Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Neumade Split Reel Defect?

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 06-17-2005, 05:02 PM:

I bought a new pair of 2000' Neumade split reels last November and I've been pissed off about them ever since they arrived.

One of them is perfect, the other one has a "male flange" that is made out of thinner metal than the other flanges and, the real problem, is 3/16" smaller in diameter -- which prevents the reel from standing up without falling over.

My desk is slopped enough in the other direction to keep the reel from falling.

This is the small flange centered on the larger one.

I haven't complained about the reel, mainly because I didn't want the hassle, and my luck expense, of shipping the thing back and then back to me. The more I think about it though, I paid an insane amount of money for a couple pieces of sheet metal that aren't up to par in my opinion.

Am I just too picky or are reels that can't stand up defective?

Other than the one small flange, I really like these split reels.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-17-2005, 10:34 PM:

I'd say "deal with it" since you like the reels.

Drive a couple of nails in the wall, get some hangers, or pegboard material and get some pegboard hangers to hang these reels on the wall-they'd be out of the way for sure and you'd know were they are at.

Shoot, I've used half shipping reels as core winders since the center core of the shipping reels (especially the the old "Fox" plastic reels) fits the small sleeve cores to a "T".

Saved a few bucks that way. - Monte

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 06-18-2005, 08:22 AM:

Daryl - I'm sure if you give Neumade a call at 203-270-1100, they will help you out.

Neumade manufactures many types of reels, and invested about $80,000 in a new indexing "Strippet" punch for sheet metal. The punch was purchased about when you received your reels. So I'm guessing that, by dumb luck, you got the one reel with the last of the 'old' flange on one side, and the first of the 'new' flange on the other.

PS: You should have moved the camera just a little more to the left ... ! [Smile]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-18-2005, 10:22 AM:

Daryl,

I would call or write them a letter and ask for an exchange. They should pay the shipping but, if you can't convince them to pay shipping both ways they should at least go "halvsies" with you. (You pay shipping to the factory. They pay return shipping.)

I know you only stood the reels on the table just to take the picutre but I have lost my patience with people who stand reels edgewise on the table top or lean them against the wall.

I have seen too many reels that have rolled off the table, fallen on the floor and become bent, or worse, a full reel of film leaning up against a wall. The weight of the film on the reel bends the flanges around the film, making it impossible to unreel without film hitting the edge.

I get very little money to buy reels and stuff like that. The college I work for is a 501c-3/Non-Profit Inst. I mostly scrounge for stuff like that. I go to other (commercial) theaters and beg for stuff they don't use or are going to toss out in exchange for a donation receipt to a non-profit inst.

The reels I have are like gold to me. Standing them on edge and bending the flanges is almost like a crime to me. I'm constantly having to scold people about leaving reels standing on end. Either lay them flat on the table, hang them on a hook/spindle or put them into a film rack.

I have built some film racks out of lumber from the scene shop. They do a nice job of keeping film reels organized and preventing them from getting damaged. It'd be nice if I could get a couple of REAL film racks, though!

PS: It's getting close to the end of the fiscal year, doncha' know! If there's anybody out there who wants to take a few bucks off their taxes, I know where there is a nice non-profit school that'll write you a nice letter acknowledging the value of your donation. [Smile]

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 06-18-2005, 03:11 PM:

I checked out Randy's school and ran some numbers.

I think they are a pretty fair organization in terms of the horror stories we hear out there about colleges just throwing money around. According to the website, enrollment at the main and branch campus equals approximately 4,000 students. Their operating budget is only $80 million. At $20,000 per year to attend there isn't much fat in the school's budget for the expensive things.

What about help from Harrisburg? At my school, we can get grants for equipment purchases all the way down to studying how the common house fly takes a crap. 501-c3 statice does not always limit the money - sometimes it even helps. If your school has a grant writer, schedule a meeting with him / her. Tell 'em what you need and see what they can do.

BTW, my complements to the webmaster at Mercyhurst. They have the best, no-bullshit website I've ever seen in education. All schools need go there and see what a REAL college website should look like!

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 06-18-2005, 09:03 PM:

The reel is defective. You payed good money for it. You did not pay for a defective "as is" reel. The problem you may have, is that you should have contacted them right away. I would contact them ASAP, and let them know the problem. Send them the picture, it makes a good point. Neumade has been around for a long time, and I would think they would want you to be happy. An unhappy coustomer is very bad for business.

Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 06-19-2005, 12:44 AM:

I can't give my opinion until the first image is panned to the left a bit. [Big Grin]

Posted by Gregory N. Jones (Member # 805) on 06-20-2005, 12:40 PM:

Daryl,

You should of definitely given us a call. One question I have for you is who did you purchase this from? Reason I ask is because in your second photo I noticed the finish of the reel looks like an irridite finish. We have not used that coating since April of '03 and since that date all of our reels are anodized. You mention that you purchased these "brand new in November" so I would be curious as to where they came from. John Walsh is correct in that we have invested quite a bit of money into upgrading our manufacturing process recently so you might of gotten a "hybrid" of sorts. Although the difference in the diameter between the flanges is very odd but I've seen stranger things go out of here.

In any case, we will send you a brand new anodized 2000' split reel if we can receive the original one back. Just give me a call personally and I will make sure you are taken care of.

Sincerely,

Gregory Neu Jones
Neumade Products Corp.
Phone - 203-270-1100

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 06-20-2005, 11:15 PM:

Thanks Greg!

I really wasn't sure of the quality to expect. Sometimes I'm a little too picky, probably due to the my own customers in the plastics business being so picky.

quote:
I know you only stood the reels on the table just to take the picture but I have lost my patience with people who stand reels edgewise on the table top or lean them against the wall.

I have seen too many reels that have rolled off the table, fallen on the floor and become bent, or worse, a full reel of film leaning up against a wall. The weight of the film on the reel bends the flanges around the film, making it impossible to unreel without film hitting the edge.

Shockingly, I actually do stand them on both flanges with film on them. I'll line the entire film up on my 6 split reels. My two oldest split reels are now 15 years old and are still perfectly straight.

The difference probably is that I don't let anyone else use my split reels. I don't even leave them at a theatre if I know someone else will be working in the booth.

I'd actually never stack empty metal reels flat -- I've found they're more prone to getting bent that way. Plastic reels or metal reels with film on them are fine flat.

Obviously leaning reels will bend the flanges. The less film on the reel the worse they'll get bent.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 06-21-2005, 06:31 AM:

I was also trained to never, ever lay a reel flat.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-21-2005, 10:26 AM:

Lay flat - Hang up - Put in rack. Reverse order of preference.

I agree that, when laid flat, there is a chance of bending or film spilling off if not picked up or put down carefully. But, now that I have built film racks the question is moot to me. Reels belong in the rack when not actualy being used.

I agree that, when done carefully, standing reels on edge is OK. They stand on edge when in the rack... No? The problem is that, if stood on edge on the table top, the reel can roll off and land on the floor. I have seen this happen. I solve the problem by simply prohibiting the practice of standing reels on the table.

I like Daryl's idea of buying your own personal stuff. I, too have come to work many times to find equipment that I count on to work correctly has been messed up by some idiot.

Back in the days when I travelled I spent a lot of time rebuilding splicers. (And re-rebuilding them! [Mad]

) I finally got to the point where I collected up enough parts to build my own splicer which I kept locked up in my equipment case only for my own use. (Or use by somebody I give permission to.) I still have that splicer and I still keep it locked up only for use by people I trust. Everybody else gets to use the crappy guillotine splicer that was originally bought for that booth.