Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Antique 35mm equipment

This is topic Antique 35mm equipment in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bruce on 05-30-1999, 01:37 AM:

I recently purchased a Holmes model 8 that was built around 1940. I have torn it
down and regreased the gearbox, and cleaned and lubed everything. I converted
the exciter lamp to a 1156 auto bulb with a 12v DC power supply. Today I
played sound for the first time in the 1 1/2 months that I have been working on
this. Pretty good for optical with a 16mm solar cell installed. On another site that I
visit regularly, I have heard from 5 folks who have good things to say about
Holmes. Mine has run a loop of film for an hour without scratching anything. After
reading about shedding on this site, I am not worried about what I did find on the
gate, and pressure pads after an hour. Does anybody here have anything good or
bad to say to me about this creature? Personally, I like it, but it is a bit tight in
threading. Does anybody know where I might find parts? I have found some, but I
need a set of magazines for my #2 machine that I plan to start on next. Any help
out there? Thanks, Bruce

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 07-03-2017, 04:31 PM:

It has been 6609 days since the last post.

Posted by Todd Kerner (Member # 10072) on 07-03-2017, 04:31 PM:

Hey Bruce, question. I have built my own 35 mm film projector but I am having trouble getting the analog optical sound to work. Do you have experience playing with this stuff? The audio is very heavy in BASS. I ran it through a Dolby Pro-Logic processor but it still sounds funny. Do you have any experience with this kind of thing?

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-04-2017, 02:06 PM:

Wow. I have been a member of Film-Tech since just after my post was made here.

The Holmes are still running, but I converted the audio back to a Photocell. It sounds really nice, but after all these years, I'm moving on up to a Dolby processor and a 3-some of QSC power amplifiers. Oh yeah, also going to be running a different projector head. Maybe a Christie, maybe a Century SA. Depends on what happens with space, etc.

I never did get the 16mm solar cell to sound very good, so I switched. The same 1156LL longlife bulb is still working after all these years as the exciter.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 07-04-2017, 02:44 PM:

I'm not convinced this is legit, Bruce. The other site has several examples, where first-time posters ask for direct information, but never come back.

18 year-old thread, huh?

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-04-2017, 07:08 PM:

I remember typing that first thread topic. I'm so old.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 07-04-2017, 07:47 PM:

quote: Todd Kerner
I have built my own 35 mm film projector but I am having trouble getting the analog optical sound to work. Do you have experience playing with this stuff?

Do you have an oscilloscope? Have you ever run an A and B chain alignment?

Posted by Robert Koch (Member # 3728) on 07-05-2017, 07:22 PM:

Holmes was a stritly portable projector and a very poor one at that.very poor optical sound pickup, a cylindrical lens, with poor high frequency respone. Cheverolet bought in 19-36 37 or thereabouts for their Jam Handy productions which they employed a bunch of union operators to show to high schools thruout the country.Holmes was a strctly portable non profeassional projector. More bad points; I could go on and on.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-06-2017, 09:52 AM:

Actually Holmes made a line of permanent Cinema projectors and offered pedestals for the portables to be converted to permenant use

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-06-2017, 01:19 PM:

What Bob Koch said...! I'll add that I concluded many years ago that there are no good 35mm portables that were ever made and we just had this discussion in another forum not long ago.

A Kinoton FP-30 series or similar converted to portable via a folding stand and reel arms is about as close as you are ever going to get to a good portable projector.

Mark

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-06-2017, 03:33 PM:

As far as portables, I will stick with the 4 working Holmes projectors that I put together from several parts machines that I bought from a great friend in Virginia years ago. They're not great, but work enough for portable use.