Stagirit
I’ve found a box of old films in the family archive; almost all of the footage is from before the war. The films themselves are in very good condition, apart from one small issue: they’ve been stored rolled up in the old film canisters.
This means they can only be forced into the film canisters with considerable effort, and I don’t want to risk breaking the film base.
Has anyone had experience with films like this, and is it possible to get them flat again?
Cheers!
hambo
One option would be to soak it – it can be left standing for about an hour – then leave it to dry thoroughly.
Gast
I would loosely wind it around a cardboard tube with a larger diameter and leave it for a few days in a place where the air isn’t too dry, but isn’t stuffy enough to encourage mould either. Then increase the diameter further, or hang it up straight away, keeping it dust-free, and let it stretch out with a small weight at the end. Celluloid- or acetate-based gelatin is a ‘natural material’. With a little moisture and gentle pressure, it will mould itself into the shape you want.
Best regards,
Stefan
