P3D Re: Dirty Filthy Red Handed Cheaters

[Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

Mark Dottle wrote:
> I'd really like to know how folks can stay clinically clean,
> organized and find the time to mount their images?
> 

For me the biggest time saver is shooting Medium Format.  You don't
have to handle tiny chips of film, and you don't need a magnifier to
see what you're doing.  The second biggest time saver it using a
stereo camera.  When using the twined Lubitels I had to deal with a
lot of rotation and other alignment problems.

MF slides are returned from the lab are uncut and sleeved in clear
plastic.  They look at you funny if you ask them to cut the film.

I cut the frames while still in the sleeves so that I can handle them
without gloves.  When I need to touch the slide (e.g., to get it out
of the sleeve or apply tape) I use a cotton glove on one hand and only
expose enough of the slide to get the tape on.  That way I can hold
the slide by the sleeve and not need to wear gloves while taping the
slide to the mount.

I mount my MF slides in Spicer cardboard mounts by applying tape to
the top of the base side of the slide and attaching it to the inside
of the front of the mount with 3M silver mylar tape.  I then seal the
open three sides of the mount with strips of 3M Magic Brand Scotch
Tape.  I do this on an 8x10 light table that I've taped a mounting
guide to.  This method does not allow me to view in stereo while
positioning the frames.  I put one side down, adjust the other using
the guide and then flip the mount over and look at it in my viewer.

By taping only on the base side of the slide you don't have to worry
about damaging the emulsion if you need to unmount the slide at a
later date.  By only taping one edge of the film I allow for the film
and mount to expand and contract at different rates as temperature and
humidity change.

3M Magic Brand Scotch Tape (the green plaid) is rumored to be archival
(i.e., it won't damage the film and it is reversible).  3M Invisible
Tape (red plaid) is definitely NOT archival and will damage film and
prints.

-- 
Brian Reynolds                  | "Dee Dee!  Don't touch that button!"
reynolds@xxxxxxxxx              | "Oooh!"
http://www.panix.com/~reynolds  |    -- Dexter and Dee Dee
NAR# 54438                      |       "Dexter's Laboratory"