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Topic: Rebuilding an RCA 1040

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-25-2000 02:19 PM

For what it's worth, the AFI theatre in the Kennedy Center in DC has a pair of Super Simplexes with RCA soundheads and Peerless "F" lamphouses on display at the entrance door. That equipment is in beautiful condition (though not authentic...the soundheads have Kelmar solar cells in them). I wish that more theatres would put stuff like this on display rather than let it rust away in attics and basements.

Colin Wiseley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 123
From: Blacksburg, VA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-25-2000 03:19 PM

Pete, thanks for the advice. Your concerns are my concerns as well. My three mottos for this project (in order of importance) are:

1) Make it safe.
2) Make it clean (No oil drips)
3) Make it work!

We've had the pedestal set up in the lobby with an old Peerless lamphouse for about a month now without any trouble. But I'll need to figure out a way to lock the doors on the film and sound heads once they're added. I even have a few ideas on how to make it project and produce sound!

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Colin Wiseley
Lyric Theatre
Blacksburg, VA
www.thelyric.com

Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-25-2000 04:59 PM

Pete, that looks grea!!! If you had half the fun as I did restoring a Brenkert BX-40 and SH-1000 that I got from Mark G., then you had a ball!! This old stuff runs great and I figure will outlast me. Its real hoot to watch the reaction of your friends when you sit them in the couch (hand them a bowl of popcorn) and run some film.

When I get started on my second Brenkert restoration this fall, I'll post some pictures.

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-25-2000 06:00 PM

Yea, Norm is amazing!! Charlie(excuse me, Don)couldn't last without him. He knows exactly whats in the place part for part. I'm sure he would have the adaptor.
Mark

Josh Jones
Redhat

Posts: 1207
From: Plano, TX
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 05-25-2000 11:10 PM

Harry,

do yourself a favor. drain the oil from
the gearbox before you unscrew it from the chassis. I made this same mistake on a
1040 I am currently cleaning out.
ruined my pair of shorts and got the carpet dirty. oh well Life goes on.

P.s. oil goes through a super like water!

Good luck, and might I add, nice job on the paint Pete. what kinda paint did you use?

Josh

Harry Robinson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 155
From: Franklin Tennessee
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-26-2000 10:05 AM

Josh,
I'm one step aheasd of ya'! I did drain the oil out of the gear box. Man, the crud inside that thing was revolting...all viscous and clotty-looking. I cleaned up all the gears with mineral spirits and was surprised to see they were made of beautiful brass and in mint condition. I got gaskets from Norm, bearings from the local dealer and a new roller from Jim Duncan in Decatur.
I went down to see Mr. Duncan a couple of months ago. I saw them rebuilding an old Century, and that's what inspired me to go all the way with the rebuild. Mr. Duncan is worth a whole thread...a very interesting guy.
The paint I used for the interior of my 1040 was epoxy enamel. The exterior is rustoleum black enamel. It looks great, and I think the epoxy stuff should last awhile. So far mine looks identical to Pete's. Again, when I'm done I'll post a picture.

Harry Robinson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 155
From: Franklin Tennessee
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-19-2000 09:45 PM

Well, here I am three weeks later. I had to take 26 high school kids on a ten day choir tour on a bus, which delayed the final assembly of my 1040. Rookie that I am, I didn't realize that the constant speed sprocket gear inside the gearbox was thrashed. I thought it was supposed to look all flanged out. Well, I got the thing together and when I crank up the sound head (without the projector head mounted) it makes a certain amount of noise. Not a lot, but it's not the quiet purr Pete Lawrence describes. Will this trash the rest of the unit if I try to live with it, or should I bite the bullet and send all my money to Norm at Wolk? The replacement is around a hundred bucks.
Jim Duncan in Decatur says these things will sometimes burn in if you run them. I'm just afraid I'll start ruining the rest of the gears.
What do you guys think?

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-20-2000 07:31 AM

I wonder, how have you applied the paint to the inside and outside of your machines? I have some work to do on a couple I have. How did you prep them? They can be very oilly from years in the booth.

