This is topic Christie = Dust + Static? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Tom Kroening (Member # 201) on 11-01-1999, 03:46 PM:
Hey everyone, got a question for you. I recently went over to an affiliate 10-plex and talked to the head projectionist. He took me up in the NICE booth. At my 9-plex we have 6 booths, but this was all 1 booth. They have brand new christie projectors and aw3 platters. It has a carpeted floor and a big humidifier. He told me he was having lots of problems with static and dust so they bought an air compresser system and laid down some lines for the length of the booth. It seems to get the dust out of the projector but has to be used before the machine is threaded each time. I told him about film guard and he's going to look into it. I also mentioned that christie recommends spraying the platter with static guard and buying a metallic ground roller. Is there any other advice I can give him? I don't seem to be having any dust or static problems at the 9-plex because the projecters there are used and leak lots of oil everywhere. The new christies have them barrings in so they don't even need oil. Can anyone help out? Thanks alot-Tom Kroening
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-01-1999, 05:49 PM:
The metal intermittent shoes on the Christie help contribute to film shedding (dusting) as does the sandpaper-like gate. Christie recently introduced intermittent shoes made out of delrin (a type of soft plastic) that really helps cut down on the print shedding. Christie recommends that you install them so that as little pressure as possible is applied to the shoe so that they last long. Unfortunately even when doing so the delrin shoes last only about 2 MONTHS before they have worn down so much that the surface of the intermittent closure will rub against and severly scratch your film! Not worth it. When I first started using them, I thought they were great, but I had no idea how often they would have to be changed out. It's a pain.As far as static, I never have really had a problem with it. FilmGuard solves all of that as well for the most part. If the AW3 platters are timed so that they react slowly when the feedout arm moves back and forth wildly, then there shouldn't be any tossed prints. Do not time the platters according to Christie specs or you will get tossed prints.
Notice that movies on FUJI film stocks do not have static problems. Nor do they shed even in the Christie projector. That's because their formula is far superior to Kodak's. If all film was on FUJI stock, static and dusting would not be an issue, but just a random freak occurance. So to be honest, pointing the blame at Christie is attacking a symptom, not the cause.
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 11-02-1999, 12:28 AM:
Joe, How do you time your platters? I have been having severe tossing problems in my smaller houses (the prints I have stopped filmguarding), due to the platters tendancy to go into overdrive.
Posted by Tom Kroening (Member # 201) on 11-02-1999, 12:35 AM:
Oh, don't get me wrong here. I'm in no way dissing christie equipment. I think its great stuff and i wish i had it at my theatre. Christie solved the problem of all that leaking oil and proved that some stock is bad quality. Right now the oil leaks in the old simplex's are so bad that the leaders like to slip out of the failsafes. Thanks alot for the tips. I'll see what I can do.Note: This may be off topic but i really scared the crap out of myself the other day. I had threaded the projector, i walked over to the platter and switched it to rewind. As soon as i looked over i saw that the film was laying behind a xenon bulb box that someone had placed on a ledge. I ran over to it and caught it just as it tipped. It probably wouldn't have exploded but geez... whats the deal with people leaving these things out?
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-02-1999, 02:34 AM:
Jim-Here is how you can time your platters, make sure only a qualified person is doing this (very important):
Use a multimeter and set the resistance for each LED for 25k Ohms with the feed arm on the brain set at 100%. Make sure the resistance does not drift too much or else you have a bad photocell. 30% of all the newer photocells in the LEDs are bad, from the direct sources I have heard. But I have also heard this has (hopefully) been remedied.
Next, turn the platter power off and remove your meter. Turn platter back on (duh). Set the feed arm in the brain to 100% and adjust the HI pot for about 24 RPM. 23 RPM is OK as well, but not over 24! Put the feed arm to the 20% mark and adjust the LO to about 1.5 RPM at the slowest and 3 RPM at the absolute fastest. Some techs have told me not to worry about the LO setting. Worry. Why? Because if it is not set properly and you get a long movie in there (3 hours or more) the platter will not be able to spin slow enough towards the end and have to resort to a stop/spin really fast/stop/spin really fast type action, resulting in a fun tossed print. I remember getting a lot of reports of Titanic prints being tossed from Christie platters. We had the 4 hour Gone With the Wind and had no problems! Put the feed arm back to 100% and verify 24 RPM again.
This will make the platter respond to any movement in the feedout arm very slowly, and also increases take up speed when the platter starts so there are fewer platter fails.
Also note that if the film drags around the brain when the movie first starts, then you will need to adjust the spring tension inside the unit. Instructions for that can be accessed from the main page of this site. Be sure that your platter is absolutely level before doing any of this! If you take the platter deck off for any reason, be sure to re-grease the bearings and shaft (after wiping it clean) with a synthetic lubricant. It will last longer than the included Lubriplate and make it easier for the motors to spin the decks as well.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-02-1999, 05:17 AM:
Jim, all the Christie AW3 platter tips are on the main page of the site. You might just want to print them out and try them on a screen. It is how I set mine, Joe sets his, etc, etc, etc. I can assure you from personal experience, the tips there are excellent ways to improve the performance of the AW3 platter.But why not just keep using the FilmGuard? Why discontinue it in the smaller houses? Hit them once or twice a week and the slinging problem shouldn't be an issue. 
