I recently purchased a film came on four 1600 reels in two cardboard boxes one containing three reels and a single in its own box.
There is no vinegar smell whatsoever,the film has a coat of something on it some of which obviously came off onto my cleaning cloths.No problem but there is a smell but not vinegar and this smell has transferred to the cardboard so much so I have changed the reels the film came on and the film is going in new plastic containers.
Any idea what the liquid / smell might be just out of curiosity .
Sorry if this has been asked before.
(The film plays fine )📽📽

If these are 16mm from Mr. Guest, I think it smells of barn (hay, manure) ... Mine also plays okay

Could it be paraffin oil? In the 'old days' many projectionists used this as a lubricant to ensure that new, lab fresh prints would play smoothly. From time to time I encounter the odd 16mm print that has been treated with paraffin oil. A very distinct smell and difficult to clean off the film.

Thanks Vidal,no this is not from DG having had films from him so far none have smelt of anything I have yet to have one smelling of hay/ manure must make a change from vinegar!!

Alexander must admit have not had a print with paraffin oil on before at least not to my knowledge.I think you could be right because the cloth had an oily film on it,but it was this strange smell that got me that seemed to have transferred to the cardboard.
Thank you📽📽

gwyn, can you describe the smell?

there are no hay straw or manure in any of my barns they are used to store my fairground organs and rides and vehicles

Not sure, you said it yourself, Mr. Guest, that it might be hay. It is the 35 pound untested films I mean.

The smell is just a “tangie “ almost light oily pungent stick in the nose smell.I have thrown the cardboard box away and the smell has gone near as possible.it was as if the cardboard had absorbed what ever it was.
The film which I have had in fresh air hardly smells of anything now but there is a film of something on the film,but it dose not seem to affect the print.Its not filmguard,as I said before just a smell I had not come across before.

It’s not hay or manure,as a Devon lad born and bred I know what hay and manure smell like 😂😂😂😂😂📽📽

In the 50s we used to wax "green" prints (straight from the labs) with the Premier Waxer from Robert Rigby. This used thin strips of white wax, which had no smell, which under weighed pressure ran on the perforations as the film was pulled by the rewind arms. The bench had a fixed slot bracket which the unit slipped into for use.
The picture attached is the 16mm model but the 35mm model was vey similar.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3647/3394651919_999af33c91.jpg

The old 2.22 cleaner had a strong smell and it still lingers on my treated films, some 25 years plus later.

Only today I opened a 400ft Super 8 box to show a DCR release "Melody Time" and on its back was a rubber stamp:-
"This film has been treated with 2.22 to protect it. Chemical not visible when projected."
Whilst it may have had a smell in the past, there is no smell at all now.

Thank you all for your replies I think it could well be this 2.22 cleaner,today there is hardly any smell.The cardboard box seemed to have absorbed the smell .Now the film is in plastic cans it is much better.
📽📽😀