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Compressed Air on Aaton XTR Gate?


Stuart Eagon

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For cleaning the Aaton XTR gate is it an appropriate cleaning method to spray compressed/canned air into the gate?

 

I know that the manual specifically states that you are not to spray compressed air onto the mirror. I am assuming that the gate is a different story.

 

Just looking for someone to verify if this as an appropriate method of cleaning the gate (in addition to cleaning the magazine with compressed air).

 

Thanks.

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It's not a good idea to blow compressed air onto any film camera gate, you end up blowing dust and debris through the openings into the mechanism. Better to use a lint-free cloth, lint-free cotton buds or orangewood sticks. It's not quite as critical with magazines, but it is possible to blow film chips and such into film channels or grit into sprocket/roller bearings, so for mags it's best to use a brush, a lint-free cloth or a small vaccuum cleaner with a brush nozzle.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi,

 

The orange wood sticks can be found in most pharmacies, go to the nail care section. There are some places that sell a clear box of about five or six sticks, these are the best deal probably. There is another brand that has only a few sticks to a box, and they have these colored emory sections on one end, while the other brand has two usable ends. The previous brand is WAT better. Look hard, these are almost always hidden among the other stuff,

 

I also have had luck with these sponge-tipped q-tips, they don't have any fibrous material, and shouldn't leave stuff in the film path. These are more for heavy emulsion build up, and work well is contact cleaners like alcohol, etc, on any metal part of the camera (don't apply any alcohol to the black paint on the cam or mags as it may take the paint right off.

 

Best,

 

Isaac

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