On Tue, 2006-08-08 12:38:45 -0400, der Mouse <mouse at rodents.montreal.qc.ca> wrote: I'd say that depends on the type of oil as well as on the type of film. While you can put all photographic stuff into water, some of them don't like being touched or even mildly scrubbed. There are even some films around that have a gel layer unprotected on their surface. If you touch it or grip it hard, you'll smash it... Also when you use soap with organic materials (and gel and celluloid are those), keep in mind that it's a caustic solution (pH > 7) which may corrode the material in the long term if not properly watered out. So if it's worth the work, I'd say first take a sheet of simple paper and soak it with some of the oil. Then check if it's solveable in these liquids: * water+soap. Needs long watering afterwards to get it all off the film. * isopropanol. Check carefully, may solve color and/or the film. * petroleum ether (as you may use to clean some clothing or to fill some specific kinds of lighters.) This needs a really _good_ test if you use it on the fiche because it may be a solvent for either the film and/or the colour! Then check with some cut off piece of film if it resists the treatment chemically-wise. Of course, it would help to know the exact kind of oil and from what the films were made... MfG, JBG -- Jan-Benedict Glaw jbglaw at lug-owl.de +49-172-7608481 Signature of: Eine Freie Meinung in einem Freien Kopf the second : f?r einen Freien Staat voll Freier B?rger.

der Mouse wrote: I would scan them as is if possible, then attempt restoration, and use a throw away transparency blank on both sides when placing them in a scaznner. I have an Epson professional that scans fiche just fine. I would not think that any treatment would be good to apply before taking off information. Jim