Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Vic-8 Intermittent Rebuild

This is topic Vic-8 Intermittent Rebuild in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-10-2010, 09:59 AM:

Perhaps Demetris can answer this since I hear through the grapevine that he is now field service manager for Cinemecanica... or anyone else out there that has ever rebuilt a VIC-8 intermittent? I have a customer with one that is really getting to sound like a hammer on an anvil when it is running as well as a pronounced picture bounce when running a good piece of RP-40... Not sure if it is worth the cost of the parts which are approaching the 2K USD realm for a new star and cam. How difficult is it do rebuild these puppies?

Thanks!
Mark

Posted by Randy Bowden (Member # 587) on 11-11-2010, 12:59 AM:

Like all Cinemeccanica's it's pretty much a time consuming PITA!!! I would expect both the star and cam to be in need of replacement. The gear that drives the cam is taper pinned in place. Once you get past the challenge of driving that pin out, you have an even bigger challenge of removing the old grear from the cam without damage. So that's why I almost always replace the cam when I do one of these, it's just easier to. The starwheel replacement requires fitting the star to the sprocket shaft and then drilling a hole and driving a metric roll pin in. I don't have a vic-8 tester head so I use my v-4 and it works ok, but requires me to keep a close eye on the darn thing due to the manual oil pump. Anyone have a V-8 they wanna give away? It seem like just about everything on the Cinemeccanica intermittents requires a custom fit on your part. Any modern made American intermittent is a piece of cake compared to these things.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-11-2010, 05:09 AM:

As usual, the answer is not repair. Buy another head for parts. Better still. . . .replace with any number of decent used heads (Century or Simplex) something that might have avilability into the future. Louis

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-11-2010, 06:21 AM:

I would keep a cinemecanica running ahead of simplex or century

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 11-11-2010, 09:44 AM:

Us Yanks never took to the Italian projectors as much as our neighbors to the North. Harkins was the last major customer to buy them.

We had plenty of problems getting a still picture and it was the hardest soundhead to get good analog sound due to sloppy sound drums and those awful adjustable beam width sound lens.

Apart from that, they were great.

A swap to American projector and sound head is anything but routine though.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-12-2010, 05:39 AM:

The future will mean that "unusual" projectors will just be harder and harder to deal with. Does this cinema require 70mm? Is it better off to have something that can be repaired easily? Perhaps a simple Century SA is the answer.

"Unusual" projectors will perish along with their spares. It is not like this is expensive. You could probably get a good used SA for about what that intermittent would cost.

I have been "normalizing" equipment for decades. Louis

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-12-2010, 06:34 AM:

I wouldn't call Cinemecannica or the V8 unusual. They are less prevalent (as compared to a Century JJ) in the USA but not as a world-wide statement.

Cinemeccanica has been around quite a while and their projectors have had a reasonable amount of production. The V8 has been in production a long time and there are many "similar" machines to it too (Prevost and the like).

One thing the Century JJ has going for it is that it shares a great many parts with its 35mm cousins and that Century hasn't changed a great many parts over the years.

Steve

Posted by Randy Bowden (Member # 587) on 11-12-2010, 09:26 AM:

And then there's Lavezzi's recent announcement that, with the exception of special orders, they will cease manufacturing of all film related components by the end of this month.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-14-2010, 06:48 PM:

Thanks for all the replies... been outta town for a while. I will probably just look for a parts machine to salvage a movement from, only has to run a few more years at best. I agree with Steve that these are not that odd a machine... General Enema also installed lots of them back in the 80's. They are built like a tank and at the end of filum projector manufacturing they may well be the last filum projector manufacturer STILL standing! This one has been in service since 1963! I think the movement deserves to be a bit noisy...

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-14-2010, 07:47 PM:

Mark...all kidding aside...it will be Kinoton as the last film projector standing making new machines...particularly 35/70s

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-15-2010, 02:43 AM:

I seriously doubt it Steve... they are somewhat dependent on the studios and special venue for buisness and the studios will have discarded those Kintons in favor of digital projection in not too long a time. Cinemecanica sells three times more digital projectors in Europe than does Kinoton. The Viccy 5 is still the most popular projector over there as well as in South America.

70mm... ha? There won't be a single place to process and print 70mm release prints once Imax ceases to use it... in the very near future.

So I will still maintain that COinemecanica will be the last film projector manufacturer standing to offer new film projectors.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-15-2010, 05:33 AM:

Actually, Kinoton's film projector production is still going strong...more so than Cinemeccanica...even to mainstream cinemas. I don't know where you get your information on Cinemeccancia's digital or film equipment numbers.

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 11-15-2010, 09:24 AM:

It's sure V8 is not odd or bad, I did service number of them and newer had any bad issues, to be honest I newer open head case for any of problems. As for soundhead....don't know why is so hard to align? I can align analog + digital if reverse scan in a time, same with normal soundhead with slit optics. If HF rasponse is bad, you can use newer type of slit lens, they just fit in case. So Mark I would definitly go to repair, or if you could get some secound hand unit to replace.

As for this Cinemeccanica/Kinoton revial, I was wonder also how much 35mm machines they make. Also, it is worth to buy Cinemecc or Kinoton DLP, when you have very compact DLP solution from Sony, Nec, Barco or Christie let's say, at end, Barco is in both Kinoton or Cinemeccanica.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 11-15-2010, 02:46 PM:

I believe Cinemeccanica sells more 35mm projectors world-wide than Kinoton. Prevost sold quite a few last year as well and I know this as I supply them a key component.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-15-2010, 03:10 PM:

Got my info from Demetris who now works for Cinemeccanica as a field tech.

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 11-15-2010, 03:29 PM:

Nice to hear that too, it's strange for Demetris not to replaying here, he's around here regulary, or he's too busy in cinemeccanica!?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-15-2010, 04:04 PM:

I donno... I think he's traveling a lot lately. He was in Middle East doing an install. He could certainly share some good info with us when he has the time.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-15-2010, 08:29 PM:

I would say there are more Cinemeccanicas in the world, for sure. 5-years ago, I would have given it to Cinemeccanica for new projectors...I'm not too sure about today. There are more Kinotons that you would think going around the world.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-18-2010, 02:04 PM:

I think the issue is the V8. Cinemeccanica as an entity is another matter.

The V8 was essentially obsolete back 15 years ago when I toured the factory in Milan. It is surely MORE obsolete now. Louis

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-25-2010, 11:48 AM:

Seems to me they are still producing it in 35mm form. Demetris would know since he works for them now. I bought a used head to get another movement and all is well now.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-25-2010, 12:08 PM:

The Vic 8 was always a bit of a "modular" projector in that you could have it the way you wanted. 70mm was certainly its "popular" form but one could always get it in an 35mm only. The "penthouse" was always an (expensive) option too.

Steve

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 11-25-2010, 12:48 PM:

quote: Steve Guttag
The Vic 8 was always a bit of a "modular" projector in that you could have it the way you wanted.

The Vic 8 was also available as a Cinerama projector.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-25-2010, 04:30 PM:

Robert... I believe that is what they use at Bradford for the cinerama installation.

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 11-26-2010, 03:40 AM:

I have one book, where cinemarama booth was pictured and there was V8 in it.