Material for Replacement 4x5 Dark Slides

BobUK

Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2021
Messages
507
Location
England, UK
Format
Medium Format
I have a couple of second hand 4x5 cut film holders with crazed dark slides. Not obvious until held up close to a desk light.

My first choice for making replacement slides was Tufnol, Paxolin, Phenolic Resin boards. To me they are are one and the same thing. Available in black with 0.6mm thickness. The material seems to be relatively free of static. Problem is though it is sold in large sheets for around £80 a sheet. I could buy a new set of film holders for that sort of money.

have seen PVC replacement slides being sold from China. I wonder about static with PVC.

My Bronica uses brushed stainless steel as a slide on the film magazines. So I am wondering about using plain, unpainted brass sheet.

Could someone please recommend a sheet material suitable for making replacement dark slides that is relatively static free?
Thanks.
 

darkroommike

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
1,693
Location
Iowa
Format
Multi Format
I came here to ask a similar question but let me throw out some thoughts.
  1. Maybe you can find an offcut of your preferred material, or contact the distributor, they may have a full sheet with a bad area.
  2. PVC slides, not too much money, could try one, maybe give it a good rubdown with an unscented, antistatic dryer sheet.
  3. Brass would also work (and probably aluminum). Old photo books published formulas for blackening brass, and you could anodize aluminum.
 

Doremus Scudder

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
3,577
Location
Eugene, Oregon
Format
4x5 Format
With used 4x5 holders being relatively cheap on the used market, especially ones that are in bad condition, it would seem prudent to check if one could find a replacement darkslide by buying holders in bad condition, but with good darkslides. Keep in mind that you'd need the same brand and model, since darkslides from different brands are often not interchangeable (Fidelity and Riteway holders made in the same factory at the same time might be an exception).

Heck, a few good used filmholders might be cheaper than buying a sheet of the appropriate material.

Best,

Doremus
 

reddesert

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
2,351
Location
SAZ
Format
Hybrid
For 4x5, I agree with Doremus that used film holders and dark slides are fairly common.

DIY darkslides and materials are sometimes discussed for larger formats including larger than 8x10, where DIY may be the only option. Search for other threads about DIY darkslides, for ex https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/garolite-grades-for-darkslides.37528/
Be careful because there are grades of synthetic material / resin such as circuit board substrates that are not fully opaque, even in black.
 

RalphLambrecht

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
14,609
Location
K,Germany
Format
Medium Format

I used the plastic sheets you mentioned, and they worked fine. The replacement dark slides did too and saved a lot of labor and tools. However, I used an antistatic brush on both.
 

Maris

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2006
Messages
1,560
Location
Noosa, Australia
Format
Multi Format
The 3M type 850 black polyester tape I use for patching camera bellows also patches cracked dark slides very nicely. The tape is very black, very thin, very strong, with a superb no-bleed, no-creep adhesive. With all those superlatives you'd expect it to be expensive. My roll cost $100 but it has been really useful to do lots of light-excluding photographic repairs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…