Scanning fluid for wet mounting

Since I'm currently stuck in China, I am unable to acquire Kami or Lumina fluid so that I can wet mount my negatives on my new betterscanning.com mounting station (for the Epson v750).

I read the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for Kami fluid. It appears to be basically 10% paint thinner (mineral spirits) and 90% Coleman Fuel (white gas or naphtha).

Am I wrong in thinking I could just get a little paint thinner and white gas and make my own Kami?

(and no wonder they can't ship that stuff by plane... Wow, it is flammable stuff!)


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.029157,116.511024

I would think you would be safe doing that. I wouldn't use it on a drum scanner because fo the chance of crazing the acrylic drum. But if the permanent optical components in your system are glass, I don't see it harming things. I would skip the paint thinner and just try straight naphtha. Note, I haven't tried this, so try it at your own risk.

Since you are getting desperate, can you get mineral oil there? You would need a good film cleaner.

Some people have used lighter fluid but that can have impurities in it. Other have tried baby oil.

Have you enquired at local print shops to see if they stock any?

Just some thoughts.

Doug

Thanks Doug. I'm looking into mineral oil. Funny thing about local print shops... I contacted (through an interpreter) a guy who does drum scanning commercially here. He refused to be any help at all, because he was afraid I was setting up a competitive business! :-(

I'll keep looking, but frankly, I'm getting such good quality (for my purposes while still stuck here) out of dry mounting using your wet/dry mounting station that I'll probably just live with it until I get back to the states.

I looked up the MSDS for Lumina fluid, it states that Lumina is 100% Paraffin Petroleum Distillate. When I googled that, wikipedia defines it as kerosene. Is it true that instead of buying Lumina fluid I could just pick up some kerosene and use that? ScanScience claims that Lumina is very clean and doesn't require negative clean up. If it is merely kerosene, that may be easier to acquire here.

Unfortuantely, I can't advise you on that any more than you have found out yourself. I am not sure what quality of kerosene you can obtain over there but you sure wouldn't want low quality stuff with contaminants from a supplier who doesn't maintain good storage facilities.

Glad to hear dry mounting on the mounting station is working well. Too bad about the drum scanner guy. If he is located fairly close by, maybe he would be less defensive if you were to visit him in person?

Good luck,
Doug

I was thinking about that (a visit). I am also going to ask my interpreter friend to ask if he will sell me a limited quantity of supplies directly, rather than revealing his sources. That way he can control just how much "competition" he gets from me.

I was thinking about that (a visit). I am also going to ask my interpreter friend to ask if he will sell me a limited quantity of supplies directly, rather than revealing his sources. That way he can control just how much "competition" he gets from me.