Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Motiograph AA driveshaft confusion

This is topic Motiograph AA driveshaft confusion in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 08-25-2001, 05:57 PM:

I've had a nice AA head ready to run up for months now and finally got a driveshaft from someone...but it's nothing like the one pictured in the parts manual. This one has thin shaft with an internal drive gear machined right onto it and was obviously designed for a chain. The hole centers drilled through it for mounting a drive gear are too close together for the fiber gears I'm using to drive my Simplex and Brenkert, so that ain't right neither! I've got the original internal drive gear, but it obviously was designed for a thicker shaft. The picture in the parts manual looks like the original used a belt drive instead of a gear or chain. What I'm trying to do is to mate the AA head up with either a RCA 9030 or a Simplex 1040 soundhead. I know it's possible, but I'm stymied by these different designs. I just wanna see this thing run. Any advice?

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 08-25-2001, 06:34 PM:

Sounds like you were sent a drive shaft for a Motiograph AA projector head to a Motiograph SH-7500 soundhead (uses a "silent chain" drive). Whenever you order a drive shaft for the projector head, always specify the make and model of the soundhead it will be used with!

Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 08-26-2001, 07:46 AM:

Your sage advice is appreciated Ken, and if I'd ordered one from a place like Wolk or NTE (neither of which has the right shaft) I'd have made darned sure they knew which soundhead I'm using. It's an extra shaft that I picked up from a friend, so I can't complain too much. I know that the Motiograph sound head had a chain drive and He took it from his AA when he switched to a belt drive, so it is the chain drive model. I tried posting to the equipment forum, but he was the only one who answered. I just thought that it was odd that there'd be such a difference between the sizes...this thing will slip right through the inner diameter of my bearings! You'd think that the shaft and drive gear would be the same...just the driven element being different. I guess I'll have to make a trip to the local machine shop.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-26-2001, 05:04 PM:

John, It sounds to me like you got the insides of the Motiograph main drive assembly. The actual main drive in the bottom of the AA is a socket affair that accepts any standard main drive shaft assy that might go on say a Super Simplex or E-7. This enabled them to mount the AA on any standard soundhead. The whole thing then rotates in the Motiograph's lower(lowest) ball bearings. I might be able to get you a drive socket(shaft) assy next time I go to Idaho. I haev a cusomter that has a pile of AA's. we ahve drive chains and I think the idlers in the parts drawers at work in case you need one of those too.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 08-27-2001, 10:16 AM:

Thanks, Mark. I've found the right part from three different sources now, so I'm all set. Next time you're in Idaho, have a potato on me. My uncle Bob lived out there and worked as a lineman for the power company most of his life. You have to admire someone who likes hanging hundreds of feet in the air working on high voltage.