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Topic: Converting Christie with flat gate to curved!

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 04-18-2007 01:40 AM

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Personally, I've spent the last 27 years trying to figure out where the Pro part is in the Pro?-35.

(just custom made 'Boat Anchors'....)

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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-18-2007 01:57 AM

Watch out for the Christie curved gate!!! It has two screws that hold it on, with no proper locking hardware (lockwashers). Rather Christie opted to use Locktight as its "locking hardware", and this does not work too well.

Anyhow, I have seen a few Christies where the tapped holes were sloppy and the screws would easily back-out after one show!! Result can be a destroyed print right down the middle of the frame!!

K

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 04-18-2007 10:00 AM

While not a stellar machine the pro35 is very durable (if treated with respect) and we still many of them in daily use

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-18-2007 11:37 AM

Yea, they're well made except for the coupler and cheesy motor drive. Have fun getting parts! LaVezzi now sells many oarts for the Ballantyne, their pricing is also much better.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 04-19-2007 04:31 AM

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
No, Its the split/overlapping gate...

Is this what you're talking about here with this Simplex gate sample?

thx - Monte

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Alan Gouger
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 501
From: Bradenton, FL, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 04-19-2007 08:41 AM

There have been a lot of pro 35s on ebay. Theres one up there now. For some reason the film compartment, gears , trap and lens holder were always rusty or corroded looking. Every one of them. Must be the metal they use.

I remember reading in an older thread a little Film Guard sprayed on the belts on the Christie will help prevent them from shredding and help them to last longer. I did this but noticed the belts sucked up the FG after one run and are dry again. Is this normal or should there be enough FG on them to notice a wet film at all times?

THanks!

[ 04-19-2007, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Alan Gouger ]

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-19-2007 10:30 AM

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Is this what you're talking about here with this Simplex gate sample?

Close but not exactly... The one I had in mind has slightly offset and overlapping rails at the center. Both are bastard designs though.... Who on earth would be ordering straight gate machines for theaters running with large lamps today anyway???

quote: Will Kutler
Watch out for the Christie curved gate!!! It has two screws that hold it on, with no proper locking hardware (lockwashers). Rather Christie opted to use Locktight as its "locking hardware", and this does not work too well.

Donno, I have machines that have been in for over 15 years probably longer and no loose or stripped screws or hint of such. Anyone that can strip alumnium plate thats at least 1/2" thick doesn't know what they are doing and doesn't belong in a booth... Its certainly easy enough to fix with a threadsert.

Alan,
I've tried F-G on Christie belts wth touch and go sucess... Christie also makes a belt dressing specifically for this purpose that works about as well as F-G. The main reason your belts are shredding is because the pulleys are worn out. When the pulleys wear so do the belts... much faster than normal. It also makes a mess in the projector! A few year ago I overhauled 6 Christies that had been in service for about 8 years and some of whose pulleys were worn pretty badly, the insides were a mess. The theater was going through a set of belts in about 6 to 8 months. The new at that time pulleys came hard coated. Not only does this prevent them from wearing out as quickly but they are running on the same belts that I installed during the overhaul and the belt side has stayed very clean. Christie has just introduced a new belt kit for the P-35GP that utilizes all round tooth pulleys and belts(do a search here and you'll notice that I suggested this on F-T about 5 or 6 years ago!). Some of the pulleys are precision molded wih a metal insert for the hub. The kit is going to be very inexpensive and it will also solve the flutter problem that has always existed on that version of the machine. The round tooth belts have had a life span in the Cine X-35's we've installed of over three years(the oldest install).

The Christie is an excellent projector but if you want one you can keep maintained then you'll need to look for a P-35GP.
Mark

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Alan Gouger
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 501
From: Bradenton, FL, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 04-19-2007 10:42 AM

Mark my belts are not shredding, yet at least [Smile]

but I am doing this as a preventative thing in hopes the belts will last longer.
My projector is really in quit good shape with no trouble so far
but I wish I had consulted with you guys before buying this machine. I would have held out for a newer model. I do like the projector. What would one expect to pay for a newer model on the used market?

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 04-20-2007 02:59 AM

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Who on earth would be ordering straight gate machines for theaters running with large lamps today anyway???

Hmmmm..some of those big box cinemas down in your locale are using 3k's shooting through flat-trap PR-1050's...and one is a three-rail studio gate version.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
The Christie is an excellent projector

..course, with the belt system these machines uses, one must also take note that toothed belts are not to be used fanbelt tight, but the usage of the quarter-inch deviation before the pulleys begin to roll with the belt in question.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-20-2007 08:04 AM

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Hmmmm..some of those big box cinemas down in your locale are using 3k's shooting through flat-trap PR-1050's...and one is a three-rail studio gate version.

We actually had one shooting a 7K on a flat gate.... go figure!

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Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 04-21-2007 01:25 AM

While we're on the subject of Christie's, I have been looking for a part# for the lens adjustment allen screws for the dual lens turret. There are 2 screws one on the left and one on the right of a stationary post. The right screw has a spring loaded pin in the core. Our turrets have a metal casting and not the plastic. They are circa 1988 P35C's. I will post pics ASAP.

[ 04-23-2007, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Jeremy Weigel ]

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Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 04-23-2007 10:11 PM

Here are the pics:

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-23-2007 10:44 PM

I'm not sure that Christie will still supply parts for that turrett or not. Would have to check with them. Did you loose the screws or are the tips just worn out?

Mark

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Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 04-24-2007 12:05 AM

I have a 2 or 3 that have the spring loaded pin screw stripped out so I have to use a pair of needle nose to turn them, which is a pain in the arse and of course this has completely damaged the threads.

By the way Mark, do you happed to know if Christie still makes the outer idler pulley that has the slightly offset flanges (the outer flange is slightly thicker). I spoke with someone at Christie a few months back and they said it was now an obsolete part.? I checked with LaVizzi to see if they made an after-market version, but no go.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 04-24-2007 01:10 AM

(side topic - I do believe that those lateral guide pinch rollers on that SONY reader are spread WAY too far apart. Isn't there red marks to where the lateral guide rollers are to match up with on the casing for proper load procedures?)

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