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Dave Bird

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Harry Robinson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 155
From: Franklin Tennessee
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-20-2000 04:00 PM

Dave, I used mineral spirits to clean all the castings, then some grease-cutting contact cleaner. I sprayed white epoxy enamel (this is meant for appliances) on the inside and regular high-gloss Rustoleum black on the outside. The thing looks great. I'll shoot some pix once I get the whole thing together.

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-20-2000 04:08 PM

Ok, yes, I know the stuff. It comes in little spray bombs. My wife once did a fabulous job on the old avocado cottage fridge with it. Stove looked great too, till she used it (didn't use high-heat stuff!!) I assume you masked the sprockets, or did you paint while disassembled? Thanks.
The XL's I have are the old familiar "pebbled
black" finish. Closest thing these days is powder-coat. So I'm torn what type of black to use. I know it'll take a real good cleansing, with the years of oil.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 06-20-2000 04:24 PM

Dave:
Use Zynolyte #1300 Black Wrinkle spray paint. It's tough as nails, covers many surface imperfections, and doesn't need a primer. It's what I used on my Brenkert BX-60 projector.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-20-2000 05:58 PM

Who makes that paint?
and where can you get it

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-20-2000 06:53 PM

In all my experiences with paint and projectors goes( I have refinished in excess of 200 machines) you should do only one of two things.

1. The best and most durable finish is to powder coat. They do have black wrinlke powder coat if you've just gotta have it!! Just be sure to mask, and or plug all holes as powder coat has to be machined off once its baked on. There is no other easy way to remove it, it is literally bullitt proof!.

2. Grey Hammertone has always been my second choice. It does not hold dirt and oil and is extremely easy to clean up. Thats why most new machines have this finish. Keeping a black wrinkle finish looking clean and new over the years is a pain in the butt. Unless you are going for the original manufacturers look consider hammertone. It is the most practical. This can also be done by powder coating as well. Durable Coatings in Chicago makes a bake on industrial Hammertone thats hard to beat and when baked on has a glass like finish. Use an aircraft type oxide primer(greenish-yellow) on alumnium parts, and standard high quality primer on ferrous parts.

And almost lastly.....
Any paint is extremely dangerous, flammable and a health hazard. Use a respirator.....not just a paint mask or gas mask as these industrial finishes have chemicals that off the shelf paints do not contain and some cannot be filtered out by normal means.
Powder coating is really the safest way in this respect and the most environmentally friendly of the lot. I had my VistaVision projector powder coated and was very happy with the results.

Very Lastly........
Keep it all hidden from the EPA!
Good Luck!
Mark

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-20-2000 06:57 PM

In all my experiences with paint and projectors( I have refinished in excess of 200 machines) you should do only one of two things after stripping them or having them stripped to bare metal. Do not sandblast them!!!!!!! Dip stripping is the best way do handle castings that have to retain their built in precision machining. Super high pressure waater blasting sometimes works well too.

1. The best and most durable finish is to powder coat. They do have black wrinkle powder coat if you've just gotta have it!! Just be sure to mask, and or plug all holes as powder coat has to be machined off once its baked on. There is no other easy way to remove it, it is literally bullitt proof!.

2. Grey Hammertone has always been my second choice. It does not hold dirt and oil and is extremely easy to clean up. Thats why most new machines have this finish(some are powder caoted Hammertone). Keeping a black wrinkle finish looking clean and new over the years is a pain in the butt. Unless you are going for the original manufacturers look consider hammertone. It is the most practical. This can also be done by powder coating as well. Durable Coatings in Chicago makes a bake on industrial Hammertone thats hard to beat and when baked on has a glass like finish. Use an aircraft type oxide primer(greenish-yellow) on alumnium parts, and standard high quality primer on ferrous parts.

Very Lastly........
Keep it all hidden from the EPA!
Good Luck!
Mark

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-20-2000 07:03 PM

Mark, are you saying that you bake it (as in automotive paint booth)? What is the brand name of the powder coat wrinkle paint?

Gordon, I looked up Zynolyte. It is a brand of ICI paints, which is carried by Glidden Paints up here in Canada. I've e-mailed them for details, wasn't able to find "wrinkle-paint", but I'm sure it's there. Barring that, I'll stop in at the local Glidden store and let you know.

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Dave Bird

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