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Author Topic: Century SA gate misalignment Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-06-2000 11:29 PM                     For some reason the gate of one of our Century SAs won't close tightly into the trap any more. I don't believe it to have been dropped, at least noone will admit to it. It is a gate that has kind of always caught one rail from time to time, but over the last week it has gotten to the point where it will only close if you remove the gate, place it in proper position in the trap, and then allow the spring loaded barrel to slip over the two pegs. I have tried loosening the screws on the gate (front and back) with the hopes of being able to adjust, but although it came closer, not close enough. Any tips?  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-07-2000 03:34 AM                     Is the gate spring as tight as it used to be? Perhaps it has snapped. Beware if you remove the assembly to look as it can be a pain to put back together and watch out the spring doesn't fly out across the room and under a cupboard. Does the gate still catch on one side or does it go in smoothly?  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 04-07-2000 09:31 AM                     John is right; check the gate spring. If you remove the trap and tried to (lightly) force the gate to close by turning the knob, will it go farther? Or, will it close if you loosen the single trap screw and pull the trap out just a little? Also, does the gate runners hit something when you close it? For example on the trap, there are two guides ("studio guides") on each side of the spring bands (they are held in place by two screws.) Does the curved gate runner hit the guides? You can see the one on the outside easily. To check the inside, cut a thin strip of paper and try to hold it while you close the gate. Try not to let it go where the film goes (between the gate runner and the bands)- then try pulling on the paper to remove it. Or maybe the runner hits the laterial guide rollers at the top of the trap? The inside one will spring out a little. One time a guy cleaned the trap and put the laterial guide in reversed, with the springy side on the outside. That caused the gate not to close fully.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-07-2000 11:17 AM                     Thanks for the help so far, but I have to admit a mistake I made. It is a Century C, not an SA, so the trap is not removable. All the springs seem fine. One rail seems to be hitting at the top outside. When you push that in with your finger, it clears only to catch on the lower inside this time. It is not catching on the lateral guide rollers.  |  IP: Logged Bryan Redemske Film Handler Posts: 70 From: Cedar Falls, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-07-2000 12:54 PM                     Chad, call me crazy (or just plain dumb), but I stil think that the bend in the rails has something to do with it. Maybe not the culprit, but it can't be helping. Oh, by the way (for everyone else), the outside rail on the gate is bent. No, I didn't drop it.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-07-2000 02:24 PM                     The straight C gate can develop a problem with the rotation of the lens mount that supports the trap door The drap door part can rotate on two set screws mounted behind it. A pain to adjust get an engineer to do it When it gets angle the pressue plate doesn't slide between the rails properly  |  IP: Logged

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