Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Christie Platter Take Up Question

This is topic Christie Platter Take Up Question in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 09-09-2011, 11:12 AM:

OK,

I now manager a smaller independant theatre that currently is running 35mm with all Christie Platters. I went to move "The Help" this morning and the print was very loose. A disaster almost occured.

I seem to recall that there is a trick to running the print, the last show before you move it, to run the print tighter. Do I skip a roller or something?

Does anyone know what I am talking about?

Thanks.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 09-09-2011, 12:08 PM:

Are you sure it's a takeup issue? Because it's a possibility that it's due to improper threading...

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-09-2011, 01:00 PM:

Doing that roller skip is a STRONG trick on the "yo-yo" to wind the prints up tight on the ring.

Called the "Z" thread - the way the film looks as it's going the rollers on the "yo-yo" - intead of the "W".

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-09-2011, 04:42 PM:

Please do not call it a "yo yo". That upsets me very much and causes IBS.

Anyway, how is the print now? If you slide it part way off the deck (not enough for a need to grab onto it) is it pretty tight? How about the print that is now playing in the auditorium this one came from? If the looseness followed the print, it is likely you have some perf or edge damage. You can't really see it and it will run fine, but it won't wrap well at all. This sometimes happened at my place with Kelmar failsafes because people can't thread them properly to save their lives with the cue detector on the inboard side despite my instructions on how to do so.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 09-09-2011, 04:53 PM:

What is the proper name for that part, anyway? I always heard it referred to as the "dancer".

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 09-09-2011, 05:28 PM:

Tension Sensor

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-09-2011, 06:08 PM:

Both correct. Dancer rollers are part of a tension maintenance system. They have them in printing too.

Never heard it called a yo-yo, but I've known a few people who called it "The W Loop," which is a little more descriptive. I knew right away what that was supposed to refer to.

I'm with Joe on the sprocket damage theory. I used to love my Christie platters because the wind was always so nice.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-09-2011, 06:30 PM:

(sorry on the "yo-yo" nickname, for I picked that up from some FT members on occasion)

I've always called it "the Trombone" - which comes from my Drive-In, LP-270 days with MANN. Just that it has a shorter slide...

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-09-2011, 10:21 PM:

It was always the "takeup elevator" to me, but that came from my SPECO days.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-09-2011, 11:17 PM:

I grew up on DITMCO (SPECO) and we always called it the yo-yo...I have also heard the term "Elevator" and "Shuttle."

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 09-10-2011, 11:51 AM:

Whoa. Shuttle. That's a new one. I've heard all the other names for it mentioned here at one point or another. When I was taught, we called it the "elevator," and that's what I've always called it. Some slang terms bother the crap out of me; that one doesn't, I guess because it seems to be widely accepted slang. I think the proper name, however, is takeup assembly. On any platter, you have a payout assembly and a takeup assembly.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-10-2011, 02:22 PM:

I almost forgot..."Trolly" is another one.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-10-2011, 08:41 PM:

I will accept "take-up elevator". I will even accept "W loop" (even though it is not a loop). I always referred to it as the variac because that is what it is connected directly to. It is short, very easy to say and it's not similar to other words, so when I ask "how is the variac threaded" or "how close is the variac to the top/bottom etc" people know exactly what I am talking about (assuming I trained them).

But when I hear people call it a "yo yo" it's almost insulting, as if the platter is a toy.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-10-2011, 09:45 PM:

I have a bigger problem with people calling the "centerfeed" a "brain."

And as for Variac...the Variac does not move up/down...not all platters even use a Variac (SPECO LP-280, Strong DMC, SCDC). As for yo-yo...well most platter are indeed toys and ill conceived.

-Steve

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-10-2011, 11:10 PM:

Steve I think it is time for you to retire and collect stamps. [Smile]