How can I safely separate medium format Kodachrome that has stuck to its storage sleeves?
Asked 4/2/2017
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I have about a dozen rolls of developed medium format Kodachrome from the 1980s and 1990s that I want to scan. Several rolls are stuck on the emulsion side to the thin transparent sleeves they were returned in. I’ve already tried soaking one roll in water with a little Photo-Flo, but it’s hard to tell whether that will free it. What’s the safest way to separate the film from the sleeves without damaging the film?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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I known about Kodachrome -- hold lifetime license from Kodak to process. The water soak should work. If it should fail, add a teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing detergent to the soak. OK to soak up to 8 hours. If this fails -- The last stage of the Kodachrome process is to apply a thin coat of lacquer to the emulsion side. Not every processer applied lacquer so it's a toss-up if yours is lacquered. If it is, it could be the lacquer that is adhering to the sleeve. If true, you will need to soak the film in a solvent. First I would use movie film cleaner. If that fails, then soak in lacquer thinner from your local hardware store.
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
9y ago
0
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Start with the gentlest approach: a water soak with a little Photo-Flo may work, and one answer suggests soaking for several hours if needed. If that doesn’t release the film, a small amount of mild dish soap in the soak was also suggested.
If the film is still stuck, another careful option is to sacrifice the sleeve: cut the sleeve apart and peel away the plastic layer by layer, using a very sharp blade only where there is clear space between the film and the sleeve. Test this first on a less important strip.
Kodachrome was sometimes finished with a thin lacquer coating, and if that is what has adhered to the sleeve, water may not be enough. In that case, one answer recommends trying film cleaner before moving to stronger solvents. Strong solvents such as lacquer thinner are much riskier and should be a last resort.
Practical advice: begin with the mild soak, handle the film as little as possible, and test any method on your least valuable negatives first.
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