Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Take-Up on SPECO's

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Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-12-2009, 09:42 PM:

I'm having an issue with take-up on my SPECO LP-270. No matter which platter, the film winds up incredibly loose, throughout the entire print. Payout is fine on all platters and the accumulator is sliding up and down the shafts normally. It's so bad I wouldn't even dream of trying to move the print.

-A stuck youngin

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 01-12-2009, 10:17 PM:

While you don't want to move the print, playing a different print in the auditorium and seeing if it also has the loose wind would rule out (or confirm) the loose wind being due to damage to the print.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-12-2009, 10:26 PM:

Yeah, I'm thinking about doing that. There is another projector only about 2 feet away. I can reach both start buttons. Sure makes those doubles easier.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-12-2009, 10:47 PM:

Grand Prairie...SPECO LP-270...you must work at the superstitious Cinemark on I-20!

Those models you have had an "upgrade" that I suggested back in the 80s, but was poorly designed by one of the corporate guys at Cinemark and the end result pretty much just sucks. You can make them wind tighter by skipping the middle of the top 3 rollers on the takeup. I don't recommend it as normal daily practice though, as that makes it wind VERY tight.

If it is just one platter in the building, then it is probably just needing oil on the rod and the twisted rod.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-12-2009, 11:39 PM:

Ok Brad, you're freaking me out. The "W" system you're referring to only exists on 4 of our projectors, and not this one. We always skip the middle one before moving a print on those platters, as they will wrap tighter. On a side note, how are we superstitious? I've only been at this location since 04 and only in booth since 07, so I don't know much of the history at this place.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 01-13-2009, 03:03 AM:

Jonathan,
Is the platter starting up slow enough to sometimes trigger the failsafe to shut the projector down?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-13-2009, 04:25 AM:

Oh yeah I forgot about that...you have the old style LP-270s in #1-12 and the new style in #14-16 on that little wing extension.

Since this is an older one, either the vertical shaft or the twisted shaft is bent, or more probably you need to squirt some oil on a few paper towels and wipe the two shafts down so the weight can move easier. Your Simplex oil should do the trick.

And the superstitious comment was because that was the first theater with more than 12 screens where Cinemark didn't build an auditorium #13. [Razz]

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 02:22 PM:

I never knew the #13 story. We now have 1-15, no #16 (even though its called Movies 16), with 2-4 being in the new wing. And James, no it never starts slow enough to drop film presence.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-13-2009, 04:07 PM:

Yup, your #13 used to be #14. They skipped right over it! They rationalized that since in a 15 plex there would always be at least one screen doubling up two movies, that they could call it "Movies 16". Pretty funny.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 04:24 PM:

Well right now we do have our #13 doubled up, but we have 4 films with second copies, so 12 movies, 16 prints. Doubling up isn't that common, maybe a third of the time we have a double house.

Back to the issue

I moved the problematic print to another projector (with a "W" take-up system, without skipping any rollers) and it still wound very loose. The 2nd run is about to start, with the middle roller bypassed. The new print on the possibly problematic projector just started for the first time today. Looks to me so far it may be a damaged print.

Posted by Ryan Navaroli (Member # 3477) on 01-13-2009, 04:24 PM:

When this happened to me I was in utter confusion. Ended up being film damage caused by a bent sprocket tooth. Run your finger over the sprocket holes on both sides of the film. If they feel bumpy this is likely the case. If they feel flat and normal (compare to another print well beats me.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 04:48 PM:

Congrats Ryan. Both sets of sprocket holes are slightly raised. Just enough to feel, but not enough to see. We had a similar problem on another projector about a year and a half ago, just to a more extreme level and it turned out to be a bent shaft on the soundhead sprocket. Now I have to hope 1 run isn't enough to screw up another print.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 01-13-2009, 04:55 PM:

Legend has it one of the managers at Grand Prairie named one of the closets "Auditorium 16."

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 05:06 PM:

Damn, how do y'all know more about this place than I do? Auditorium 16 is where managers are if they take a smoke break and some others refer to our satellite restrooms as #16. Makes for good fun to have the noobs go clean #16 or to tell the drunks/potheads that their film is in 16.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 01-13-2009, 06:24 PM:

I'll go way out on a limb and guess that he helped set up the booth equipment there.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 06:34 PM:

Well Brad, if you want, you can come take it out when we start our digital changeover on July 1, 2008.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-13-2009, 06:52 PM:

Were a lot of the "Movies 16" actually "Movies 15"? Is that why the Hollywood in Garland is actually only 15?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-13-2009, 08:34 PM:

no the 16 stood for 16mm thats why I only go to movies 70 [Big Grin]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-13-2009, 08:46 PM:

Scott, I'm not sure how many 15 plexes Cinemark built tagged as Movies 16.

Jonathan, I'll bet you $20 come August 1, 2009 (over a YEAR later than your date) that you still won't see a single screen digital there. Are you a bettin' man?

And no I had nothing to do with the install, but Cinemark called me out there awhile back to train the projectionists on how to NOT destroy the prints opening day. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-13-2009, 09:02 PM:

I bet you $200 that we won't be digital by then. The Cedar Hill theatre, only 10 miles away just got one screen digital, though. Luckily, they started installing the silver screens anyway. We have 3 installed with 2 more sitting in their tubes in an auditorium, makes us look really classy.

Posted by Ryan Navaroli (Member # 3477) on 01-14-2009, 04:19 PM:

quote: Jonathan Althaus
Congrats Ryan. Both sets of sprocket holes are slightly raised. Just enough to feel, but not enough to see. We had a similar problem on another projector about a year and a half ago, just to a more extreme level and it turned out to be a bent shaft on the soundhead sprocket. Now I have to hope 1 run isn't enough to screw up another print.

Today I shed a tear and smell that sweet odor of victory. After the numerous times I have been aided I have finally helped someone. Good luck Jonathan.