Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Eiki/Elf spares availability in the UK

This is topic Eiki/Elf spares availability in the UK in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 09-26-2003, 07:58 AM:

We've recently been given an Eiki/Elf MS-86 16mm portable by a school which was clearing out its basement. Mechanically it's in perfect condition - I don't think it was ever used much. There's only one problem: all but one of the belts have rotted.

I would like to get this thing working as we do occasionally do film shows in temporary venues using a 16mm portable. We only have one at present (a Hell & Bowell), so a backup would be useful. Also, as this Eiki isn't an autothreader, it's going to be a lot more film-friendly.

Question - can anyone point me in the direction of someone who could sell us a complete set of spare belts (both spool arms, motor to shutter pulley belt, take-up transmission and rewind)? My contact for B & H spares can't help. Many thanks in advance.

Bulbs wise, three spare of the 1kw tungsten lamps came with it so I'm not too worried about that at the moment, but there are no spare exciters so a source for those would be useful, too.

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 09-26-2003, 08:11 AM:

Eiki are still around so it shouldn't be a problem. Give Alan in our office a call. If there are numbers on the belts it should be easy to match them.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 09-26-2003, 09:04 AM:

I believe there's someone in the UK selling complete Eiki/Elf belt kits. However, on ebay here in the USA, look under "Electronics & Computers" -> "Cameras & Photo" -> "Projection Equipment" -> "Movie Projectors" then do a search for EIKI. The sellers id is "filmsusa" and is located in Kentucky. There are a lot of EIKI manuals on a cd rom at www.film-center.com

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 09-26-2003, 10:11 AM:

Leo, re. Bell and Howell parts, there's a man in Ruislip who has a large stock, I can't remember his name at the moment, but he has a table at the BFCC at Ealing. I'm sure I will be able to either find, or remember his name, I'll let you know. I went to his house to get some mag heads a couple of years ago, and he had a large garage full of parts, including many for the old 'small lens barrel' ones.

I believe he has now run out of the worms for the newer machines though, and these ere one of the most common parts to go (and a real pain to replace.

I used to work on Elf machines when I was an A.V. tech in a school; the belts always seemed far too tight to me, I can't believe that much tension would do the bearings any good either.

All of my 'new' type Bell and Howell machines, a pair of marc 300 666s and a Magnaflex double band conversion of a TQ1, are manual thread, but all the auto thread ones I've seen can be manually laced as well; can your one not.

Elf machines are ok, I wouldn't say better, on good prints, but are not very happy on 'difficult' ones. My older Bell and Howells, 631, 609 etc., will run just about anything, even some of John Huntley's more difficlut prints. [Smile]

Edit.

Gordon Ogbourne or Ogborne was the name. If he is your source that can't help, then I don't have any other suggestions at the moment.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 09-26-2003, 10:40 AM:

quote:
but all the auto thread ones I've seen can be manually laced as well; can your one not.

Ours is a model no. 1692, which also has 'TQ III' on the lamphouse cover. You can manually lace it, but my real problem with autolacers in general and this one in particular is that all the film path components needed to guide the film through the mechanism make the thing a nightmare to clean, especially around the sprockets. This Eiki has a lot of space around all the major film path components, and, caveats about their sprocket pitch not being very tolerant of shrunken film notwithstanding, would run much less risk of the film rubbing against something it shouldn't in the film path. The feed loop on the B & H is also way too small for comfort, too - all you need is for the claw to miss one perf and you've lost it.

quote:
If there are numbers on the belts it should be easy to match them.

No such luck, I'm afraid: when I said rotted I meant rotted! When I undid the take-up spool arm assembly a pile of crumbled fragments of rubber fell out, and it was a similar story with all but one of the others. Amazingly enough the intact one was the main drive belt, which, given the tension it's under, should have been the first to go, I'd have thought. Maybe it was replaced a lot more recently than any of the others.

quote:
Gordon Ogbourne or Ogborne was the name. If he is your source that can't help, then I don't have any other suggestions at the moment.

No, it was Robinson's Cine Service in Ipswich that we get B & H bits from (the East Anglian Film Archive, which does a lot of 'outreach' shows using 16mm portables, put me onto them). I have another machine of a near identical model in the basement which is missing a sprocket and has a blown amplifier, but at least it does give us a spare worm drive should we need it.

I agree that belts are the major weak point with Eiki portables - it has six compared to one in the B & H!

Many thanks to all - I'll try contacting Eiki and seeing if they have any suggestions.

Posted by Hugh McCullough (Member # 1542) on 09-26-2003, 05:26 PM:

Leo.
Belts for Eiki/Elf machines, and most other projectors, can be brought from Parfitt.
www.pathescope.freeserve.co.uk/parfitt.htm

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 09-26-2003, 06:48 PM:

Here are some Eiki part numbers I have found for that model:

86-91 Steel Rewind Belt

86-167 Motor Belt

86-80 Arm Belt (replaced by # 86-65)

86-65 Arm Belt

86-267 Arm Belt (replaced by # X1-14371)

86-266 Reverse Belt (replaced by # ST-13161)

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 09-27-2003, 03:53 PM:

Interesting - what was left of the rewind belt (the one which links the feed spool shaft to the transmission chain when the rewind gear is engaged by turning the lever) was rubber rather than steel on mine. Says to me that someone had been improvising.

Many thanks Hugh and Ken - will get onto this on Monday.

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 09-30-2003, 06:47 PM:

Stephen : I believe Classic Home Cinema in the north of England are making replacement worms for B+H models

Leo : Don't be so hard on Autothreaders! I have a B+H 2592 that has done sterling service over the years at small film festivals, etc. and never had any problems. Using the usual compressed air, brushes etc. worked for me. However the Bauer P6 and P8 were different propositions, I found their film guides were much more liable to trap debris.

16mm ain't dead yet!