JohnR66 wrote:
"Dr Phred" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a huge collection of 35 mm slides that were stored in vinyl
holders. They are kind of stuck in there. It seems the vinyl oozed
something onto the slides, and if you just yank the slide out, it
leaves a "water ring". I'm leaving the slides in there until I can
figure out how to get them out without damaging them. Any suggestions?

The plasticizers used in many PVC products seem to reach out and effect
anything it is in contact with. A vinyl CD case I left on a wood cabinet for
a few weeks became glued to it. It turned the finish into a sticky goo.
Hopefully no permanent damage was made to your slides.

In addition to the other advice, I'd add a wetting agent to the wash to
reduce spotting as the film dries. I used to process my own slides and the
wetting agent, Kodak Photo Flow in my case, was a must.

Polypropylene or, if you want to spend some money, crystal clear mylar
sleeves are recommended.

John



Not about slides, but about insidious vinyl in general--
My wife had an elderly relative who died a few years ago. She had a
modest collection of LPs from the early days of that medium, containing
contemporary-for-the-time classical music; several of these discs had
become collectors' items. But--somewhere down the line, someone had
removed the discs from their sleeves and put them in vinyl-covered wire
racks. The plasticizer from the vinyl on the racks had migrated to the
discs and raised very large welts, just the size and shape of the wire.
Most were totally unplayable. And then there is the reaction between
vinyl and Xerox copies. Vinyl is very good in its place, but that place
is _not_ near other materials.
Allen