Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Digital Conversion / Potts Platter Disassembly

This is topic Digital Conversion / Potts Platter Disassembly in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 02-03-2013, 02:32 AM:

So we're getting ready to bring the drive in into the digital age. It's getting harder and harder to get every print we would like, and it looks like there isn't any way around it. I'm going to start prepping my booth soon, and I'm trying to keep everything I can, even though I'll never probably use it again (unless I do pull off that 35mm home theater in my basement, but that involves 2 load bearing walls and a lot of $$$), but I'd like to keep everything I can, maybe even just to display it somewhere at the drive in some day. As long as I can keep everything down to a reasonable size for storage it's all good. What I'd like to do is disassemble my platter so it doesn't take up much room, I can put the decks in the attic of the booth if I need to, which leads me to my main question... How do the decks come off? I remember changing/swapping one a long long time ago, but just barely. I have a 5 tier potts with permanent microswitch brains. If I remember correctly, the brain has to come out. I know that's two screws toward the center of the brain, get that out of there, then how do I get the deck off? I think there is a set screw or bolt somewhere but I don't know where. I know my platter says its an Alpha if that matters. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
Jay

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 02-03-2013, 05:52 AM:

Once you get the payout controls off the discs just lift up and off, best to have two people on opposite sides so it comes straight up.
There are spacer sleeves on the arm posts, easy to lose. Don't.
Once the discs are off the arms are easy to remove, each has one 5/16 through bolt and one 1/4-24 capscrew or roller stud that keeps it from swinging up. The electrical wires plug in: if you start at the top, by removing the capscrew you can swing the arm up and disconnect the wiring then pull out the long bolt to remove the arm. When you get to the arm with the power box, you have to disconnect it and disconnect the powerststat linkages.
With all the arms off the whole main upright unit can be pushed out of the way into a corner. Removing the legs risks damaging the rollers, yoyos, etc since they stick out all over and are easy to damage when you try to set the beam down - and it is pretty heavy. You can take some pictures to show where everything goes, then remove a bunch of rollers to make it safer/easier to handle if you really have to take the legs off.
It's best to number the platters and arms so they go back in the same places. It's not critical but they're used to working together that way. If you remove the motors you will need to do a full setup and timing on reassembly.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 02-05-2013, 02:08 PM:

Just got through removing my platters from my drive-in back at the end of December. Pretty much what Dave just said. I didn't remove my platters arms, just removed the stud that kept them from swinging up and folded them all up like a fake Christmas tree. I kept the V-shaped legs on them so I wouldn't mess up the rollers on the back. I was able to "nest" both platter columns together in the back of my garage at home, and stored the discs up in the rafters of the garage.

My digital equipment arrives either at the end of this week or first of next week. Excited and scared to death all at the same time. I'm sure in 10 years I'll ask myself why I'm still keeping this stuff, but I just couldn't part with it.

Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 02-07-2013, 08:04 AM:

Thanks guys, that sounds easy enough Dave. Going to start on it as soon as we hear a delivery date, still going weekend to weekend with film. And Barry, don't say that, you know stainless steel is in style these days, so you never know when you might want a shiny new coffee table! [thumbsup]

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 02-07-2013, 05:44 PM:

An antique store in Petaluma, CA was asking $1095 for this table:

Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 02-08-2013, 12:41 PM:

I can do that! [Wink]

Posted by Phil Ranucci (Member # 3820) on 02-09-2013, 02:16 AM:

I gave a bunch of ORC and Christie platters away to gardeners to use as lazy susans to get equal light on plants.

Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 02-09-2013, 02:46 AM:

I don't know, my dog really seems to enjoy playing frisbee with one of my old decks! [Big Grin]