in holders


> I'm going to work with my hand-crafted 7x17 camera again 
> after a hiatus of a couple of
> years. My holders are not so good to begin with, but I've 
> had a real problem in the past
> with my film. I shoot with Kodak CGP film, which is 
> exceedingly thin. In the AZ heat, and
> especially if the camera is tilted forward in the least, 
> the film kind of leans forward. Then
> the holder snags on it and everything goes south from 
> there.
>
> It's occurred to me that I might tack it lightly to the 
> back of the holder just to keep it in
> place during the shoot. I'm thinking of using something 
> like 3M Super 77 or some
> equivalent. I currently use this in silksreen printing, 
> applying a light spray to the table
> before laying down a sheet of paper. It anchors the paper 
> so it won't stick to the screen
> after I pull it. Works well in that application, but paper 
> is thick and tough. The lightest
> possible application lasts long enough to hold several 
> sheets of paper one after another,
> and each one peels readily away from the table after 
> printing.
>
> Sooo, I'm thinking maybe I could do this when loading this 
> film into the holder. Has
> anyone done this, or have thoughts on this or other spray 
> adhesives? I'll have to try it in
> any case, with scrap film, just to see whether it does let 
> go of a lighter, thinner material
> than 250 wt Stonehenge on a table.
>
> Thanks
>
> Mike Helay
   It seems to me that there was a similar problem with 
Technical Pan which was also on a thinner than usual base. 
The recommendation was to use a sheet of thin, black, 
"kraft" paper under the film. That serves to put the film in 
the exact focal plane and to hold it against the rails of 
the holder. Normal sheet film in on 0.007" base.
   I also agree that a couple of dots of double-stick tape 
may help. About light from the adhesive: not all adhesives 
produce light when stressed. You can check this by simply 
peeling a little of whatever you intend to use in a dark 
room. Curiously, the tape used to stick roll film to its 
paper backing produces light when peeled. Triboelectricity I 
think.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com