Denatured alcohol often has gunk in it to prevent your skin from drying.
Wintergreen oil is common. They also denature it with wood alcohol,
which I don't think is a problem for glass (though quite toxic for humans).
The electronics grade alcohol I use is PureTronics Techincal Grade
isopropyl. The claim is it is 99.9 percent pure. $7 for 32 oz.
It's not on their website. Stock number 3125.
I sppose if you have access to it, "reagent grade" isopropal would be
the best. What you want to avoid is the 70% pure junk.
For the car windows, I use the cheaper stuff. You should be able to find
99% pure alcohol [anhydrous] About $1 for 16oz. Brite-Life is a common
brand.
The use of cotton balls is mostly from the cleaning instructions of
filters. I'm not sure why they prefer cotton balls to lens cleaning
tissue. However, when on the road, you can get cotton balls and the
nearly pure 99% alcohol at any drug store, rather than having to track
down a photo store.
I find the cushioning of cotton balls tends to be gentler on the glass.
While we are at it, some say canned air can damage glass. I do know that
if you don't hold the can perfectly level, refrigerant comes out. There
is also talk of thermal shock. I use a scuba tank for my canned air, so
I don't know if current genneration canned air products have this
problem. I have a Leland CO2 duster as well, but don't use it much as it
surely puts out cold air.
Laurie Solomon wrote:
>>Windex contains ammonia which can etch coatings. Never use it
>>on optics.
>>
>>
>
>I assumed as much but was not sure, which is why I made a point of
>articulating my suggestions the way I did and restricting my suggestion of
>Windex's to the plate glass bed of the scanner if it were a flatbed scanner,
>saying to be careful not to let any of it run off the glass into the innards
>of the scanner, and following it with the statement:
>
>
>>>As for the other parts, you need to be careful not to scratch or leave
>>>
>>>
>lint on the
>
>
>>>surfaces of the optics and mirror. I suspect that one would also need to
>>>
>>>
>be careful
>
>
>>>about what solutions one uses to make sure that they do not leave their
>>>
>>>
>own film residue
>
>
>>>over the optics and mirror, don't contain anything that will deteriorate
>>>
>>>
>the internal
>
>
>>>parts, and do not damage the electronic components and elements.
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
>>Electronics grade alcohol is generally accepted as best for
>>optics.
>>
>>
>
>I am unfamiliar with electronics grade alcohol; how does it differ from
>denatured alcohol? I understand why one might not want to use rubbing
>alcohol' but is denatured alcohol the same as electronic grade?
>
>
>
>>I use cottonballs rather than cloth.
>>
>>
>
>I suppose they could work just as well as long as they do not leave behind
>any form of lint or cotton strings or dust.
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk
>>[mailto:filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk] On Behalf Of lists
>>Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 12:43 PM
>>To: laurie@advancenet.net
>>Subject: [filmscanners] Re: HP PhotsSmart - questions
>>
>>Windex contains amonia which can etch coatings. Never use it
>>on optics.
>>Electronics grade alcohol is generally accepted as best for
>>optics. I use cottonballs rather than cloth.
>>
>>
>>Laurie Solomon wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I do not have answers to the question of cleaning the
>>>
>>>
>>internal optics,
>>
>>
>>>mirror, or sensors; nor do I have an answer to why 150 dpi appears
>>>sharper than 300 dpi when scanning a 3 x 5 color print. I
>>>
>>>
>>take it that
>>
>>
>>>this is a flatbed scanner.
>>>
>>>I would suggest the obvious with respect to cleaning. You
>>>
>>>
>>should start
>>
>>
>>>by cleaning the glass bed with a soft lintless cloth and a little
>>>Windex, being careful not to let any of the liquid run off the glass
>>>and into the internal areas of the scanner. As for the other parts,
>>>you need to be careful not to scratch or leave lint on the
>>>
>>>
>>surfaces of
>>
>>
>>>the optics and mirror. I suspect that one would also need to be
>>>careful about what solutions one uses to make sure that they do not
>>>leave their own film residue over the optics and mirror,
>>>
>>>
>>don't contain
>>
>>
>>>anything that will deteriorate the internal parts, and do not damage
>>>the electronic components and elements.
>>>
>>>As for the question of " why 150 dpi appears sharper than
>>>
>>>
>>300 dpi when
>>
>>
>>>scanning a 3 x 5 color print," you did not tell us if the result you
>>>speak of was on the monitor or on a hard copy print ( and if the
>>>latter, what type of print laser, inkjet, etc.) The answer to this
>>>could furnish some indications of the reasons for this.
>>>
>>>----Original Message----
>>>From: filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk
>>>[mailto:filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk] On Behalf Of
>>>rkoziol3@comcast.net
>>>Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 8:37 AM
>>>To: laurie@advancenet.net
>>>Subject: [filmscanners] HP PhotsSmart - questions
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi,
>>>>
>>>>Been reading the posts here for quite some time. Just got into
>>>>scanning. In fact the recent thread on Cheap Film Scanners
>>>>
>>>>
>>woke me up
>>
>>
>>>>:-) I have one that's at the bottom of that heap. It's HP
>>>>
>>>>
>>PhotoSmart
>>
>>
>>>>vintage 1997. SCSI interface, which makes it S10 I guess.
>>>>
>>>>I'm using the current version of HP software from their
>>>>
>>>>
>>Support site.
>>
>>
>>>>Did a calibrate with a white piece of paper (the card is gone). The
>>>>scanner was donated by a friend.
>>>>
>>>>Now the question. I started with a simple color print
>>>>
>>>>
>>(3x5) scan and
>>
>>
>>>>noticed that setting it to 150dpi gives a "sharper"
>>>>result than 300dpi.
>>>>
>>>>Can that be explained in any way? Saved as bmp and jpg,
>>>>
>>>>
>>same results.
>>
>>
>>>>Secondly, should I take the scanner apart and attempt to clean any
>>>>optical components? I'm quite handy with small tools :-) After
>>>>sitting for so many years and some usage by the previous owner, it
>>>>must have some film whatever the optical pickup is.
>>>>
>>>>Regards,
>>>>
>>>>Rich Koziol
>>>>
>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>--------------------------
>>>>Unsubscribe by mail to listserver@halftone.co.uk, with 'unsubscribe
>>>>filmscanners' or 'unsubscribe filmscanners_digest' (as
>>>>
>>>>
>>appropriate) in
>>
>>
>>>>the message title or body
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>--------------------------------------------------------------
>>--------------------------
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>>or 'unsubscribe filmscanners_digest' (as appropriate) in the
>>message title or body
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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