Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Maintenance Schedules

This is topic Maintenance Schedules in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-24-2001, 04:07 PM:

My staff is on me to make up a maintenance shedule. But why reinvent the wheel? Do any of you have booth maintenance shedules I can crib from?

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-24-2001, 04:20 PM:

Here is my preliminary list.

Every Show

Check focus
Check frame
Check sound
Check platter behaving

Once a day

Visually check oil level. Half sight glass and splatter on back glass.
Wipe out projector
Wipe off gate and trap

Once a week

Clean all the projectors
Clean port glass
Clean lenses
Clean platters
Clean Rollers

Once a month

Tighten all the screws check for loose screws
Check Dolby tones

Once every six months

Oil the exhaust fans.
Check A-Chains
Check B-Chains

Once a year

Change the projector oil

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-24-2001, 06:56 PM:

The actual schedule depends on the age of your equipment. If you just installed a new booth in the last 6 months and things are kept VERY clean I'd let it go a year with just a minor check out, and oil change, at 6 months or at your wim if you think something is wrong, or perhaps if the biggest film in history is opening on Friday. I've never sold a customer a service contract on a booth that was less than 5 years old. Its simply wasting the customers money...unless he is completely inept at operating the booth. Then a service contract might be worthwhile, or perhaps a live in projectionist.
The older the equipment gets the more maintainance it will need as breakdowns seem to happen more frequently in equipment that has say 5 or more years on it. The other things you've listred in the booth are very important and should be done at the manufacturers specified interval. Many of the small jobs can easily be performed by someone at the theatre that is qualified.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 11-25-2001, 01:11 AM:

Clean blowers and reflectors every six months. Bulb rotation when necessary if you find that it makes a difference.

Posted by Bob Peticolas (Member # 328) on 11-25-2001, 12:00 PM:

I would move cleaning the gate and trap up to every show. It doesn't take long for lint or crud to build up. I have my projectionists clean the aprature plate every show, it only takes about five seconds to pull it, wipe it down, and put it back (on a Brenkert, YMMV).

Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 11-25-2001, 12:39 PM:

What do y'all use when cleaning the inside of your projectors? Initially I used alcohol (as I was cleaning a few years of non-use "gunk"), however I realize that this could be harmful to any gaskets etc....

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-25-2001, 12:59 PM:

Alcohol is fine, as long as you arent 'soaking' the mech in it- a spritz here and there shouldn't harm anything... It probably won't be necessary to use alcohol for EVERY cleaning unless you are super anal about squeaky-clean projectors

Usually once it has been thoroughly cleaned, giving the inside of the film side a quick wipe out between shows is sufficient, and maybe a thorough cleaning one a week or so if its really necessary.

-Aaron

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 11-25-2001, 06:00 PM:

Its been said on these boards before (I think) that lenses should be cleaned only when they are dirty. The more a lens is cleaned, the more scratches can get on it and the more the protective coating gets worn away-or so I've been told. If I'm wrong here someone correct me, but it's been my understanding that lens cleaning shoud be done on an 'as needed' basis.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-25-2001, 07:59 PM:

You are correct. Lenses should require cleaning with lens cloths and a cleaner ONLY if there are oil, fingerprints or debris on the lens that cannot be removed with a blast of air.

any dust accumulation can usually be removed with a 'Dust-off' type of compressed air bottle or you can adapt a CO2 cylinder with a hose and blowgun for more powerful pressure.

-Aaron

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 11-25-2001, 08:48 PM:

I would agree with Aaron about using compressed air to clean the lenses, but hasn't it also been argued somewhere on these boards that compressed air shouldn't be used near the projector so as to not accidentaly blow dirt or debris into bearings or any other place you don't want dirt?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-25-2001, 08:57 PM:

Dave -- naptha is a really good grease solvent which works better (for me, at least) than alcohol or lighter fluid. It's in the paint-thinner section at hardware stores.

I agree about not cleaning lenses unless they actually need it. I've used Kodak lens fluid and lens paper with good results on both projector and still-camera lenses.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 11-25-2001, 09:32 PM:

Lens brushes are nice for just removing the "everyday" type of dust that gets on lenses.

Watch out with the compressed air idea; don't use something that blows at 100 psi or anything.

Ken is right; if you use compressed air to clean the projector, cover the lenses, or remove them.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-26-2001, 02:27 PM:

Maintenance schedules are good for things like oil changes and lamp rotations/replacement. But other items should be on an "as needed" basis, with inspections scheduled on a more frequent basis. For example, if the lenses or port glass are obviously dirty, clean them immediately between shows. If they are spotless, leave them alone. Inspect the lamphouse optics on a frequent basis, but clean only when there is dust or haze on the optics.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Keith Peticolas (Member # 971) on 11-27-2001, 11:09 PM:

Hey Folks, Thanks for the tips. If that handsome fellow in New Mexico had a cleaner and some Film-Guard, he would not have to clean his trap and gate every show. We do ours once a day.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 11-28-2001, 07:11 AM:

I think the atmosphere and air conditioning (or lack of it) in the projection box makes a difference, too. One place I worked in had only just opened and parts of the building were still under construction: the air was dusty and full of crap, and practically all surfaces which came into contact with the film had to be throroughly cleaned 2-3 times per day. Another had a properly filtered and recirculated air supply, and the only time that would be necessary is if you had a print which was a real shedder.

Depending on the type of projector, whether or not it is belt-driven and how big the blades are relative to the pull-down, I'd add 'check shutter timing' to once every six months or once a year as appropriate.

Posted by Chris Erwin (Member # 176) on 12-01-2001, 08:45 PM:

Ian,

Just ran across what you are looking for. A 1998 Eastman Kodak Publication called "Projection Guidlines for Reel People" has such a checklist on page 46. It breaks it down into daily,weekly,monthly,and semi-annually sections along with a "pre-flight" check list on page 47.

Maybe John P. could help you get a copy or get the ok for someone to post the page in a pdf file here on Film-Tech.

Until then, contact me and I could send you a copy or e-mail a scan if you want.

I found this cleaning up the office. Hope it helps.

--Chris

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-04-2001, 02:01 PM:

The now defunct (but still on-line) General Cinema Theatres booth site (developed by Steve Geiger) had a maintenance calendar under "MAINT" that might be used as a model:
http://zulugruv.home.texas.net/gcc/

BTW, are Steve Geiger and Tim Reed still lurking on Film-Tech?

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 02-26-2004, 10:30 AM:

I have read that ports should be cleaned with a foaming cleaner and newspaper.. Does anyone have a cleaner they prefer and/ or why is newspaper better than papertowels?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 02-26-2004, 12:09 PM:

Newspaper streaks less, and leaves little to no lint on the glass, compared to standard paper towels.

-Aaron