Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Film Projector on Castor Wheels?

This is topic Film Projector on Castor Wheels? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Adam Towill (Member # 7683) on 04-13-2018, 07:49 AM:

Hey all,

Has anybody ever tried this, seen this done, etc? For example, where projectors are interchanged for different formats, outdoor/temporary screenings, etc.

Does it work? Does it stay stable and aligned or does it vibrate or move? What’re your thoughts on it?

If you’ve done something different, to achieve a compromise between portability and quality function, would you mind explaining your method?

Thank you.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-13-2018, 08:49 AM:

It may work for large wheels, and with brakes on every single one. In general, tracks are used for stationary applications. For an outdoor screening, you have to adjust the image every time anyway, so I guess it's no big deal. I would still prefer to use the wheels only for transport, and then support the wheeled transport platform with something rigid like a few bricks or something. Certainly also depends a bit on the type of machine, weight, film transport/tension, etc.

- Carsten

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 04-13-2018, 09:11 AM:

I had a friend who used to collect old carbon arc projectors, and he had a couple on lockable castor wheels at his home he used for private outdoor screenings. Seemed to work okay, but we weren't exactly projecting the image onto an ideal surface (the side of his garage).

Posted by Geoff Newitt (Member # 6663) on 04-13-2018, 09:24 AM:

I have experimented with both track systems and pallet trucks.

The track system is good, and when properly set up the platforms go back to the same location every time. But - it can be surprisingly easy to move the projector on the platform!

In order to allow the use of a back up digital projector for big premieres, the Vic 8 in Sc 1 at Picturehouse Central is on a pallet truck. We have to allow time to align the machine each time it's reinstated - and all the connections including the Dolby Digital video cable (which must not be 'hot plugged') are on plugs - but at least it stands on the floor, so that in use it is as stable as any other film projector.

The pallet truck was also rather cheaper!!

Posted by Jason Metcalfe (Member # 5739) on 04-13-2018, 06:41 PM:

Sam - what was the gain on his garage?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-13-2018, 08:40 PM:

Done it many times. Just be sure to use at least 4" diameter locking wheels, or plain 4" wheels and seperate screw down levelors. I have done it both ways...

Mark

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-21-2018, 05:53 AM:

Done just that very thing in a unique setup where the back wall of the booth faced an outdoor court yard where we had stadium- type seating with small tables for food, a building about two hundred feet away had a wall were we were able to setup a screen with moving mask and screen curtain no less. Luckily, the indoor theater throw was close to that of the outdoor venue so we were able to get away with the same lenses for both operations.

We had two Century JJs in changeover; both on dolly's designed for their weight and with big rubber wheels -- I don't recall if they were the locking kind or not. I don't thing so because to align everything, we had metal feet on all 4 corners of the platforms that lined up with stage screw plugs in the floor both at the outdoor venue ports and at the indoor theatre ports. You aligned the dolly to the stage plugs and just used the winged screws to clamp them down. Once they were screwed in place, they were pretty immobile.

Electrically all the controls -- masking, curtains, lights -- for both theatres connected via two big military-style, screw-together multi-contact plugs and sockets on two imbeciles as well as power cables and interconnection cables between the projectors for change-over. They aligned almost perfectly every time.

A few times the outdoor theatre got rained on in the middle of a show and the audience was ushered back into the indoor theatre. We were able to swing both projectors around and aim them at the indoor booth ports, clamp them down and restart the show within a 10 - 15 minutes turn-around...literally. We waited longer for the audience to get settled (no one would leave their food outside) than it took to roll the projectors, replug and be ready to restart the show, even with backing up footage & rethreading the active projector.

Use this:

Threaded plug goes in the floor, L-bracket with hole that's attached to the dolly platform is anchored to the floor with the wing screw. We had them on all four corners of the projector platforms but two would probably work just as well to align and steady everything. We also use these on our fly screen frame as well; it aligns the screen correctly in position on the stage floor every time.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 04-25-2018, 10:37 AM:

Been there, done that, still have it.

I have a custom welded wheeled base that hold a Simplex LL2/3 base, with heavy duty castors mounted such that the base sits about 1" off the floor. (Angled castor mounts).

Even at my lowest weight of 135lbs, I could easily move my then-current setup (XL/SH-1000/Christie 4k lamphouse/Xetron Automation) by myself.

The current setup is a Christie P-35GPS with LP assoc. 8510 lamphouse.

I'll try to get a pic of the wheeled base soon, it is buried on my outbuilding at the moment.

Posted by Adam Towill (Member # 7683) on 11-19-2018, 09:26 AM:

Thank you all for your input on this. I'm going to set about designing and implementing something with this shortly, and there's some good things here to take into consideration.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 11-19-2018, 10:21 AM:

One of the screening rooms I work at has one of their Kinoton 35/70mm
projectors on what I believe is a custom built base so that it can
be moved out of position and a Kinoton 36/16mm put in its' place
when needed. There are several huge connectors for power, and for
the sound & DC lamphouse power, since the amps & the Xenon power
supplies are not located in the booth. (They are one floor down)
So it can be done, but those Kinoton 35/70's are friggin' HEAVY!