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Author
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Topic: 5/16" or 1/2"?
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-19-2000 07:48 AM
John Walsh brought up an interesting point in the "film cleaner" thread: for those who work in reel-to-reel booths, do you prefer to use reel arms or magazines with small (5/16") reel shafts, like those used on shipping reels, or large 1/2" shafts like those used for 70mm?
I've worked with both; the 1/2" shafts are obviously sturdier and are designed for large reels; on the other hand, the 5/16" shafts are much more convenient for once-only shows. Obviously, the ideal booth would have both types available, but it would be kind of a pain to switch reel shafts and re-set feed and takeup tension between shows if, say, you have 7:00pm and 9:00pm shows on 6000' reels and a Friday/Saturday-only midnight show on 2000' reels.
This is an interesting issue for the low-budget independent theatre--it's easy to find 6000' reels relatively cheaply ($20 each or so), but they almost invariably have the large shafts; similarly, 2000' Goldberg house reels are a dime a dozen (except on Ebay, where people pay $70 each for them <grin> ), but I had a very hard time trying to find someone with a cache of 2000' house reels with large shafts. Obviously, theatres which always run 2000' reels would want the small shafts, but what about those of us who regularly used both reel sizes?
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 01-19-2000 10:01 AM
Generally, if you run 6000' reels, run with 1/2" shafts. If you generally run on 2000 foot reels, run on 5/16" shafts. Magazines are better than reel arms, in general. For one thing, they aid in keeping the film off the floor. When ever possible, don't use round-thane, use "V" belts (or chains).Back to the shafts thingy... If you use Kelmar reel arms, it is possible to get the combo shafts. That is, get the 70mm shaft system but omit the 70mm shafts, get the 35mm 5/16 and 1/2 inch shafts and switch accordingly. They are held on by 4 screws. The clutch thing isn't such a big deal either. Take a measuring stick (or an old core) and mark on it where the tension nut is referenced to the clutch plate for each tension setting. You will be able to switch over in no time. Steve ------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-19-2000 04:48 PM
Here's a 5-cent solution that made Brad go... AAAAAAH!...
If you have 1/2" reels but only 5/16" mandrels, you COULD buy adaptor cores that'll make them fit but who wants to pay MONEY?
Take those cardboard cores from the Kelmar media rolls and cut them in half (longitudinally) and roll them up and use them as adaptors. You've probably got about 100 of them lying about and you don't want to throw them away 'cuz you might NEED them. Well, now you have a 'need'! Of course this is only a "temporary" solution to get you through a pinch. You really ought to buy those adaptors! (Yeah! Right!)
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John Walsh
Film God
Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted 01-19-2000 11:22 PM
Steve G. pretty much pegged it: If you run 6000 foot reels, it's large spindles. If 2000 foot reels; small.In an art house, where the feature changed often, I'm sure they'd want the smaller spindle. The feature could be from one shipping reel to another, then shipped out. I know that's a no-no, but art houses aways have money problems, and I guess I'd rather have an art house cut a few corners and stay in business than go under. Hopefully, such an art house would have a guy that would notice a really bad shipping reel (that might damage the film if used as a regular reel) and not use it. For a regular first run house, I'd want large spindles. The smaller ones are, well, too small. Even a well run booth get idiots once in a while, and some dope tries to close the magazine door with the (5/16) spindle not locked- and bends the lock or the spindle. Or the spring that holds the reel lock flipper in position breaks. Or the key on the spindle shaft comes loose, breaks, etc. Of course, it all platters now, so it doesn't matter. I was slightly shocked when our theater chain decided not to even put reel arms on the projectors anymore. About two years after I started projecting, I read about emulsion-out (E.O.) winding. I wanted to try it, and changed the two projectors I was using at the time to E.O. I thought I was on the "bleeding edge" of projection-olgy (even though E.O. winding was already 15 years old by then.) Anyway, I start the projector, and I had forgotten that the feed spindle was now rotating in the opposite direction. The "Reel-A-Alarms" were turning backwards, going, "DING", "DING", "DING", "DING" the whole show. I knew I didn't want to be without the alarms, so I changed everything back, and that was the end of my experince with emulsion-out winding.
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John Walsh
Film God
Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted 01-23-2000 10:35 AM
Arggg! I screwed that up again! "IN, IN!" Well, they dropped me really hard...!One time, I'd had too much fun the night before, and was a little blurry eyed the next day. I'm trying to 'pilot' an hour reel onto a spindle, and keep missing. A friend with me there says, "Just think of your secretary.." (a line from Blazing Saddles.) I'm laughing, and push the spindle lock closed with the side of the reel. I try to hook the lock with one of the large holes in the reel to flip it back. Now, I'm laughing, making weird looking gestures this reel when the manager walks in. He says, "Excuse ME!" and walks out. Not a real funny story, but it was at the time...
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