Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Tice A Year Cleaning

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » Tice A Year Cleaning

Author

Topic: Tice A Year Cleaning

Richard Quesnelle
Film Handler

Posts: 67
From: Penetang, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-12-2000 10:48 PM

Well after reading some of the cleaning posts, I decided I would clean the projectors where I work so they stayed in good condition. The Century C's were hard to get at everything, but with a tooth brush, a rag,and some Windex (no alcohol on hand).

The back area was the hardest to reach. When I told the manager that I had cleaned them he thanked me but it wasn't needed. He only cleans the projectors twice a year (strips it apart to get to the back), once in the spring and once in the fall.

Does this sound wierd, because to me from what I'm getting for the most part by everyone is that this is a big No NO.

REG

| IP: Logged

Bernie Anderson Jr
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: Woodbridge, New Jersey
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-12-2000 11:12 PM

That's crazy. I'm on my projectionist to clean all the time. I actually set up a weekly schedule. 6 theatres: one a night and thursday off for prints.

To help you get to the back, I use surgical clamps ( they look like scissors) and I put a cotton ball on the end of it and it gets in the corners really good.

Oh by the way, does this guy check the oil levels twice a year also?

| IP: Logged

Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-12-2000 11:56 PM

Projectors should be cleaned every day.

| IP: Logged

Dwayne Caldwell
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Rockwall, TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-13-2000 12:26 AM

And oiled at least one a week. I worked with a chief operator that forgot to oil one of our Century JJs, and I worked the night the intermittent decided to seize up. At first I thought it was a shutter timing problem because of the streaking, but before I could stop the film, it broke and there was about two or three feet of trailer wrapped around the intermittent sprocket. I took a closer look and the gear grooves on the vertical shaft that meets the intermittent were chewed all to hell. The intermittent was bone dry. Luckily, we we're a five screen playing four movies at the time and we moved the show to the empty auditorium. But it was a thirteen hundred dollar mistake that helped contribute to the chief operator's termination. Now I'm probably stating the obvious in stating the importance of well oiled projectors, but like I said, it was a thirteen hundred dollar mistake from a chief operator.

------------------
The man with the magic hands.

| IP: Logged

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-13-2000 06:00 AM

Twice a year?!?!! You really should clean the machines between every reel or platter-length of film. Once a day is probably OK _if_ you have only new prints that are in good condition. It seems to me, though, that it's well worth spending sixty seconds to clean the film path, particularly if this prevents a nasty scratch on the print!

| IP: Logged

John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 04-13-2000 08:48 AM

Twice a year! What do the machines look like? Doesn't he notice all the crap building up around the intermittent?

Yeah, I also feel a short cleaning after every show is a "good thing." When you get into a routine, it takes very little time. Put a rag, toothbrush, etc. next to each projector so you don't have to carry that stuff around. Don't use harsh cleaners like "409" or "Fantastic." The enamel paint may turn a pink color! But also, alcohol is all you need.

A sort of problem with Centurys is the gear train is not in an oil bath like, say, a Simplex. This means a person has to get back there and manually apply grease (not oil) to the fiber gears. The main lower one is tough to get at, (and has a heavy load) so it doesn't always get as much as it should.

I also found that less oil gets out of the intermittent if you use that oil plug for the oil hole in the rear of the intermittent casting. Century sells a plug, but a pipe cleaner will work.

| IP: Logged

Richard Quesnelle
Film Handler

Posts: 67
From: Penetang, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-13-2000 04:03 PM

I must have been the only one to clean those projectors in months. We do clean the projectors after every show, but the crud build-up that was there! Oh my God.

I imagine there's been worse, but you guys are right in keeping everyting as clean as possible as I will make sure of it from now on. Are there any extra tips on cleaning the back without striping the whole thing.

Thanks
Reg

| IP: Logged

Alan Brandt
Film Handler

Posts: 28
From: Salem, Ohio, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-13-2000 05:53 PM

As long as you use film-guard, you dont need to clean them periodically. You caould drag a print over a sand dune and it would be okay and even scratch it with a utility knife, but if you're using film-guard, the projector is maintenance free. Just thread and start. Let film-guard do the hard work. If it doesn't seem to be doing the trick...Use more. I've heard from people that it will even "mop the floor" with the addition of a special add-on kit, made possible by our friends at Kelmar. But if you really feel the need to clean every darn-tooting second like Henrietta Longtooth and Mr.Clean, then I suppose it wouldn't hurt it much, just don't overdo it.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.