Thread: Squeegee or not
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  #23  
Old 5th May 2021, 03:24 PM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
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Mention of the ZEROSTAT Anti Static Gun reminded me of my attempts to see if anything was actually happening when I squeezed the trigger.

I took a neon indicator lamp from a scrapped electric kettle and twisted one lead so that it would connect with the the metal needle shrouded in the nozzle of the gun. When I squeezed the trigger the neon glowed.
Do not touch the bare wires when squeezing as it gave me an unexpected shock.

The other test that I tried was using Sellotape.
I have often seen the tape attract to itself after pulling a length from the roll, static being the obvious cause.

I peeled off a couple of strips about four inches long and stuck one end of each piece to the edge of a bookshelf.
The tape is slightly bowed, but when the gun is aimed at the strips the taped bends and unbends. So it is definitely having an effect.

I bought my gun probably about thirty years ago and it is still going strong.

As to squeegees, I had one but only used it a few times, as I never really trusted the thing.

I just hold the film by each end and see saw it through a pudding basin containing water and a drop of wetting agent. The way we developed film before developing tanks became the norm.
Once it is hung up I take hold of opposite edges of the film using forefinger and thumb and slide down the film once to run the heavy accumulation that forms at the edges.
No scratches and no water marks, but do go lightly with the wetting agent.


Cheers.
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