cleaning nikon super cool scan (rollers?)

<p>I am almost certain my Nikon Super Cool Scan 5000 is scratching the film. I have two film leicas and m7 and an mp. I had bw film in the mp which I developed myself. In the m7 I had Portra 400 which I took to a local drugstore for development. (Yes, there are still such drugstores!) Anyway, I scanned both films in the Nikon. In both cases, there were horizontal white streaks in approximately the same positions. These streaks occaisionaly disappear or fade but then reappear on the same scanned sections. The scratches have occurred in other scans as well. My conclusion: it seems likely that neither the cameras nor my or the store's development process are at fault. Questions: Has this happened to you with this scanner? Have you taken apart the negative holder that comes with the Cool Scan and cleaned it? If so, is this a "delicate" procedure ? (I can see all the little screws so taking it apart should be no trouble(?) Are there any other areas in the film transport of the scanner that one could get at to clean without messing things up permanently? It is true that the scratches mostly disappear when I use the heavy infared cleaning option, and, of course, in photoshop elements 8 I can use the clone stamp thingy to get rid of really glaring dust and some scratches -- a very tedious process (but more reliable and less irritating than the process of spotting of (bw) prints with ink and brush which I used to do).</p>

<p> </p>

<p>If you are writing about cleaning the SA-21 Film Strip Adapter rollers, look at Page 54 of the LS-5000 Manual. It is simple user maintenance.</p>

<p>However, it sounds to me as though you have a problem that will not be resolved by a simple cleaning.</p>

<p>Some pictures of the problems would help a lot. Do you see any scratches on the original film, or is the problem just showing up on the scans?<br>

In the normal run of the scanner, nothing should directly contact the image surface.<br>

Linear bands may indicate some kind of problem on the sensors themselves, maybe as simple as some dirt on them.</p>

<p>Be aware that the screw heads require Japanese (JIC) cross point drivers, not American Phillips style (ANSI) drivers. Amazon is your friend for tools like this.</p>

<p>You have good access to the rollers merely by opening the outer case. The front pops off when you press a release button at the top, and the top of the main body can then be tilted up and removed. However the rollers are motor-driven and can't be turned by hand. There are four sets of rollers, each with three rubber wheels. The wide center wheel touch the center of the film, while the two narrow wheels touch the sprocket areas.</p>

<p>I strongly advise against further disassembly. You can reach the rollers from the top. If they need to be rotated, insert and eject a strip of film until the hidden parts of the rollers are exposed for cleaning.</p>

<p>You are unlikely to find anything other than dust on the rollers. They can be cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol, found at any drug store. I use alcohol wipes you find near the pharmacy counter. (They also work well on lens contacts, filters, etc.). You can also use cotton swabs to reach behind.</p>

<p>Pay attention to the film condition. If it is strongly curled (longitudinally) the leading end may jam in the guides. If the rollers slip, they may create a lateral scuff mark that you seem to describe. The film may touch other parts of the film adapter, which would cause longitudinal scratches.</p>

<p>As a precaution, never let the lab return the uncut film squeezed into a film can. This results in strongly curled film, and may cause further damage when you remove it. The best way is to have the lab sleeve the film and coil it inside a used paper core, which has a 3" ID. Rolled and rubber-banded is almost as bad as in a film can. If you can't straighten the film, cut it into strips of six and store them in "archival" notebook pages. You could also hang the whole roll with a weighted clip, like you would when processing at home, and let it come to equilibrium with environmental humidity.</p>

<p>If the film is already cut into strips of 6 or less, there is an alternative. The scanner originally came with an FH-3 film strip adapter, which is used with the single slide adapter. I use this for short strips, or strips which won't work in the automatic feeder.</p>

<p>Another precaution. The film must be cut BETWEEN the sprocket holes. If a leading hole is open, the film strip will jam. You can feed the film from the opposite end, if cut correctly, of use the FH-3 holder</p>

<p>https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-FH-3-Strip-Holder-Spare/dp/B00009XVOB/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475952527&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=nikon+filmstrip+adapter</p>