This is topic Improving payout on AW3 brains in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 07-16-2004, 10:44 PM:
 
On some AW3 brains, I've noticed the payout is a little bouncy. I believe this is causing sound problems with the DTS reader. Does anyone know if there is a spring that can be replaced or a screw that can be tightened to improve payout?

The rollers themselves do not appear to be warped or wabbley.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-16-2004, 10:55 PM:
 
*Regular tree rollers are wobbley. (Are these green or black?)

*People threading their fingers between the brain rollers causing them to get wobbley, transferring to a bounce in the payout.

*Spring in middle roller of brain still in tact and not properly lubricated. (Remove the stupid thing)

*Film cleaner with a tight spot on it causing a wobble.

So if you payout from the same deck with a known good brain, it's smooth?
 

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Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 07-16-2004, 11:01 PM:
 
All of our rollers are green. I believe it was caused by people threading their fingers through it. I'll try swapping some brains tommorow, however, I think this problem affects most of them. The way I came to the conclusion that the brains were causing the problem was that I steadied the payout with my hand for a few seconds. When I did this, the timecode light remained steady. It started blinking again when I let go.
 

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Posted by Bill Mantz (Member # 754) on 07-16-2004, 11:02 PM:
 
Have you tried removing the spring in the center roller of the brain, all it is, is a metal band that creates friction on the pay out if you have the platter and the projector a long distance apart. I have had this problem in the past and was solved by just removing the spring under the center roller.
 

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Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 07-17-2004, 04:54 AM:
 
Mike
Had the same problems when we installed a DTS reader at my theatre nearly 2 years ago.
Brad advised us to put a section of paper towel behind the DTS roller in the reader, which helped immensly. One thing I added was that I flipped the film over between the top roller on the AW3 and the roller going into the DTS reader. It looks a little scary but since I started doing that NO problems with the DTS reader.
Brad sent me pictures showing how to install that paper towel so you might want to check with him on that.
By the way, an added plus is Filmguard. Works like a champ.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-17-2004, 07:57 AM:
 
The thread is here showing the drag modification.
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-17-2004, 08:05 AM:
 
Brad needs to make a new "tips" page for this.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-17-2004, 08:25 AM:
 
The best way to improve any platter brain feed out is to scrap it and run on reels with changeovers
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-17-2004, 05:38 PM:
 

quote: Brad Miller

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*Spring in middle roller of brain still in tact and not properly lubricated. (Remove the stupid thing)

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Hmmm. On every brain I've removed the tension spring on, there's so little tension (NO tension) that it feels like I'm running an ORC. I go to thread the film, and before I'm up to the top roller heading for the projector, the leader is spilling itself all over the floor by the bottom roller, and I'm not even pulling anymore!!

Also, when motoring the leader through, after I stop the motor, the leader spills out of the brain onto the floor as mentioned before.

During the show, the film running from the platter to the projector sags, then pulls itself taut in a rythemic motion.

How do I fix this ?

PS - Using the shitty black rollers and can't buy new ones since Christie somehow justifies charging $40 for a piece of plastic.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-17-2004, 06:25 PM:
 
Thomas, your rollers are completely shot. You need to just throw them away and buy new ones.
 

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Posted by Mike Pennell (Member # 1692) on 07-17-2004, 06:41 PM:
 
Is $40 really the going price on those rollers?
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-17-2004, 07:05 PM:
 
Yes, they are at $40 now (used to be MUCH higher). They had to lower the price since Bevan left. He used to autograph each roller personally and that added to the value and cost of the rollers. You can still get the autographed ones on eBay.[av=m]

Thomas, you can always make your own rollers out of wood.
 

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Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 07-17-2004, 11:55 PM:
 
Brad, since you brought up about the lubrication of the center roller. Do you think that if the Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease was used that the spring could be used again?
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-17-2004, 11:58 PM:
 
Don't know. Never bothered to experiment much with it, as unless the rollers have been abused, the brain exerts an ideal amount of tension without the spring.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-18-2004, 12:21 AM:
 

quote: Brad Miller

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Thomas, your rollers are completely shot. You need to just throw them away and buy new ones.

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I kinda figured. I tried everything to get them to "work" right, but removing the spring causes no tension, and on most of them, leaving it in causes so much that the rollers shave themselves. (I have pics somewhere of all this black dust under the rollers on the brain after a show)

While on the topic of brains, what good/no good/harm are those metal "anti-static" rollers? The first time I saw metal rollers on a brain, I got worried. All of ours have them.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Nicholas Simmons (Member # 2489) on 07-24-2004, 12:10 PM:
 
I have had similar problems with AW3's (no springs). I sometimes use the aluminum antistatic rollers to determine if the outter brain rollers are at fault, since the amuminum ones are not likely to get warped or bent. On another note, is there a correct way to adjust the height of the brain rollers? Could that maybe help?
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-24-2004, 12:20 PM:
 
The height? Are you referring to the occasional instance where the film isn't passing through the stripper rollers dead centered? If so, washers below the shafts to the rollers works and is a one time fix. That won't have any bearing on a bouncy payout, although if the rollers don't fit squarely together a thin washer below one of the shafts (obviously as needed) works well.
 

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Posted by Cory Isemann (Member # 2517) on 07-24-2004, 01:37 PM:
 
I was having sag problems and I just mounted an interlock roller to the wall. Seems to be working so far.
 

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 06-20-2005, 12:26 PM:
 

quote: Brad Miller

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The height? Are you referring to the occasional instance where the film isn't passing through the stripper rollers dead centered? If so, washers below the shafts to the rollers works and is a one time fix.

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quote: Dominic Espinosa

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Also, in our big house all 3 brains (AW3 with stationary center feeds) have skinnier stripper guides. They've barely got a "ledge" like every other one I've seen. Are these new or something?

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