Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Maximum Amount Of Film On A Platter Question

This is topic Maximum Amount Of Film On A Platter Question in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-24-2008, 09:46 AM:

What is the most film, time wise, I can safely load on to 1 deck of an old Potts Platter? Acetate? Polyester?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-24-2008, 12:42 PM:

With or without a safety ring? Big difference.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-24-2008, 01:00 PM:

Wasn't the avg time length (long before the concept of these platter rings) for most platter units set at 4.5hrs?

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-24-2008, 01:41 PM:

No ring, just those suction cup holders thingies.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-24-2008, 02:47 PM:

I wouldn't put more than 3 hours (with a print belt and at least 8 suction cups taped down) on one of those. I also wouldn't put anything you truly cared about on it.

Posted by Amanda Mundin (Member # 3386) on 03-24-2008, 04:54 PM:

Are these platters not good??

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 03-24-2008, 06:37 PM:

Potts platter not good? Well they are good at tearing up film! As you might guess from Brad's statement they are bad about the film coming off the back and wrapping underneath on a tail wrap. After the get older they tend to creep out of the settings rather fast for my liking.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 03-24-2008, 07:37 PM:

A lot of film can be wound onto the platter deck, but problems can happen during payout. After 4 hours or so, the remaining 'ring' of film does not feed into the payout head property. I found that the older Potts (with the breaker point switch) operated too stiffly; the film would wrap around the payout head about 180', then finally pull hard enough to get the payout arm to move. The deck would then spin too far, wrapping around the other way, and repeat.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-24-2008, 08:02 PM:

...until the last couple of reels were sitting in a tangled mess of spaghetti 10 feet away from the platter.

That is why I asked if you were going to use a safety ring. The film can still slip through those suction cups, particularly if they are not taped down to the platter. With the safety ring, the film isn't going anywhere, although what John described can still happen and scratches around the brain can result.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-24-2008, 09:13 PM:

what about converting the old breaker point brains to phase control..or is that possible...for I'm not to familiar with Potts - closest I've seen Potts is the Balco platters ...

Yea, pretty scary with a large movie on a deck (like when I ran "Gods and Generals") I made a phase control brain just for this presentation and used a film wrap to ensure the end doesn't fly out.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-24-2008, 09:31 PM:

4.5 hours with "proper care." I use an old trailer to form a ring which is securely taped down, if Brad's device is not available.

Remember mylar is 30% thinner than acetate, so that should help a bit more. This is for the 52" platter; less on the 42". Louis