This is topic loose nuts on strong platters in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 04-15-2001, 10:11 AM:
I've been frustrated for some time now with loose Strong platters. I got verytired of trying to shove a 12" crescent wrench ( you know..the one with the worm gear drive that opens the jaws) in that small opening and complained to my tech guy, Sparky.Sparky says to get a 15/16ths socket (a deep one) and ratchet. Then using a Dremel tool cut a slot in the side of the socket for the wires to rest in and..."VOILA"..you can tighten down that pesky nut. Simple, eh?
Thanks to Francis "Sparky" Casey
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 04-15-2001, 11:52 AM:
Snap-On Tools has an excellent 15/16" claw foot attachment for a ratchet handle that fits inside those deck arms perfectly.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 04-16-2001, 11:05 PM:
loose nuts? sounds like a personel problem 
sorry, I couldn't resist
Josh
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-16-2001, 11:45 PM:
Loose nuts again? What next? Quite frankly, I get tired of buying new equipment that is worse shape than the old worn-out junk it is supposed to replace. Sounds like a quality control issue. Advise the maunfacturer your nuts are coming loose, so they can take steps to correct it before it leaves the factory.
I am certainly glad the theater equipment manufacturers are not building airplanes.
Posted by Pat Moore (Member # 380) on 04-17-2001, 12:37 AM:
Gotta say it (and truthfully, too) -- I haven't heard of this one before with our platters.I assume you're talking about the nuts securing the platter disk to the hub and spokes, right? Have others seen this problem out there? Let me know, if you would, and thanks in advance.
I'll refer this on to the powers that be and see if it's a problem we've had before.
Pat
PS: Josh, you're forgiven.
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 04-17-2001, 08:59 AM:
Pat:What we're talking about is the nut on # 2359 Arm Spindle Plug In Retrofit coming loose and causing deck wobble/timing problems. I've seen alot of it lately and I've noticed it particularly in theaters where the kids are moving prints from house-to-house by moving print and deck together! Several times they've lost the lower bearings or the retainer.
Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 04-17-2001, 09:40 AM:
I had a problem with Prints being moved at my Theatre that way using Strong Alpha platters. Except in my Case it was my manager that had incited prints being moved plateer and all. I immediately notified the Technical and Sound egineer what was going on and he made special trip down to witness it first hand. He then in turn Notified the manager that practice needed to stop immediately.
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-17-2001, 12:52 PM:
I had a few theatres moving prints on the platter. They were messing things up right and left.It wasn't untill I pointed out that the print is probably twice as heavy when carried on the platter that they realized it was a LOT easier to clamp the prints.
Duh!!!!
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-17-2001, 03:23 PM:
And, once you finally get the nuts tight, they will stay tight until someone uses the platter as a step ladder. (seen it) Some prints wind like a hot sack of shit and in some cases it is safer to transfer the print by taking the platter disk with it. Clamps work, but the film is no longer concentric, which can lead top pay-out problems.
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 04-17-2001, 05:26 PM:
Personally, I dislike the clamps. Used by untrained operators, they scratch the deck. I like the dought-shaped masionite better.Could the nuts be replaced with the nylon-insert type (we used to call them aircraft locking nuts?)
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-17-2001, 06:45 PM:
Actually, John, once the nuts are tightened, they usually cause no further grief, unless the equipment is obused. I agree about the film clamps causing damage to the decks themselves. I don't like them either.I have carried the whole platter deck with the film on it, and as long as it is picked straight up, there is no problem. The problem is, when two people lift the platter off the spindle and allow it to cock, it'll jam the spindle, and when it is wobbled to get it off the spindle, then things start going goofy.
Same holds true when the platter is placed on the spindle.
People do not realize that 10 pounds cocking pressure 54 inches away from the spindle represents one hell of a pinching force on the spindle itself! Ever see those 6 foot pry-bars with the fulcrum 1 inch away from the end move a rail car? Piece of cake with very little effort!
Now you have the answer.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-17-2001, 08:05 PM:
I personally don't like moving the disks themselves as it can lead to timming issues with certain platters
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-17-2001, 08:36 PM:
Gordon, you are correct. However, (luckly) the Strong platter timings are so sloppy, they adapt very nicely without further adjustments. I move the whole dish when it is loaded with umpteen reels, as the clamps are a real pain in the butt to use.
Seems like a vast amount of operators are like a bull in a china shop when it comes to moving prints.
Posted by Daryl Lund (Member # 356) on 04-17-2001, 09:37 PM:
Back in the old days at the Tom Moyer theatres (pre ACT III Days) we would use duck tape to move a print.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-18-2001, 09:17 AM:
I recall that both Kelmar and Speco have platter mat/disk accessories that can aid in the moving of print and also have conductive and/or non-slip surfaces. In effect, they are an upgraded "donut" that is put on the platter surface, with the film roll being taken up on top of it. When moving the film safely to another platter, two people can easily lift and carry it.------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 04-18-2001, 10:57 AM:
Moving print and deck together is something we discourage, for all the reasons mentioned above, I've seen prints simply lifted off the deck by TWO very experienced operators. Other than that the preferred methods here are to slide the print onto a 'horse' ( a specially made trolley with shelves at the appropriate height) or to use the Goldberg Showshipper, if the print is moving from booth to booth, or in the case of one of my services, across the road, from platter to tower!I can vouch for the stepladder usage of platters, however I have encountered worse abuse of an ORC platter deck, let's just say that this piece of kit is on a university campus, and mysteriosuly got bent into a very strange shape one night..... It's amazing what people can get up to in such a confined space!
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-18-2001, 03:25 PM:
What John P. said is true, they are made of fiber glass. Thouble is they sag when picked up. If the platter does not have removable payout heads, the average projectionist will bash the head quite severely, sometimes rendering them useless.Whether you are moving the film with the deck, a mat, using clamps, or just plain bare-naked, extreme caution has to be observed to prevent damage to your back or equipment. Here again, when the film is slid off the platter, the effort arm will severly punish the spindle. There are many maunfacturers who did not allow for this when the spindle was designed, and the weld can be easily broken.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-18-2001, 03:32 PM:
I have had the 15/16" nuts come loose many times on many platters at many locations. I have a 15/16" wrench that is always in the bottom of my tool box for this purpose. If you angle it just slightly it works fine. I usually try to loctite tham as well, and if you do they do not loosen up again. I have found this happenning at plexes that move the disk to move films around. In plexes that don't move the disk to move prints I have not had it happen.
As far as I can tell what happens is that the axel gets shifted back and forth when the platter is wiggleg off the arm. This in turn slightly crushes the teeth of the internal tooth lock washer which I frequently see.
Mark @ GTS