Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Christie Platter Resurfacing Question

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 11-03-2004, 08:04 AM:

I recently bought a used Christie AW3R for my home screening room. I am in the process of cleaning it up and getting it ready to run. The platters for it have quite a few scratches in them so I am going to resurface them as per the tips page. The only problem is that the edges of the platters have flat spots in them probably from being sat down too hard when they were taken off the tree and sat on edge. I have attempted to fix these flat spots with a pair of pliers wrapped in cloth to prevent galling the aluminum. It works with so-so results but is there a better and easier way to accomplish this? Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks.

Josh

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 11-03-2004, 07:13 PM:

You might be able to re-roll the edge with a set of PTRs. [Big Grin]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-03-2004, 07:47 PM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
It works with so-so results but is there a better and easier way to accomplish this? Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks.

No, it definately can't be done without the special lathe that originally rolled the two halves together. Also the hub in the center cannot be reliably repaired either. Best to live with the problem and wait till you can locate a good set of used decks... or splurge from selling all that tube stuff and buy new decks [Wink]

.

MArk @ CLACO

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 11-03-2004, 08:22 PM:

Mark,

The tube stuff is what financed the Christie platter and muts and Kelmar rewind bench. I've already spent it. [beer]

Should the center hub have any play in it? It seems to wiggle when I lift one side of the deck up and down. The platter tree is in excellent shape and even has the red led's for the speed control, it's just the platters that could use some tlc. I resurfaced the first one tonight and it came out pretty good. There are definitely some deep scratches though that won't come out. Good enough to use until I can get better ones. [Smile]

Josh

P.S. I just went out and looked at the decks for the AW3 fixed payout head platter that I have. They are in much better shape than the AW3-R decks. My question is, are the decks interchangeable between the two? The ones for the fixed seem to have steel brackets under the decks where the ones for the removable heads don't. Is this going to be a problem? Thanks.

Josh

[ 11-03-2004, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Joshua Waaland ]

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 11-04-2004, 01:31 PM:

AFAIK the discs shouldn't be any different. Though I can't remember.
As far as the resurfacing goes, the tutorial in the AW3 platter tweaking guide on this site should have the info you need, as long as there's no sharp burrs that could snag the film you're okay. Remember to check your takeup cluster height afterward so that everything is lined up.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-04-2004, 03:37 PM:

Yup, the two decks are interchangeable. The only thing is if you use the older "fixed brain" vintage decks, you will have little holes in the center like a Strong deck does which could permit a print without a center ring to spiral downward through them if you are doing a trailer change. However there is full compabitility.

Don't worry about the deep scratches. You only need to concern yourself with any burrs that protrude upward that could snag the film.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-04-2004, 08:47 PM:

Josh,
you shoulda gotten enough $$ out of that tube stuff to buy most of Ushio(Christie)... not just one used platter..... oh well.... live and learn I guess....

Mark

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 11-04-2004, 10:13 PM:

Mark,

I got 2 complete platters and one partial one. I also got 3 muts, one complete 2 partial, and a Kelmar rewind bench. Not to mention a night in a nice hotel in Chicago the night before picking it up and eating at Fogo De Chao in downtown. I still had a some left over too. I put it on ebay and a guy from Korea bought it. I had to list it twice to sell it. Anyhow I might have been able to get more but like you said, live and learn.

Josh