Need Drum Scanner Mounting Tutorial

[roger krueger]

I recently acquired an old Screen 1045 drum scanner, and have gotten the technical details

of operation down, but am still somewhat shakey on my mounting technique. Specifically, I

have trouble with micro-bubbles in the fluid. No matter how much I "massage" the neg I

can't get them all out, and they're a lot harder to Photoshop out than dust (which, as

advertised, is almost a non-issue with wet mounting.) I've got some Kami fluid on order to

replace the "Montage mounting gel" of unknown age that came with the machine.

 

Do I need a layer of acetate and fluid over the neg as well, or is a securely-taped neg that

only has fluid underneath it a better approach? I understand that I need to scrupulously

avoid any chance of fluid flying towards the lens.

 

How bad are my results going to be if I just scan dry? Is it solely an issue of dust spotting,

or are there other issues?

[amadou_diallo]

Roger,

Join the scan hi-end Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScanHi-End In

the files section is a well written wet mounting tutorial. Also go to aztek.com and

download their quicktime movie demo of a wet mount.

 

The KAMI must be used with an overlay on top of the film. It spreads much more than a

gel. FYI when properly mounted it should only take a small push with a scanner cloth to

move any stray bubbles off the film. The bigger the film, ie 4x5 or 8x10 the greater the

chance of small bubbles. But with mounting practice this should cease to be an issue.

[bruce watson]

You can scan dry (spray the film with anti-newton spray and tape the film to the drum) if your output is going to be about 4x enlargment or less. More than that, and you should fluid mount.

 

I personally worry about Kami fluid on older drums. The reason is, Kami is quite quick to evaporate, and can lower the temperature of the drum surface rapidly, causing crazing of the surface. If the drum is of good quality acrylic, and cured properly, this isn't supposed to be a problem. My drums were bought used and are of unknown provenance, so I use Prazio anti-newton oil, which does an excellent job. Of course, YMMV.

 

The Prazio website is here:

 

http://www.prazio.com/flash.html

 

It's built on Flash, but don't hold that against them. Excellent products and service IMHO.

 

The "accepted" way to fluid mount is to make a "sandwich" of drum, fluid, film, fluid, overlay. The film isn't taped at all, only the overlay. The best description I've seen of how to do this is here:

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScanHi-End/message/3670

 

IIRC, you have to join the group to read the archives. If you make fluid mounts this way, you can coax the bubbles out. This is much, much, easier if you have a light box under your mounting table so you can see through the drum as you work the bubbles to the edge of the film.

 

The 1045ai is a good scanner. You'll have fun with it, I'm sure.

[eric friedemann]

A little beside the point, it amuses me that in digital terms, a Screen 1045 is "old." I have an image in my head of western settlers trying to make scans of glass negatives by candle light using bear grease as a fluid.

[bruce watson]

Eric,

 

In digital terms, the Screen 1045ai isn't really old -- it's ancient. A computer is old at two years. This scanner went out of production in what? 1996 maybe? Ancient. In terms of image quality, this ancient scanner still beats the hell out of a brand new CCD flatbed, however, even at three times the price. Digital is interesting in that way too ;-)

[eric friedemann]

H2, a wealthy customer in my store was making prints ten or so years ago on a customized Iris printer that cost him $150K. He complained about how fussy the machine was and that it got ink everywhere.

 

Now he makes prints on an Epson printer that cost him $4K. His consistency is way better and there is nothing for him to clean up.

[dai_hunter]

So much for Iris - so sad, too bad, bye bye

 

LOL