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 11-02-1999, 02:04 PM:
Thanks for the tips I'll try it out when I get back to work. The reason I haven't been running the filmguard on the smaller houses is due to a lack of cleaners. The prints in the smaller houses typically only play there a week before they leave. I am requisitioning at least one more cleaner, and if I get it, it will fix my problem.
Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 11-02-1999, 03:58 PM:
100%? Did this change from the 70% mark.Brad??
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-02-1999, 07:36 PM:
Well, I'm not Brad (last time I checked anyway) but yes, 100%No need to mess with the 70% mark.
Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 11-02-1999, 11:26 PM:
Tom, you should have a tech fix those oil leaks. Those old Simplexes are much better machines than the Christies.
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-03-1999, 12:57 AM:
Actually I have seen a Christie projector leak oil. It was the "Ultra"mittent. It doesn't leak all over the film, however. A quick swap of the ultramittent took care of that particular problem. Everybody should always have a spare on hand. Anybody else having problems with the ultramittents making an abnormal (or is it normal?) knocking sound? Awhile back we had one that was so loud that it could be heard in the auditorium, and we have really good seals. We swapped that one out as well and now the same projector is starting to do it again, as well as some others.Also, how much life does everybody typically get out of their Christie belts? I can get over a year on the inner and outer timing belts, and about 10 months or so on the shutter belt (with the single bladed shutter). This is with the tension as loose as possible (but not slapping) and with Panef belt dressing applied when the belts are new. Belts still shed like crazy.
Posted by Stephen Jones 1 (Member # 114) on 11-03-1999, 04:56 AM:
I've been able to get about 14 to 18 months with my shutter belts, single blade. We too, have the infamous Ultramittent knocking sound. It seems to knock pretty bad until the projector runs a bit and then knocks very seldom after it's been running. I asked an NCS tech about our LOUD projectors. He said that it was normal with the 35GPS and that after it "warmed up" then it usually went away. All I know is when I start up a particular projector, it's so loud I think that it's gonna bust. Anybody else have anything to add about the loud factor on the Christies.
Posted by Tom Kroening (Member # 201) on 11-03-1999, 12:19 PM:
Yeah i probably should get someone to fix them... who would I call about that? Its pretty much a weekly job now: Add oil, mop oil off floors, change the drip pans, wipe up any exess oil in the projectors. Rediculous! : P Well thanks alot for the advice.-Tom
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 11-03-1999, 01:29 PM:
My Christies run pretty quiet. The only one that did make a lot of noise was doing so because a part of the assembly that locks the pad roller open and closed was rubbing on the gear in the upper feed sprocket assembly.As for oil leaks, any tech with a ton of time should be able to do it...
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-03-1999, 05:33 PM:
The belts in a Cinemeccanica last much longer than belts in a Christie. We're talking at least 2 to 3 years. Although the Cinemeccanica is not my favorite projector either, I would love it if Christie could incorporate their more rugged belt design and also the back cover that comes off with the "thumblatches" instead of that stupid screw latch that always breaks.I was told by the VP of Projection & Sound at UA (back when they had one) that they chose Christie equipment because it is basically maitenence free.
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-03-1999, 06:23 PM:
Hey Joe,How about those 25 year old Cinemeccanicas that UA installed in the theatre they are trying to get rid of. The technician says they sound better than the 3 year old Christies they took out!
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-03-1999, 07:05 PM:
Yes, I hate that grinding Christie sound. Add the knocking sound to that and it does not sound like an impressive machine.I wonder if I rubbed a little FilmGuard on some belts if they would stop grinding? I should try this with a set of older belts that I have laying around just to see what happens. If you put Panef on them, they stop grinding for a few weeks. But it always comes back.
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 11-04-1999, 03:44 AM:
Thouse of you who have found the Panef belt dressing, where did you find it? I have been unable ot localte it and wondered if any nationwide chains may be carrying it.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-04-1999, 04:42 AM:
I got a bottle of Panef belt dressing from Bevan and Sean at Christie. I don't know if this is a regular stocked item or not. It does help, but by no means does it stop the shedding completely, so don't be expecting a miracle.
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 11-04-1999, 12:04 PM:
Sean put some on when he was here a while back, and it seemed to help. However, I have not been able to find the stuff anywhere. I guess I'll head out into the country to the farm supply stores and see if I can find it there. So far, all I have been able to find is stuff made from petrolium distillates..
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-04-1999, 03:32 PM:
I found Panef belt dressing at Ace Hardware. Just follow football fat boy John Madden and he'll go there eventually, since Ace is one of the things he hawks. But I hear Ace is going out of business. Try the local hardware store.