Two wild guesses:
1. If the "sticks" are made of some sort of processed pulp/paper material,
then something used in the process might outgas and affect the film when
in close proximity.
2. Same for wooden sticks, which would be processed (at least cleaned)
in something that reacts with the film.
Not all polymers are alike, and some of them don't like each other at all.
Roland F. Harriston, P.D.
∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗
On 5/26/2013 9:54 AM, James wrote:
>
> A cautionary tale.
>
> So I have been selling sheets (12x17cm) cut off my roll of dry film
> [which I bought from China], not making money really, more as a service
> to my fellow New Zealanders who might want to give it a go.
>
> Anyway, I had been trying to think of a way to post it for as cheap, and
> little packaging effort as possible.
>
> I started out sending it flat in a sealed cardboard envelope, one stamp,
> this worked fine, but actually getting it flat and into the envelope was
> always an exercise in frustration, and took me about 10 times longer
> than it should have.
>
> So then I started to send it in it's natural "curl/roll", but I had to
> use (make) a package out of sturdy cardboard to ensure it wouldn't get
> crushed (and therefore creased), this wasn't really a problem, but it
> did push the post up from just 70c for the flat envelope, to now $2.70.
>
> So, long story shorter, I was in one of the local "cheap stuff from
> china" type shops and I happened across some long lollipop sticks, and
> some tissue wrapping paper. Aha! I thought, perfect! I cut a piece of
> tissue paper larger than the film, then roll the film and paper around
> the lollipop stick, like a sponge roll, a bit of tape around the outside
> with a tab to pull it open and they could be sent for just 2 stamps. I
> made up a test roll as to how I would send it, and then unrolled it to
> test that it would be easy to "unpack", and I looked at the film, and it
> looked just fine.
>
> So I made up some of these rolls, and put them in my box which I keep in
> the dark recesses of my office cupboard with the film roll.
>
> Come a week later, and somebody wants to buy some. So I grab out the
> rolls. I had to make up one more, which I did, then packaged
> everything. But before I sent it, something in the back of my mind said
> "James, you know, maybe you should do a quality check on one of those
> rolls you made up last week.. just in case".
>
> So I de-packaged the order and took a look at a random roll. And it's
> just as well I did. The photo sensitive layer seemed to have, for want
> of a better word, wrinkled, or crinkled, or rippled, even though the
> protective layers were fine. I tested some to be sure, but it's not
> usable (adheres to the board normally, but the developed image is like
> crinkle-cut chips).
>
> My roll of dry film, and a few loose cut sections I have, which were all
> stored in the same place, were fine. The one I had made up earlier
> today, it was fine, so I think it must be something to do with being
> rolled up tightly (5mm core diameter) for a period of time. It's fairly
> warm in my office, so perhaps that has something to do with it, but all
> the other film is fine, just these rolled up ones bit the dust.
>
> Luckily I had only made up 10 rolls like this, I've now undone them all
> and put them flat between some card and a heavy thing in a warm place to
> see if there's any hope of resurrection for my personal usage, but I
> doubt it somehow.
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]