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I'm going to stand by what I said earlier...

While you may have experience (long even) on the subject....as to rust...it really depends on the area and how humid things get. We cant even use tin-plated connectors without them oxidizing.

Running clean dry pad roller shafts is a great idea but they will start to rust on you out here. (kinda the same way cars rust out here but last forever on the west coast).

As to the LaVezzi pad rollers (SOR422) they were OEM on Christie projectors once upon a type (I don't believe they are any longer) and depending on the tech/ operators or theatres are either popular or not. They are significantly more expensive than their nylon/delrin counterparts.

I will stand behind thema as the best thing for multiple reasons...they have the same kind of preceision machining that are in the gate area so when the film touches them, they will not abraid the film the way the nylon roller can. The inside flanges are machined to a smaller radius so they won't touch the film unless it is curling to the point of otherwise kissing the middle of the pad roller. A good place to check this is on Simplex or RCA soundheads on the sprocket just past the drum. If the operator makes a large lazy isolation loop, the film will often pucker into the middle of the pad roller and lightly kiss it with single flange padrollers (ie MNR22)...over time a fine scratch will develop. The SOR422 pad roller will stop this. Most double flange pad rollers will abraide the edge of the picture area and soundtrack whereas the SOR422 will not. Sure, threading up with a smaller isolation loop will stop the problem but punishing the audience due to operator carelessness isn't right either. They will also not damage the SDDS tracks the way a typical plastic roller can.

In our area (Washington DC/Mid Atlantic), if you don't have a light film of oil on the pad roller shaft, the rollers will lock up in time.

On the flip side, if properly maintained, they can last for decades.

Also, I agree with you on the Century metal padrollers, they can become sharp too.

Don't dismiss the SOR422, give em a try in one of your show places, see what you think. You might find you like them (and wish, as I do that they also made it in a single flange as well).

Steve

Looks like you may not have any choice.....You gotta do what you gotta do.

Paul

Let me give you an example...masking boards falling down in the theatres from the staples (and I don't mean just one or two) rusting through within 10 years. In some theatres, they turn orange almost instantly. I'm sure you have areas where once bitten, you never want to go back...rusted shafts and intermittent noise from oxidation are like that with me.

Steve

They had such a problem with humidity causing rust that all of their focus mechanisms were completely frozen. (Simplex PR-1050/TU-2000)

I had to disassemble the lens collars and use a center punch and a hammer to get the guide rods out. Then I soaked all of the parts in a bucket of WD-40. Then I had to take emery cloth and remove the rust. (Being careful not to spoil the "fit" of the parts.)

Once I got them all sliding smoothly as they were supposed to I coated the guide rods and the threads of the focus knobs with Lubriplate grease and let that "soak in" for a few minutes. I used a paper towel to wipe off most of the grease so as to leave only a thin coating. I'm hoping that this will provide some anti-rust properties. I also advised the people there to use a little WD-40 on a Q-Tip every once in a wile to keep them moving freely.

I couldn't think of anything else to use, except cosmoline. (Parafin wax dissolved in kerosene.) My Dad used to use that to keep guns from rusting. He would go out in the back yard and make up a batch then soak some brown paper grocery bags in the stuff and wrap the guns up in it. It does a great job at preventing rust, but if you think WD-40 gets gunky, it will pale in comparison. You basically have to use kerosene to remove it again. Obviously, using the stuff in a booth would be a No-No. Not only will it mess up the projector if it gets in the wrong places but there's an obvious MSDS hazard there.

However, if you have parts that you need to store for a long time that can't get rusty, that would be the way to go, IMHO. You'd just have to make sure you removed all of it before you wanted to use them again.

Randy, you would better off telling them to use projector oil on the Q tips. At least it won't gum up so bad. ( I have to stand by this one, so Pbpthbpthbthp!!)

About the only useful thing I found of WD-40 is blow torch fuel. But even that is questionable. It leaves carbon schtroomels.

And, it doesn't prevent rust in underwear, either.

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I just happened to have a can of it on me and I whipped it out and showed them how to apply the stuff with a Q-Tip. I said, "This stuff makes WD-40 look like SUPER GLUE!"

PS: I would have to say that Tri-Flow smells even nicer than WD-40, although my most favorite chemical smell of all time has to be Hoppes No. 9

Back home, my gunsmith is just about as adamant about WD-40 as you are. He swears by this stuff. He sells it in his store but he won't even let WD-40 in the front door. He can't even stand to hear the word. I do tend to agree with him that Tri-Flow is better because it doesn't gunk up on you but I still say that when used judiciously, WD-40 is OK. Just don't go crazy, spraying it all over everything and wipe off the excess.

If I can get Tri-Flow I'll use it instead but not every place carries it. It's also pretty expensive. That little 4 oz. can cost $4.00!