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Author Topic: Bad Judgement = Damaged Equipment = Destroyed Print = Cancelled Show Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-19-2004 08:06 PM                     Hi again all: Thx for your input on my question of the 6K reel topic. It helped out considerably. Once in a great while we would get new prints on cores. Then, that was the reason for 6K builds before the MUT. Growing up and working in a c/o carbon arc booth for almost 20yrs, where new and used prints, being on the triacetate stock, and wet splicing was the norm, it was a mandatory thing for me and the rest who was opening shows, to slap the reels on the Neumade bench with the Neumade crank arms, manually inspect every reel by hand, feeling for the spices, redoing the splices if necessary (since most of the wet splices that were made were so weak and crappy anywho..I can go through a small can of Griswald film cement in 6 months fixing all of the unacceptable splices that I would find), before sending the reels to the house reels in the Goldberg rewinding machine. Even to this day, esp. with kid shows, is to inspect these prints, even though on the "poly" stock nowdays, for you can find some areas in these prints that needs to be repaired. thx-Monte  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-19-2004 11:32 PM                     I fail to see how a MUT can fry EVERY board on an AW3, especially since the MUT is its own motor controller (the round circuit board behind the big knob in the middle, unless you have an ancient AW3 with the two AW3 cards in it). By chance did it fry the MUT as well (have you tried this MUT on another platter system)? Fried AW3 guts might be due to: The '$300 Switch': maybe, but the usual result of failure here is simply a dead deck in all modes and burned off traces on the switch circuit board (easily repaired in most cases with jumpers)... Shorted motors: Another classic killer of AW3 circuit boards. Something other than unattended make-up is responsible for the frying of this platter. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Stephen Jones Master Film Handler Posts: 314 From: Geelong Victoria Australia Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-20-2004 12:03 AM                     I cant see why you need to load film onto the platter like a bat out of hell as that can cause damage as well as shifting prints around.I run all prints onto the platter at a gentle speed and still get all prints made up in time.Even though I have Kinoton Platters and Muts I never leave film running on unattended I always turn off before I walk away, prevention is better than cure as they say even if the muts auto shut off when the reel finishes runing on. Steve  |  IP: Logged David Yauch Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Mesa, AZ, USA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-20-2004 02:41 AM                     I find with our MUTs that you have to run them at a fairly quick speed. If you run them too slow it seems the film likes to bounce more and more and you risk your film smacking against the platters. I was able to run a MUT at about 90% speed the other day(attended the whole time) while building phantom of the opera and the result was a smooth wind and a perfectly/quickly built print. Maybe our MUTs are just strange, but they tend to work better at higher speeds(there are still limits, of course)  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-20-2004 03:30 AM                     HI David - what kind of transport systems do you have? Are the rings out of round to where they are almost oval,where the film is being pulled faster at the "lobes" and slower at the "equator" of the ring? If a Strong MUT: check the freewheel friction pad. could be dry and needs oiled. Shaft and bearing could be worn. If a CHR MUT: Is the pulley belt aligned with the motor? Is the motor aligned with the pulley? If a LP-271 MUT (Speco): check the freewheel spindle. And doing this by taking off the clutch dog from the motor end and unscrewing the table top off. Spindle sleeve could be worn and dry. Also, check the cinch nut at the end of this spindle. They love to work themselves loose. If Strong and CHR platter decks: the main axle shaft can work themselves loose enough where the deck has massive wobble. Take the decks off and check for looseness. If loose, tighten up the big nut at the end of the shaft. These nuts do love to come loose at times. good luck - thx Monte  |  IP: Logged David Yauch Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Mesa, AZ, USA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-20-2004 04:38 PM                     You know, I feel like a real dumbass for not knowing this for sure but i'm almost positive they are all christie MUTs. I am positive we have christie AW3 platter systems on all of our houses. I also know that this problem happens with all of our MUTs. It could be a maintenace issue, as our engineering dept. will only maintain if we complain.  |  IP: Logged Rich Ferrando Film Handler Posts: 64 From: Royal Oak, MI Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-20-2004 05:00 PM                       On Moving Prints: The big fun we have to deal with on a regular basis is the fact that our thrown-together booth has two Strong platters and one Christie platter. Therefore, if we have a print on the Strong and have to move it to the Christie, or vice versa, the center rings aren't compatible, so the print is almost always slightly off-center, and has to be watched closely. I'm thinking of drilling extra holes in the Strong platters to accomodate the wider Christie rings. Not to mention the evilness that they won't let me change- when we have to share a print with our sister theatre, which is about 10 miles away, we are forced by management to clamp the print, move it down the stairs, and load it into an employee's car. Luckily I've been able to save some big flat boxes that we can load the prints into to prevent any excess dust or debris from getting on the film, but still, this is one big sticky wicket for which my demands have gone unheeded, and a large reason why sometimes the evil Corporate folks won't let a theatre become fully compliant with Film Done Right. I hate them all.  |  IP: Logged David Yauch Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Mesa, AZ, USA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-20-2004 05:06 PM                     You could always buy some christie print stoppers(not sure if there is another name they go by). If you clean them once every week or so and keep your platters clean they will stick so hard that you have to be careful not to rip them in half while removing them. We have actually had a few rip in half because the projectionist after they were cleaned just tried to pull them off by the top handle. I cant see any print going anywhere if you keep them clean.  |  IP: Logged Rich Ferrando Film Handler Posts: 64 From: Royal Oak, MI Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-20-2004 05:10 PM                       We do have suction cups for the platters, and they stick very nicely, but I'm a skeptical bastard, and don't trust anything.  |  IP: Logged David Yauch Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Mesa, AZ, USA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-20-2004 05:20 PM                     Well then click on the products link on the left of your screen and buy some of those blue plastic thingies that brad came up with. Surely THAT must be good enough?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-22-2004 02:38 AM                     Strong does have an optional 19inch ring for trailer building within a film wind that fits in the existing 13inch holes of the Stong platters. Check the manual tab and go down to the bulletin listing of this. Don't drill new ones, for trying to get dead center spacing with the pin holes so the CHR ring will be dead center, is quite touchy to accomplish. This was the big problem with AW2s with that compound/formica covered decks that they had. The holes would widen out do to age and some operators would drill new holes to begin anew, but would never get the holes centered. If anyone wants to make a "pizza" board, here's a couple of pix of one. Materials: 4'x4'x 1/4 sheet plywood 2x6x4 pine board with a circular cutout to rest film on end. router the edges smooth and round and the front lip, cut to a taper to "knife" under the film to scoop. Also, if some theatres have the LP-270', AW2's, and the older AW3(not the "R") a variant of this board can be built. Instead of the solid piece shown, just cut out a 8 inch slot to the middle of the plywood, in the middle of the plywood board to allow the same "scoop" but will clear the brain assembly when inserting the board under the print, and allow the print to clear the brain when lifting up. This board, with the assistance of the clamps, does a nice job of moving prints from one theatre to another with one person doing this task by himself (course, it's nice to have a pickup truck, or station wagon..but...we all can't be picky.. course, I've moved prints before across town using the board only-just have to be more careful obviously..don't want that ring to pop out..lol.) good luck- Monte  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 12-22-2004 06:01 AM                        Nice design, Monte. I would suggest using a plastic laminate surface on the plywood or use pre-finished paneling. At the very least, try a hard coat of polyurethane floor finish that won't chip or dust.  |  IP: Logged Gracia L. Babbidge Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 709 From: Bowdoin, Maine Registered: Aug 2000 posted 12-22-2004 11:50 AM                        Yes, projectionists get breaks where I work - due to our rather unusual schedule. For instance, this week we have shows at 1:30, 4, 6:30 & 8:45. When I worked Sunday, I projected the 1:30 & the 6:30, and ran the box office for all four shows, and did closing paperwork. I arrived at 1:00, had a break from about 4:10 to 6:00, then was out for the night by about 9:15. The person who worked with me projected the 4 & the 8:45, and helped with concessions for all four shows. She arrived a bit before 12:30 to open, then had a break from about 1:40 to 3:30, then the second break from about 6:40 to 8:15, and she cleaned the concession area while running the last show. So we alternate shows in such a way that there are two people behind the counter right around showtime. A lot of patrons find it fascinating that they can see the projectors from downstairs. Then again, it's also handy for us to be able to see the stand from the booth. As all of us at this small theater have to do everything from cleaning the auditorium to projection, as there's usually only one person on duty while a show is running.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-22-2004 02:48 PM                     Thx John, but I didn't build this one. Yet, I do fully agree with you with the covering and coating ideas (a hint for others to think about...). plus, the edges would be covered as well, for the edges after awhile, do get splinters. One place that I worked at, we wrapped the edge of a board with duct tape to contain such splintering. - Monte  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-22-2004 05:40 PM                     quote: David Yauch You could always buy some christie print stoppers(not sure if there is another name they go by). It's also known as the BEVAN-POO® ... A review of it is found here . -Aaron  |  IP: Logged

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