Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Repairing 8mm Proj.

This is topic Repairing 8mm Proj. - Kodak Instamatic M80. in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-04-2005, 07:16 PM:

I have been called upon to get an old 8mm projector running again.
It's a Kodak Instamatic M80.

The snubber/damper assembly at the top of the film feed slot will need to be replaced. Besides that and the blown lamp, there are likely to be one or more parts/belts inside that need to be replaced as well. The plastic that some of these parts are made from gets very brittle with age.

Will need the parts/service manual, a reputable source for parts and any advice that would be helpful.

Is this model projector good enough to repair or should I just forget about it and get a cheapie off ebay?

Thanks!

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 02:32 AM:

Hi Randy- You can look at this site for a 12 buck manual for that animal.

I bet if you snooped around thrift stores, you could find an almost fancy new one - like I did with a KODAK 265 Sound Moviedeck..for 8 bucks.

- Monte

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-05-2005, 09:55 AM:

That's pretty much what I imagined people would say.

I've been searching for information on it. 90% of the links Google sends me are redirects to Ebay auctions. The majority of the rest of them are places selling photocopies of the original owner's manuals for $20.00

I found one site that sells the service manual and has a supply of parts. The snubber/damper goes for $25.

It turns out that there are several plastic parts in this projector that get brittle with age and simply self destruct over time. The snubber is one of them. There are a couple of drive wheels and things that are made of a kind of rubber that dries out and hardens, too.

So far, if I bought all the parts I thought I needed, I'd be spending at least $50.00 to fix the damned thing! If, as you say, I can get a working one for $10.00 I'm probably better off.

Are there any certian models of projector that stand out that I should be looking for? It needs to be Super-8/Regular-8 convertible (The M-80 is.) Are there any models that are known to be particularly rough on film?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 12:47 PM:

quote:
Are there any certain models of projector that stand out that I should be looking for? It needs to be Super-8/Regular-8 convertible (The M-80 is.) Are there any models that are known to be particularly rough on film?

..going back to the Kodak Moviedeck that I picked up: works great with both formats, runs pretty quiet - just slick up the film with FG and your set to go.. - just can't help you on the other brands, especially from Germany, on their handling of dual formats.

-thx Monte

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-05-2005, 02:34 PM:

The Elmo GS-1200 series projectors are commonly considered to be the Cadillac of Super 8mm machines. Personally I prefer the Beaulieu 708EL Pro just a tad bit more, as it's built like a tank.

You may want to ask over on the 8mm Forum for recommended models.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 02:59 PM:

quote: Brad Miller
Personally I prefer the Beaulieu 708EL Pro just a tad bit more, as it's built like a tank

I can see why. Seeing a pix of this machine can really put the others to shame

..... like the Ernemann for 8mm...

-Monte