Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Strong turret tips

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-03-2003, 01:04 PM:

Century turrets...

Anyone have any tips on these old worn out Century turrets?

The complaint is that they will not stay lined up with the masking, as they have their own little "happy spot" they like to fall in. Would changing out the stop points solve this once and for all, or am I asking too much?

Simplex TU2000 turrets

How about these?

The complaint here is that when adjusting the focus, the image shifts badly left to right. Also, the focus knobs themselves like to "loosen up" so that if the projectionist overshoots when focusing, then he has to crank the focus knob multiple turns back the other direction before it starts grabbing and adjusting again.

I have adjusted both of these kind of turrets so that everything lines up nicely and all works properly, but after a bit of time, they are all back to doing their own thing again. Looking for permanent solutions here. (Please do not recommend I upgrade to Strong's current turret, as I dislike that design too.)

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 02-03-2003, 01:50 PM:

They won't line up with the masking? It doesn't matter, just as long as the pre-show slides fill up the whole screen! [Razz]

Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 02-03-2003, 02:10 PM:

Hi Brad,

I use these two kind of turret. For the Century my problem was that turret dosen't running up to is stop point. The solution was to rise the delay of the powering of the turret motor. (an adjustable pot. on a module inside a console) the other thing was to check the cylinders where the turret running on. Sometimes theses cylinder are worn.

On the Simplex TU 2000, I had the same problem with the focus who moved left and right when the projectionist adjusted the focus. The problem was resovled like this:

1) remove the lens.
2) remove nuts and the focus screw
3) Remove the lens holder
4) clean with Benzine the lens shaft holder (I mean the shaft attached to the turret Disk) and inside the hole who pass this shaft
5) Apply a small quantity of grease or oil (without solvent) on the shaft.
6) remount the lens holder in place
7) replace the focus screw by a newest. Many time the tiny part of the screw is deformed. Apply a small quantity of oil too.
8) remount the nut, but don't too tight. The nut must just have a little clearance to let the focus screw to move.
9) remount the lens. And check the result.
I hope that may help you; sorry for my weak English [Smile]

Bye

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 02-03-2003, 04:32 PM:

Do you clean the turrets with powdered graphite? That is what we used and it helped the turret rotate faster and smoother. It locked nice and made that nice sounding click.

Never had masking problems. I use to run Simplex Millennium 35mm projector with the bad turret problems.

We had the same problem as your Simplex TU2000 turrets, where our focus shaft was bent. Causing the lens to move left,right, up or down. We did the best we could but the picture was always soft.

The only thing I can suggest is using powered graphite.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-03-2003, 07:10 PM:

The motors on these things died a loooooooong time ago. They were removed and the projectionists carefully flip the lenses, with the weight of the anamorphic holding them steady once the flip has been made.

On the TU2000 turrets, they are latched with the manual latch, as those motors that open and close them were removed as they died too. In fact, they are never opened except to flip formats.

Does anyone know if parts for these things are still available from Strong?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 02-03-2003, 07:19 PM:

re: Simplex TU2000 (auto and manual) turret shifting L/R wen focus knob is turned (or the lens is touched for that matter):

On the rear of the turret above each lens is a dowel with a screw slot on one end. Remove the dowel (by removing the Nylock nut on the other end), and on either side of this dowel should be a little leaf spring. Simply bend these two leaf springs together, replace the dowel between them (it may be a bit tight now that the springs have been bent), tighten the Nylock nut, recenter the picture on the screen and the lens should not move side-to-side anymore when the focus is adjusted.

-Aaron

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 02-03-2003, 07:56 PM:

>>>>On the TU2000 turrets, they are latched with the manual latch, as those motors that open and close them were removed as they died too. In fact, they are never opened except to flip formats.<<<<

How many of them have the pins broke in the hinge. Don't even bother replacing these in my opinion, becaus it is a bitch to get the whole turret lined back up to the screen after having to remove the whole thing for repair.

You chould still be able to get parts for them.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-03-2003, 08:53 PM:

Darryl,
Its easy to get things back to ground zero again on any turrett with an Align-O-Tron and a pinhole apreature thats known accurate. When back to ground zero again start over on alignment as if it was a new install and everything ought to drop into place. If the original installation was done incorrectly you'll also find that out and can go back and take care of that stuff....Things ought to look even better than before you started out when you're done!!

I've found very few existing projector to lamphouse alignments to be even close in older Cineplex's for instance.

I personlly installed many TU-2000 turretts onto older X-L's and never had any problems in doing so that stand out in my mind. I hate the nylon stopper screws and usually replace them with Brss hardware. Doesn't deform as fast...but they will eventually still go out of alignment. Hard steel screws will eventually dent the alumnium castings....faster than Brass will.

Also go through the lens mount cleaning steps as above by Jean-Michel. That will help tremendously. Use the Super Lube on that stuff.....it doesn't turn to goo and get sticky. Replace any ball bearings in the turrett that are rough or are looking like they've developed alot of play.
Mark @ CLACO
www.clacoequipment.com