Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Using a magnet to secure the tail of a print

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Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 05-27-2004, 03:56 AM:

Greetings,

I am a relatively inexperienced projectionist (well, "usher") at a smaller theater and I have noticed that many of the practices I have been taught are less than desirable from what I've read here. One thing in particular that bothered me is that we use magnets to secure the tails of prints to our platters, but I've seen nothing on the forums nor the tips section of the website to suggest whether or not this is an acceptable practice. Can anyone give an answer to this and an explanation if necessary? Thanks.

Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 05-27-2004, 04:07 AM:

You can use magnets as long as they "stick" to your platter. I used them on a Drive In Platter, now Speco.
Presently we use suction cups from Christie. They work fine as long as you keep the tables clean.
Obviously you do not want to use magnets on 70MM mag prints, but don't think we have to worry about that anymore.
PS
What type of platters do you have?

Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 05-27-2004, 04:11 AM:

We use Specos. I'm not sure on the exact model, but two are 4-deck platters with projectors on each side and one is a 3-deck to complete our 5-screen configuration.

Perhaps it should be noted that we place the magnet on top of the film itself (on the last 2 or 3 inches of the tail), rather than the method of wrapping it around two magnets as was found doing a search with the words 'tail' and 'magnet'. The only tail wraps we've ever had at my theater since I began threading movies a year and a half ago have been because the tape hasn't been removed after moving a print. And even that was just the last few inches caught in the magic fingers, so I guess I've never encountered a true tail wrap in my experiences.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 05-27-2004, 06:27 AM:

The Cinemark I used to work at used magnets on Speco Platters, never a problem.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-27-2004, 07:53 AM:

If your theatre ever does use magnetic striped prints or sepmag, do be careful where and how you use magnets. You can accidently magnetize components that will contact the film. Certainly if you handle mag striped prints or sepmag, you should know proper procedures to degauss anything that could adversely affect the track.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-27-2004, 08:27 AM:

The fact that the Speco platter disks are steel makes magnets a good choice

Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 05-27-2004, 11:14 AM:

So would you have to degauss an entire steel platter deck to run a mag print on it?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-27-2004, 11:55 AM:

The short awnser is yes but it would be best to go over the entire surface with a guass meter as it would be difficult to degauss that

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 05-27-2004, 05:51 PM:

Robert, all of the Muller theaters use SPECO LP-270's with the magnets (with the exception of Willow Creek, formerly Cineplex Odeon so they have Strong platters). I've never heard any of our projectionists complain about the magnets... they're quick and easy, especially in multiplexes.

I've always wrapped the tail around one magnet and then anchored the tail against the print with the other, leaving a small space as not to catch the tensioning failsafe on the platter (if your theater has chosen to use them). And if you drop one, you can use the other to grab the fallen one, instead of reaching [Smile]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-27-2004, 06:19 PM:

Somewhere in the archives I posted a picture of the ideal way to use a magnet to secure the tail end of a print on a SPECO platter. You want to use one of those business card magnets, like pizza delivery places give out. Pull the last foot of tail away from the roll of film and lay it down flat, then place the business card magnet across the film about 1-2 inches from the end. It'll never come loose until the tail is pulled through at the end of the show.

Posted by Rick Long Jr (Member # 541) on 05-27-2004, 06:23 PM:

We used to use an old Radio Shack Tape bulk eraser on platters that ran 70. The gauss meter seemed to indicate that it worked.
Speco used to ship plastic covered magnets for securing the film with their platters. Not sure if they still do.

Posted by Matt Hefright (Member # 2470) on 06-20-2004, 09:34 PM:

instead of magnets or suction cups we use "gaffer" tape on the platter. not only does it peel up with ease, it will not leave a residue( which seems to be a problem with duct tape ).

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-22-2004, 11:54 AM:

I assume you mean that you use Gaffer Tape to attach the retaining clamps to the platter surface. You don't want to restrain the tail end of the print from being pulled to the projector, so the end of the print should never be taped.

Posted by Matt Hefright (Member # 2470) on 06-22-2004, 12:48 PM:

yes we use it just for the retaining clips to secure the film.

forgetting to remove the tail tape after moving the print has resulted in some interesting stories.

sorry for the confusion.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 06-23-2004, 02:51 PM:

In any pet store that carries aquarium products, you can find very powerful magnets that are covered with felt. They are meant to be placed against the aquarium glass, one on the outside and one on the inside of the glass, the two holding each other in place. You move the outside magnet and it in turn pulls the inside magnet along, cleaning the glass or plastic. The felt protects the surfaces. I would think these would be perfect for the film hold-down on the platter -- very powerful and with little chance of scratching either the platter surface or the print.

You can pick them up for about a buck at Pet Land, or you can wait until some enterprising theatre supply company repackages them as Film Hold Down Devices and charges you $10 for one. [Wink]