quote: Jason Burroughs

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If the equipment is from primarily European manufacturers, it will be very important to have metric tools on hand, if American made, metric will not be as important.

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If running American-made gear, the only metric items you should need are a set of Allen wrenches, as there are a few items (Dolby Cat 699 and 700 digital readers for example) that have some metric hardware on them.

Some more items to have around:

-A decent digital multimeter (it doesn't have to be a $300 Fluke, there are many very affordable meters out there that will do the same thing for a lot less)

-Spare fuses (at least one spare of each size found in the booth)

-Tweeker/tuning wand (if you do your own AW3 platter timing and Dolby level adjustmants)

I'm sure I will think of more as time goes on.

-Aaron
 

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Posted by Liam Utley (Member # 1931) on 07-24-2004, 03:54 AM:
 
cordless drill with screwdriver bits and drill bit set, jewellers screwdrivers....
 

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Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 07-24-2004, 05:07 AM:
 
Backing up Aaron's suggestion you don't need an elaborate multi-meter. I just bought a fairly decent Craftsman (can't remember model off the top of my head) at Sears for $20. It has settings for testing AC and DC amps and voltage as well as resistance and a special diode testing mode (the most usefull of all the setting).

In addition to snap-ring pliers a good pair of retaining ring pliers is nice to have. Again, Craftsman makes a good one of these.
 

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Posted by Ferdinando Innocenti (Member # 2477) on 07-24-2004, 05:10 AM:
 
Test films: RP40, Dolby Tone, Pink Noise.

Diodes for rectifiers, if you don't have electronic ones.

Buy quality tools, you'll spend more but it's a better way of working, and you are sure not to "destroy" projectors parts (screws and so on).

Ciao
nando
 

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Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 07-24-2004, 08:39 AM:
 
Fuses, lots of Fuses
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-24-2004, 08:50 AM:
 
The only concern I have with cheap multimeters is there lack of accuracy especially with audio and non sinasoidal waveforms from Dimmers
Had a theatre recently where the projectionist was replacing a trigger card and his craftsman meter could only get a reading when the dimmer was at full it couldn't read the chopped wave form at any other point
Make sure it can read "true RMS" Meterman and Wavetek and Metrix make good lower cost meters
 

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 07-24-2004, 11:19 AM:
 
Every size allen wrench and a good socket set.
Box end and open end wrenches are handy.
About half a dozen sizes of screw drivers.
And FUSES...keep fuses, platter drive tires, extra gears for the projectors, etc.
What I like to do every 6-12 months is go through each house and inspect everything. All the hard to get to stuff.
Projectinists should be aware of loose fasteners in common places, but I don't trust them to get in the gearbox or do serious platter maintenance.
Plus paperwork is a good idea, it helps keep you in order.
 

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Posted by Nicholas Simmons (Member # 2489) on 07-24-2004, 11:47 AM:
 
Some other useful items are a wheel-driven tachometer for timing platters and "screwdriver handle" type allen wrenches for the most commonm sizes you use. For our Christie's we also have extra long T-handle allen wrenches for hard to wreach items like the shutter andjustment.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-24-2004, 12:25 PM:
 
For my Slots Phillips and Robertson screwdrivers I use Wera Tools
http://www.wera.de/cgi-bin/vshop?HTML=wera.htm
for allen,torx,nutdrivers,clutchhead and bristol splines I use the 99 serries from Xcelite (there phillips and slots are too soft)
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/xcelite/index.cfm?model_list=1&att_id=XCE003&att1 =Service%20Tool%20Kits%20and%20Sets&att2=Series%2099^%20Service%20Kits

I carry a soldering station(ok industries) sidecutters by crescent and flat wrenchs are Bristol tool in the UK (very old set of BFS and SAE)
Crimping tool (ratcheting type is best) small cutters, files, and a ball pean hammer
 

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Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 07-24-2004, 01:35 PM:
 
Dean Kollet wrote:

"lot's of people buy a lot of nice tools but forget something to put them in....buy a nice toolbox or closet to keep everything organized."

And a LOCK for that toolbox, so things don't "walk".
 

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Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 07-24-2004, 05:09 PM:
 
touche
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 07-24-2004, 10:17 PM:
 
I had a Xenon changing SAFETY KIT that I kept in the car at all times:

Face shield
Safety vest
Gloves

My favorite for the "everyday" tools is a canvas "missileman" tool bag. A friend gave me one; he got it at a military surplus store.

EVERYDAY TOOLS:

Screwdrivers; phillips and standard
Allen wrench kits (imperial and metric)
Wrenches; small sizes (imperial and metric) duplicates of some sizes
Socket set; small sizes (and a nut driver)
Wire strippers 10-18AWG
Wire strippers 22-30AWG
Wire cutter, small
Wire cutter, large (also a crimp tool)
Vise grip (around 7" size; I will probably add a smaller one soon)
Pulley puller (used to keep with the "big tools" but kept needing it)
Soldering gun and solder
Forceps, Scissors and short lengths of various wires
Tape measure
Pen
Tweaker
Mini Maglite

LARGER TOOL BOX:

Hammers (I don't know how exactly but I have 3)
Larger size socket and wrench sets
Large screwdrivers
Assorted illumination: larger flashlights, hanging work lights
Drill set
Carpenter's level

TEST EQUIPMENT:

Oscilloscope
RTA
Multiplexer (optional?)
Multimeter
Platter tachometer
Align-O-Tron kit

TEST FILMS:

SMPTE 35PA (RP40)
SMPTE Buzz Track (RP68)
Dolby 69C Test film (Pink Noise & Dolby Tone)
Dolby 97 (Left/Right Alignment, aka "Crosstalk")
Dolby 151B (Surround Level)
Dolby 566 (Illumination Uniformity)
Dolby 251 ("Jiffy" Test Reel)
DTS Technician's Kit (incl. "Buzz & Bill" Test Reel)

When setting up Non-Sync, I got uniform results by making up a CD with test tones and sample audio tracks.

MORE STUFF:

6' Ladder
Box fan (for working in hot booths)

The theatres I serviced were in a "remote location" so I found it necessary to stock spares of certain parts and supplies:

Christie Platter speed control cards
Projector Gears
Spare intermittent
Projector oil & lube
Spare splicer
Splicing tape & cue tape (buy a lot of these)
White cotton gloves
Webril wipes
White artist's tape (Permacel) -- not "masking tape."
Sharpie markers, black
Leader film (clear as well as black)
Film trap tension bands
Sound head LED's
Spare transducers for loudspeakers
Spare reels, cores (I can't tell you the amount of times I needed these)
Screws, nuts, bolts and washers -- I developed quite a collection!

CLEANING AGENTS:

100% Isopropyl Alcohol
Simple Green
Lens cleaner (and tissue)
Xecote
Degreaser
Vinyl gloves -- keep hands clean
Hand soap -- coz your hands *will* get dirty!
Paper towels by-the-case -- coz you'll be cleaning lots of things
(I used Kleenex Viva paper towels or Shop Towels from the NAPA Store)
Glass Wax (Port windows -- worked great on mine)

Good idea to have access to all manuals. Gather your printed manuals into a library location, perhaps near the booth desk. Download any manuals or bulletins that you may be missing and print them out and store them in a binder and/or save them to the hard drive of your portable computer (if you have one).

Speaking of computers, alignment of some components will necessitate having a PC laptop.

Also very useful for me was a form I made up to ensure that projectionists remembered to write down all the key info when requesting a service call. There were also spaces to remind ME to fill in key info when reporting my findings and actions. The local print shop bound these for me in "tear-off pads."
 

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