This is topic Any Tricks to Straighten "House" Reels in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-05-2006, 01:10 AM:
 
I have come across an old storage room in one of the theatres that has about 20 aluminum house reels, some Goldberg, some no-name. Most of them are pretty bent up which is probably why they got dumped there, but other than that they are in good condition (so other than that Mr. Lincoln, how was the play?) Does anyone have any clever ideas on how to reshape them to get them fairly close to true?

I have tried simply bending them by hand. The ones with only slight bends can kind of be repaired this way, but I really am not satisfied with that because even though the film may not scrape the sides, they really remain uneven and wobble, which I hate. Most are two pieces riveted together and I guess I could drill out the rivets and then just hammer each half on a flat surface. But barring that, I was thinking perhaps cutting a block of wood the exact thickness of the inner space, whatever that is....slightly more than 35mm I would imagine, and then slip the block in the reel and just hammer against the block all around.

I hate to throw them out knowing what they cost new or even good used ones. If anyone has a brilliant Film-Tech solution, I am all ears.
 

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Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 08-05-2006, 08:32 AM:
 
If the reels are cast aluminum I think there's a real danger of breaking them while attempting to straighten.
At the Capitol in Rome, NY we have Devry clock spring steel reels. These are practically indestructable. I weigh 250 lbs. and I can stand on one so that the flanges are pressed together and they'll always return to their correct shape. They've had these reels since the thirties and this is the only booth I've seen them in. has anyone else seen them?
Bob
 

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Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 08-05-2006, 08:37 AM:
 
I would consider taking them to an engineering workshop, that were able to heat the spool cheeks to a high temperature for aluminium, and then machine pressed dead flat.

It might be a cost effective solution against buying new or 2nd hand spools. Having them colour sprayed after could be quicker and cheaper than having the aluminium cheeks buffed and polished. You could then sell the spools that were surplus to your requirements.

Jack Roe Cinema Supplies in the UK used to do a spool reconditioning service for many years, when made of steel metal. They were always as good as new with the re-paint.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-05-2006, 10:05 AM:
 
They should make film reels out of Nitinol.

That way, when they get bent up all you have to do is hit them with a heat gun and they will go right back into shape!
 

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Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 08-05-2006, 01:36 PM:
 

quote: Frank Angel

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I was thinking perhaps cutting a block of wood the exact thickness of the inner space, whatever that is....slightly more than 35mm I would imagine, and then slip the block in the reel and just hammer against the block all around.

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quote: Bill Enos

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why bother? The wobble is only annoying when you look at it.

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Well, 1) I am a tad anal retentive and looking at wobbling reels makes me crazy and 2) we still have 6000ft magazines in the big theatre and they don't like wobbly reels as much as I don't.

That memory metal sounds like it was invented for this application. I bet it costs a fortune tho.

I guess it's the whack 'em into submission method. If they crack as Robert suggests, then I guess I am no worse off because they would be trashed anyway and as a side benefit, I would get the theraputic effect being able to beat them as punishment for bending on me.

If I had a bit more entrepreneurial spirit in me I could turn them into clocks or some such nonsense and sell them on ebay for $200 apiece.
 

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Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 08-06-2006, 05:41 AM:
 
Something has just forced me to flashback to Technology/Shop class in Highshool, with the moustrap racers. With as many crazy arrangments we had, I could see someone tying a pair of 6k reels for wheels. Complete the race in one revolution of the wheels. Methinks the mousetrap wouldn't have the torque tho. BTW, has anyone done any studies of the effects of FG vapors on the brain yet?
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-06-2006, 11:32 AM:
 

quote: Charles Greenlee

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BTW, has anyone done any studies of the effects of FG vapors on the brain yet?

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No, Charles. I thought YOU were performing those tests.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-06-2006, 03:51 PM:
 
I remember taking those old WEAVER reels, which could be disssembled, and doing the board trick, but tapping the board with a rubber mallet to flatten out the bend in that cast aluminum per each flange, or if the bend wasnt too bad, smak the bend with the mallet itself.
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-06-2006, 03:51 PM:
 
We have had some luck softening them with a plumbine blowtorch before bending. Louis
 

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