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be broken. A warning system goes into
operation immediately this happens but it is
inevitable that the film in question and a
number of other films belonging to
other people will be spoilt in the time it takes
to find and repair the break.

When the detection device does find a fault in
the film, the operator has sufficient time to cut
the film, overlap the two ends and insert
a staple. This is the normal method of joining
the reels together, Kodachrome processing
being a continuous process. The staff will
ensure the owner, receives a note in the
can with the film, pointing out any breaks attract any dust that happened to be around and
or other peculiarities concerning the film. this would have a very effect the resulting
images on the film. The importance of this
If the owner has read the instructions enclosed point for the user, is to make absolutely
with the raw film, but has chosen to ignore certain that no conditions exist where dust can
them and, after loading the camera, has come into contact with the film. Special points
proceeded to expose every inch of film on the to note here is to ensure that the camera is
reel, Kodak can’t be blamed when important or dust-free and that if a changing bag is used, the
irreplaceable shots are lost. The reason is fairly interior of this is also dust-free.
obvious. If the leader and trailer of each film
were processed, it would involve the wasteful After the film has completed it’s journey
exhaustion of expensive chemicals and would through the processing baths, which are
slow down overall processing time. continuously replenished to preserve the
quality of the ingredients, the image is formed
Great attention is paid by the Company to the and fixed, it then passes into a drying cabinet
creation of dust free conditions, not only in where it passes up and down over a large
the manufacturing of films, but also in the number of rubber rollers before coming
processing. Workers in this section have to out into the open.
wear special clothing and are de-dusted
before they enter the processing room. Further It then passes downward over the top of a
care is taken to ensure that no chance exists of large roller. The bottom of this roller
a static charge being built up in the film as is immersed in a paraffin wax lubricating
it passes through any part of the processing. If solution. As the roller turns, the wax passes
the film did develop a static charge, it would onto the edges only of the film, thereby
covering the sprocketed edges with wax. This
part of the process is intended to ensure
smooth projection of new film. The technical
staff point out that after processing, the
gelatine content of the dyes themselves starts a
hardening process.

After about six weeks, the film is reasonably
hard; at the end of six months, it is quite hard
and at the end of twelve months, it is as hard as
it is every going to get. This hardening process
has nothing to do with the evaporation of the

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