Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: A Question for Holmes Model 8 Owners

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-01-1999, 06:32 PM:

This question is aimed at people that own the model 8 with the 1/8 horsepower motor.

If you have an Educator model that uses the governor controlled motor, this is not a question for you at this time.

I want to know if any of your machines make a whining noise that seems to be coming from the small gear box on the back of the main gear case?
I have adjusted the cover carefully, and have checked the angle of the motor shaft and the flex coupling. The motor is not the problem. The ball bearings inside the case have not been replaced. They seemed to be in good shape and don't have any looseness that I could detect.

My parts machine is also an 8. I switched the gear box with the one on the #1 machine with no difference noticed.

Now that the Holmes has about 50 hours of use, the noise seems to be quieter.

I have not seen another Holmes 8 to use as a reference. A friend in CT has a pair of Educators, and they dont make nearly the noise mine does, but I think this might just be the difference in the motor systems. The Educator doesent have the small gear box on it.

I checked the grease yesterday. It is full and still clean. The case has oozed just a little bit of grease around one corner. The little gear box is full, too, the grease is darker, but doesent smell bad. Should I use a more lightweight grease in here?

Other than this noise problem, the machine runs well, sounds decent, and projects a good steady picture. All the problems I had in the earlier threads are fixed, except for STEREO sound. I still am over a barrel with this problem.

I should have a copy of the Holmes manuals within a few days. WebTV wont handle Adobe, or the chat service. A friend is downloading the manual for me.

After hearing a pair of beautiful restored early '40's Simplex machines this weekend, I hope I can quiet mine down some.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 12-01-1999, 07:52 PM:

Bruce:

Could the motor coupler be going bad? If so, you could get one at W.W. Grainger Company.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-01-1999, 10:46 PM:

No, my coupler is fine, I have several spares. I just remembered that I did not clean the gears. I am going to pull it out again and brush clean the 2 worm gears within an inch of their lives. My "Metal Parts Man" just read this and bitched at me for not cleaning the gears when I did all the others!

I used regular axle grease in mine.

I am going to clean the spare unit after Christmas. If it works OK, I'll put it in the current machine.

Posted by Derek Maxwell (Member # 234) on 12-03-1999, 04:15 PM:

Mine also makes a slight whining noise but it comes from the lamp blower. When I disconect the belt from that, it goes away.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-05-1999, 09:06 AM:

Hi Derek!
Have you disassembled the blower and cleaned those bearings?

My Holmes was missing the blower when I got it. I installed a small 4" squirrel-cage fan, that I found in an abandoned theater, on the side of the lamphouse. I wired it to come on when the lamp is switched on. I also sealed the bottom of the lamphouse with metal tape to stop all of the stray light problems.

When the fan is on, the warm air blows out the top. The sides of the lamphouse only get hot after continuous use.

My fan makes no noise that can be heard over the drone of the worm gears.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-21-1999, 12:25 AM:

I removed the worm gears and cleaned them with an x-acto knife. When I reassembled it, I noticed first that the case cover had more adjustable area. The drone is now more acceptable to me. Should have done this in the beginning.

It's still not a real projector, but it's getting a little closer!

Bruce