Building an anti-Newton device

[gauthier]

This isn't really a question, more an answer to a question I posted

last week, really. I was caught with many unscannable slides

sandwiches then - awful Newton rings would appear all over everytime I

inserted the slides in the Minolta Dimage Scan Dual III.

 

Some users suggested scanning each layer separately or using drum

scanner oil, but neither solution was very practical. I finally did

some research on my on and found out that some emulsions were

sensitive to humidity, the emulsion swelling and the slide becoming

unflat - a situation leading to lots of awful Newton rings.

 

This is why I decided to build my anti-Newton device. As its name does

not imply, no graduate level physics are implied, just an hermetic

plastic container and 40 grams of silica gel in a reusable metallic

package.

 

The device is used the following way: you open the lid and drop the

slides to can and the silica gel package; wait for 2-3 hours; putthe

dry slides in the scanner for nice results, without any Newton ring.

Simple, efficient, cheap and definitely not messy.

 

The moderator will archive this is they see fit - it took me a week to

figure out this simple solution from the infomation available in the

archives. Maybe I'm a bit slow?<div></div>

[jimh]

Interesting solution. Does the film get completely flat or is it just the irregular smaller curvature that dissappears? If it gets flat this could be a solution for negatives and slides that have too large a curvature for the scanner holder as well, not just sandwiched slides.

[bschmitz]

Phillip,

Can you tell me when you put the slides in your "box", where they already sandwiched or where they separate when you dried them. If you sandwiched them later, did you use glass mounts when you scanned?

Thanks

[gauthier]

Jim: I don't know for sure with a regular slide. The weather is very humid here right now, I'll try with a regular, swollen slide and get back to you later today.

 

Bert: Yes, the slides are already sandwiched when I put them in my box. Asssembling them to get the registration I want sometimes takes time andthis is why I don't like the idea of opening the frame to scan each layer separately. I don't use glass mounts; my feeling is that even with anti-Newton glass, that would be asking for trouble!

[sk_arts]

Philippe-

 

<<my feeling is that even with anti-Newton glass, that would be asking for trouble!>>

 

It is. :)

[gauthier]

Jim: I have no sure way of measuring this, but it seems that the normal slide I stored in the "device" a few hours ago is flatter now. The central area certainly is flat, especially on the emulsion side, but there is some curvature along all the edges of the mount, which may or may not suit your purpose.

 

I use Gepe glassless frames, in case that matters.