Green country of ours

Find out about suppliers and repairers in the UK and abroad
Post Reply
Charles Twist
Founder
Posts: 721
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Green country of ours

Post by Charles Twist » Fri Nov 23, 2012 12:16 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I have just returned from 4 weeks on the road. My old house was quite damp when I returned. A set of Sinar bag bellows that I had stored have developped many spots of mould. What would people recommend (or not recommend) to clear it? I can use mildly soapy water to shift the excess but for a more in-depth clean, what do folk think of Jeyes Fluid which I know stops fungus in its tracks? It has a small amount of formaldehyde in it and I am not sure how the bellows will take to it. I am just trying to avoid pin-pricks, or worse, appearing.
Thanks,
Charles

SteveH
Forum Hero
Posts: 130
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:36 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Cotswolds
Contact:

Re: Green country of ours

Post by SteveH » Fri Nov 23, 2012 1:31 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Charles,

We had problems with leather/fabric mould on shoes and handbags, and the following worked...

Clean off with mild soap and water.

Allow to dry and leave in strong sunlight (the UV kills the spores).

If no luck then use a mix of water/soap/Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). Test the IPA first to make sure it does not take the dye out of the bellows.

Formaldehyde is not a good idea, its vicious stuff and could affect your film.

Steve H
Big is beautiful.

George Hart
Forum Hero
Posts: 115
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:32 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Chester, UK

Re: Green country of ours

Post by George Hart » Fri Nov 23, 2012 5:17 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Charles:

No mention of formaldehyde in the Jeyes fluid data sheet, http://www.jeyesprofessional.co.uk/medi ... d196ae.pdf. Just a few nasty phenol derivatives…

Most people seem to recommend a dilute solution of bleach for getting rid of mould. It's worked for me but I find that it may require more than 1 application. You can get rid of attached spores and mycelia but unfortunately their extended family tend to come back, and especially to surfaces that have been previously affected.

Prevention is better than cure and I recommend investing in a dehumidifier. I keep most of my camera kit <10 feet from one that's on all the time. If you're away for a month then you will need to get a friendly neighbour to empty the can, or else fit a drainage tube.

Was the month away for photographic purposes? Any sample pics to show us?

George

Charles Twist
Founder
Posts: 721
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Re: Green country of ours

Post by Charles Twist » Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:24 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks Steve and George for your answers. I'll see if I can find some IPA (or IMS) in my stocks, and failing that I will turn to diluted bleach.

@George: the Jeyes fluid bottle states plainly that it contains formaldehyde. I've had it a while, so formulations may have changed. A dehumidifier in this house would have its work cut out... :cry:
While the trip's main purpose was for Mrs T to return home and see family & friends, I couldn't go to Oz and not take the camera. Here be a couple snaps:

Image

Image

The light in Australia is far more punchy. Transparency film works best on overcast days as the rest of the time, shadows are v. dark. It's amazing how strong the light can be. Even with thin clouds, there are clear shadows. It's great for sunsets as there is enough power to light up the sky in crimson.

I hope you're both keeping well. We must meet up at some stage. Anybody fancy it?

All the best,
Charles

numnutz
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:29 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: London UK

Re: Green country of ours

Post by numnutz » Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:43 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Test the IPA first
phew - I thought at first you meant India Pale Ale...


nn :)

George Hart
Forum Hero
Posts: 115
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:32 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Chester, UK

Re: Green country of ours

Post by George Hart » Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:44 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks for the pics Charles. My 5x4 has been to Oz too! The first time I got to see the Opera House close up I was too jiggered from the flight to line up the camera properly!

It would be good to meet up sometime. How about the Lakes in spring?

George

Charles Twist
Founder
Posts: 721
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Re: Green country of ours

Post by Charles Twist » Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:14 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

numnutz wrote: phew - I thought at first you meant India Pale Ale...
nn :)
That's for internal applications... :)
George Hart wrote:Thanks for the pics Charles. My 5x4 has been to Oz too! The first time I got to see the Opera House close up I was too jiggered from the flight to line up the camera properly!

It would be good to meet up sometime. How about the Lakes in spring?

George
It's certainly a long way from Blighty. Had a few hours in Singapore on the way - fascinating place which deserves a longer visit. Next time. Looking at the picture again, I am thinking that some lateral shift might have been good to square up the foreground to the Opera House buildings. There are a lot of good pictures to be had there - loads of detail to get stuck in to.

Great idea re the Lakes. I'll float that past everyone.

All the best,
Charles

Andrew Plume
Forum Hero
Posts: 617
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 3:28 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: North Oxon

Re: Green country of ours

Post by Andrew Plume » Fri Nov 30, 2012 5:44 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Charles

................a good trip clearly, to be entirely frank it's not far at all, imo, stop off in Sing as you did, that's only 13 hrs from LHR, get back on two days later, fly to Perth, 4 3/4hrs, take a few days out, then fly over to Sydney, what's that 4-5 hours, easy easy stuff

err, my understanding is that formaldehyde is best used for what is does best, i.e. embalming, it's incredibly strong, therefore. best used on the dead

and as you rightly say "......The light in Australia is far more punchy...", which is totally spot on, over here and in comparison, the light is cr*p, totally cr**, there's also way more consistency with the light throughout a day, you can easily set up your gear during an afternoon in AUS, waiting for the light to go down and almost always know that there isn't going to be a mass of cloud or whatever turning up etc etc

and one thing in particular with the Opera House complex that I certainly noticed, is, it's really a low rise development, nothing large at all, as is so often depicted

regards

andrew

Andrew Plume
Forum Hero
Posts: 617
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 3:28 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: North Oxon

Re: Green country of ours

Post by Andrew Plume » Fri Nov 30, 2012 5:59 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

well Charles

I really feel that you should post, say twelve of your best images from this little trip in 'the locations' section, yes?

there's more to life than the UK

regards

andrew

Charles Twist
Founder
Posts: 721
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Re: Green country of ours

Post by Charles Twist » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:03 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hello Andrew,
I can do if you wish. But after the weekend, as things are pretty busy here.
All the best,
Charles

Andrew Plume
Forum Hero
Posts: 617
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 3:28 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: North Oxon

Re: Green country of ours

Post by Andrew Plume » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:32 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

thanks Charles

why not, why not..................

regards

andrew

Post Reply