Digital BW, The Print

Frank Kolwicz wrote:

>Ernst,
>
>I *was* using a larger transparent plastic cover sheet when I had the 
>problems I described with the Kami fluid and I could sit there and watch the 
>bubbles expand from around the film edges into the image area and there was 
>no way I could get the scan done before they ruined it. This was with 220 
>color negatives.
>
>The cover sheet seemed to make the mounting even harder by providing that 
>much more space in the second layer for bubbles to be trapped.
>
>How do you work out the bubbles in the first place? I tried flooding the 
>surface with fluid and progressively laying the film in from one end (and 
>likewise with the cover sheet), squeegeeing the layered film and cover sheet 
>with some kind of smooth soft plastic scraper and finally flooding the 
>entire surface of both sheets with a film of fluid. I never got rid of the 
>bubbles, but did get them off the image area temporarily, until they crept 
>back in as the edge bubbles expanded.
>
>I now use a ScanMultiPro and have the glass holder for flattening curled 
>film: would you recommend using mounting fluid in that kind of holder?
>
>Frank
>
Frank,

I can repeat that mounting every day and I get the same results. The 
thinner MF film + an extra sheet of 0.1 mm PET being the best example of 
the long time you can keep the sandwich closed.  Several scans of the 
same film without any air creeping in. I use a small polyethylene 
squeegee and an extra sheet of PET on top of the sandwich to avoid 
scratches on the top foil. On the Nikon 8000 wet mount carriers that I 
made I added small steel clamps to hold the foil so no tape has to be 
used. I lift that foil at the other edge, lay the film where it should 
be, drip the fluid with  a pipet in the angle near the clamps, lower the 
PET foil and the squeegee pushes the fluid between the four surfaces in 
a few strokes. If it doesn't work in one attempt the second one will do 
the trick without failing. One has to keep the concept of capillary 
force in mind, that fluid will creep into the narrow spaces, there's no 
need to imitate the way you make normal sandwiches.

Either your PET film reacts to the fluid, is too thick or the overlap of 
the foil is too small. I'm not familiar enough with the ScanMultiPro. 
The wet mount holders I made for the Nikon are based on the MF slide 
holder and have a glass area of approx. 11 x 23 cm. Sealed with 
polyurethane resin around the edges.  That 's enough for the MF films 
scanned on that scanner. On the Epson 3200 I use a separate glass sheet  
for mounting 4x5 and the PET foil will overlap with 1.5" -2" around the 
film. I have PET on the roll so there's no need to check whether it is 
half an inch less or more.

Ernst