Kodak Dust and Static Removal Unit

[BlinkingBuzzard]

I recently purchased a complete darkroom off Craigslist (my fourth!), and one of my favorite things about bringing everything home is that there are always certain devices that I've never seen before and have to read up on. One of the more curious things from my recent haul is a "Kodak 10 inch Dust and Static Removal Unit" made by the Portland Co. I can find very little information on it online, and almost nothing aside from a few that sold on eBay. This listing claims that it shoots ions onto film, which, if true, is exciting, because it sounds like a Zerostat gun, which is something I've been meaning to pick up.

The unit I have powers on and I can hear a gentle whirring sound, but I don't quite understand exactly how to use it. Do I just quickly pass the film through the opening in the middle? Through which side should I insert it first? The chrome side or the brush side?

And then I found this page, which has the unit pictured with two accessories - a microphone looking thing and a brush. I've got both of those accessories among the boxes I brought home, but I had no idea they went with this unit. And now I'm even more puzzled about how to operate this thing. Anyone ever use one? Any pointers? It sounds like a very useful device, if only I can understand how to use it.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Any chance that the silver end of the cord plugs into the base unit? Looksl ike the other end has two parts. Maybe an anode and cathode for the brush? Possilby the small round end piece clips into the hole on the end of the metal strip on the brush and the other part, a clip of some sort, attaches elsewhere on the brush?

Well, I saw a film cleaner like this in use at the Kitt Peak Observatory's processing lab. Seems astronomers didn't like dust on their film very much back in the 80s.

I would think that the film enterts from the metal side. Pushing film through an opening in hairs into a thin slot in a metal contraption seems like a recipe for scratches and crimps.

 

[BlinkingBuzzard]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think you're very close with your theory, but the non-silver end of the cord screws into the base of the unit (the black thing next to the "disconnect" sticker) and the other cord on that same end connects to the "ground" screw. The silver end of the cord perfectly fits through the clasp on the brush. I'm still confused, though, about in what order I clean the film. Do I run it through the stand first and then hit it with the brush? Or perhaps the stand is only meant for large format films or sheets of paper? And the brush for 35mm/medium format negatives? Maybe I'm just over-thinking the whole thing. I'll have to dig out some junk negatives later and play around with it a bit more.

 

[BlinkingBuzzard]

Thanks for the information. I think this mystery is nearly solved. Would you agree that the film should enter through the chrome side of the unit? And do you know if it's accurate that this unit neutralizes ions (like a Zerostat gun)?

 

[rthollenbeck]

I wonder if you have the brush unit only there. So what I'm asking is do you think your unit needs to be connected to a separate ionizing anti static unit.

It it makes sense to me that this is specialized and they would make what they needed and buy the anti-static unit separate so they could avoid all the costs of designing their own. If so....anti stadic units are for sale regularly on the auction sites.

Its so hard to tell anything without the unit in front of you, and sometimes it's still a mistery when you do.

 

[Dan Daniel]

The square opening on the base unit- a place for a blower of filtered (ionized?) air? I also thought of a place for a vacuum, but that's not proper procedure for removing dust. You want to be moving filtered air into the place you want clean, not pulling in unfiltered air as a vacuum would do in this case.

 

[Zathras]

I have the Zone VI dust brush that Fred Picker sold after Kodak stopped selling them. I believe it is the exact same thing as the smaller unit which was the small brush only and a smaller power supply, made by the same company that made them for Kodak. I got it from another member here for a very good price.

I believe that the smaller brush unit is for cleaning smaller negs that are already in the neg carrier. I also use mine to dust the enlarger lens and the condensers from time to time.

This unit is a great find that you should NEVER get rid of as long as you are doing darkroom work. I can't even remember any of my prints having dust spots on them since I got this thing.

 

[BlinkingBuzzard]

Thanks again, everyone, for the information.

Dan, the square opening on the base seems to be a vent, as I can feel air coming out of it when the unit is turned on.

This unit is a great find that you should NEVER get rid of as long as you are doing darkroom work. I can't even remember any of my prints having dust spots on them since I got this thing.

Good to hear. Sounds like this might be the answer to all of my dust problems. And considering that it was basically just thrown in with a ton of other equipment that I was already going to buy, I'm thrilled.

There is a documentary about Ansel Adams in which one scene shows him using the same device you have.

I'd love to see some footage of this device in use. Do you by chance remember the name of that documentary?