Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Maintenance Routine to Keep Unused Kinoton FP30D Operational

This is topic Maintenance Routine to Keep Unused Kinoton FP30D Operational in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Marc Jensen (Member # 3561) on 11-04-2010, 12:28 AM:

My 5-cinema complex has recently installed a Christie digital projector, switching the largest auditorium to a mostly-digital show schedule. The Kinoton FP30D beside it needs to be kept in working order, although it will seldom see much use. I'd already been pondering what kind of maintenance routine I could throw at it, when two weeks into its semi-retirement someone decided to use it to screen test a 35mm print and subsequently reported a severe slowdown and return to speed about 10 minutes into reel #1.

That soon??? [Eek!]

Clearly, I need to step up the maintenance timetable. At the moment I'm thinking I should run it for half an hour a couple of times a week with the lamp off...

I'm just wondering what tactics other people here might have applied to this sort of situation. What works? What doesn't? Should I just run with my half hour a couple times a week plan and see how that holds?

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 11-04-2010, 12:38 AM:

Hi Marc:

Yes running it for a half-hour twice a week would be as good idea.

If it hasn't been done yet, change the oil in the intermittent movement, and follow the lubrication instructions in the projector manual. Start with a through cleaning and full lubrication now, then do a full lube job annually while in storage.

Your mention of the slowdown concerns me, as something was binding up, hopefully not your intermittent movement.

See the UC Irvine pictures here to check out my FP-38D's (which are FP-20's with an FP-16 16mm on the back door.)

Posted by Robert John Jeromson (Member # 2559) on 11-06-2010, 03:20 PM:

Hi Marc,

Our cinema three is the same as yours, it hasn't run film for several weeks. We keep it lubricated, check the oil regularly (which was replaced recently) and run it up every now and again to make sure it is still in working order.

Do you have the FP30D maintenance documentation? It oulines the necesssary routine maintenance. It is a little more in depth to some of the older maintenance sheets that you have up there, Tim should be able to get those for you, or I can send you some.

You should log the slowdown problem though that could be potentially serious.

Posted by Marc Jensen (Member # 3561) on 11-09-2010, 06:18 AM:

I'll have to hunt for the maintenance documentation and I'm expecting to touch base with Tim very soon. I've had to tackle one issue after another lately though, so the priority on this projector is slipping below some more urgent considerations.

In the mean time I've been firing it up a bit more than previously described and it seems to be fine.