LaserSoft Imaging

My understanding is that it's best to remove 35mm slides from the mount, clean the film and then put the film in a new mount. Sounds like a lot of work, but I have gotten such great results with the film cleaner I use (PEC12) it's a shame to have mold and dirt lingering in the corners and edges. So I may want to try this process of removing and remounting. Which brings up a couple of questions:

1) What is the safest way to remove the film from the old cardboard mounts?
2) What brand & type of new mount would you recommend?

These slides will not likely be projected ever again, but they could be re-scanned at a later date and of course I want them to last another 40/50 years or more. Any reason I should not remove/clean/remount?

Thanks!
Dave

Dear Dave,

davect wrote:1) What is the safest way to remove the film from the old cardboard mounts?

The first thing I can recommend is to use gloves, some people prefer cotton gloves, other people prefer to use surgery gloves (without powder) to prevent lint from getting on the emulsion.

Usually you can open the cardboard using a cardboard cutter, if you have trouble doing this, you should go to a photo store and ask what method they use for opening such slide mounts

davect wrote:2) What brand & type of new mount would you recommend?

There are plastic mounts which can be opened and closed at your will, just make sure they are not very thick when put together. I recommend you to aks in a store for this, I do not know if I would purchase this online, if that is what you want, make sure you go to a big company, they usually have good quality products.

Cheers

What type of scanner are you using ? If flatbed, you may be able to wet mount on the bed.

If it is a slide scanner, make sure the new mounts will be accepted by the scanner mechanism.

i have heard some folks using wet mount with the Nikon CS9000,

http://store.aztek.com/servlet/-strse-S ... Categories

and here for other scanners as well as the 9000

http://www.wetmounting.com/

degrub wrote:What type of scanner are you using ?

I'm using a film scanner, specifically the Plustek 7200.

Since I'm removing the slides from the mounts anyway I would certainly consider wet scanning. Even after cleaning the film some mold and/or emulsion damage from the mold is still evident (though much improved). Would wet scanning reduce the appearance of the mold? SRD can only do so much without affecting other image details.

I have worked in labs in a previous life (pre digital). When opening cardboard mounts you need to slice the mount part way (enough to cut only one side of the mount) through along where the edge of the film extends into the mount. If you need you can use an old piece of film to get an idea where that is. Once it's scored you bend the mount back and peel it away from the film and if done right the film will pop away from the mount and you can pull it out.

With plastic mounts the film get pushed in through one end. If you look closely you can see which side this is. You pull the inside part of the slide mount back and peel it away until it is open like a book and pull the slide away, usually a fingernail is good to get it started.

As far as remounting the make slide mounts that snap together from two separate pieces.