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Topic: oiling Procedures

Richard Quesnelle
Film Handler

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

posted 05-03-2000 03:24 PM

Hi Guys!

At the theatre I work at, we have a couple of Century C/CC projectors (one of each). I was wondering what is the typical oiling procedure for my brand of projectors and for any other relevant tips when oiling.

Thanks

Rich "Superstar"

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-03-2000 05:31 PM

Make sure the oil can nozel is IN the filling hole. If you squeze and oil runs all over the place, it is not in there right. Do not keep squezing.

Sounds dumb, but someone did this one Monday (see: "So how do you get oil off a print?"

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-03-2000 05:54 PM

Use only LaVezzi projector oil(about 35.00 per US gal in the states..probably a thousand Canadian in your area) in the movement. This is a great synthetic oil that will definately prolong the life of the movement. Also use it to oil the intermittant drive gear where it slides up and down on the vert. shaft, and both the upper and lower sprocket shafts.
Check youer sound head. If it is a Century and has bronze bushings instead of ball bearings also use the LaVezzi oil there.
Happy oiling!
Mark

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Scott Norwood
Film God

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

posted 05-03-2000 07:39 PM

What's LaVezzi oil? Is it made by the VKF sprocket/intermittent movement people?

I've always heeded the dire warnings in various manuals to "use only Genuine Century Oil" or "use only Genuine Simplex Oil." Is there really a difference? Is LaVezzi oil that much better? I'm curious!

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-03-2000 09:28 PM

Yes,
It's made by the VKF people. Keep in mind that they also make about 80% of the starwheels and cams for all the intermittants in the world(except the junk from India), so the use genuine oil bull is just that. They also make many many motion picture camera movement parts that are made to even tighter tolerances. If you are ever in the vicinity of their plant you should try to get a tour....amazing stuff comes out of there! Fortunately I used to live only 10 miles from them. Convenient to say the least.
Its also the oil thats inside the Christie Ultramittant. If only the outer cam bearing saw the oil in that movement they would probably run forever but there's a seal in the way. Its a synthetic oil blend thats amazing. Its really good for sound reproducer lateral assemblys and guide rollers that have bushings as it does not dry up or evaporate. They supposedly mix an additive with it that actually permeates into the metal and leaves a permanent,protective layer. I've run it in alot of different projectors and after running a week or two they actually quiet down. I noticed this in a Norelco AA-2 once that had a ticking movement, and also in several XL's. The ticking vanished after several days running and the Norelco is still running perfectly more than 4 years later with only one gate band replacement.
This oil is a bit heavier than you might run in an X-L but does not seem to pose any problem at all. Its also great in pro 35's and couplings last longer as the synthetic does not attack any of the plastic parts or seals. Synthetic oil does not break down easily, and as a result lasts longer and with the extra addatives you get a bonus.
Mark

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Christopher Seo
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 530
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-04-2000 02:54 AM

I am not too familiar with the Century mechanism but I got the impression that it was lubricated by putting a rather heavy kind of grease (ok, someone mentioned Vaseline) on all the gears. So is this LaVezzi oil on the shafts and intermittent drive gear in addition to some other heavy grease that should be applied?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-04-2000 07:17 AM

There are 3 oiling points in a Century projector head. As follows.......
1. The MOvement
2. The Intermittant drive gear where it slides up and down on the vert. shaft.
3. the upper and lower sprocket shaft bushings.

Century in the original "C" manual specified a few drops of oil on each gear pair at the beginning of each day. That was later changed to the TU-235 gear lube, and later to the Silicon based SuperLube. Both LaVezzi oil and SuperLube are about the best there are for these mechanisms, and others that rquire manual lubrication. The LaVezzi oil works well in oil bath machines as well.
Mark

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Richard Quesnelle
Film Handler

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

posted 05-04-2000 08:34 PM

My manager was showing me the oils we use in the booth. We use Simplex oil and some special oil for the soundhead (fd-120). I don't have any clue what makes the second one so special? Mark, will that brand of oil you recommended good for the soundhead as well. Possibly you could indulge me with some knowledge of oils.

Thanks Richman

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Richard Quesnelle
Film Handler

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

posted 05-04-2000 08:37 PM

An add-on to my thread. How often do you change the oil in a projector? I would imagine it is not as often as a car but fairly regularly to keep it running in good shape. I don't think the oil in our projector were ever changed unless work was done and then the missing oil was replaced.

Thanks Again.

Reg

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-05-2000 06:40 AM

one a new machine I recomend
50 hours
250 hours
500 hours
1000 hours there after

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-05-2000 11:13 AM

Gord is right on for the oil change duration. The first several hundred hours time is when the most metal particles are left in the oil. This is all from running in and that takes at lease several hundred hours. Similar to a car engine, except a car engine has a better filter.
The FD-120 is the silicon damping fluid that you put in the dashpot of a Century Sound Head. And yes, the LaVezzi oil can be used on a soundhead that has bronze bushings on the main drive shaft. All newer ones are ball bearing though.
Mark

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Carl King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 199
From: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-09-2000 12:11 PM

Boys Boys Boy

I can't believe that anyone would suggest putting oil of any kind on the gears of a Century projector. USE ONLY WHITE LITHIUM GREASE. You must never use oil on the gears. IF you do you run the risk of damge due to improper lubriction.

I used Century CC projectors for 15 yrs so I know of what I speak

Hope I've helped.

Carl King

ps. remember ..presentation is everything

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-09-2000 01:57 PM

Carl,
The original Century C manual stated that you should put 2 or 3 drops of oil on the gears at the start of the day. This is the same with a Standard or Super Simplex and was very common in that era. That is straight out of the manuals circa 1940 whatever. Actually you should NEVER use white lithium grease. That is old hat and it can dry out too fast, especially if you are in an area of low humidity. That grease just won't cut it in Utah or Texas! Synthetic Super Lube(visit www.super-lube.com) is the absolute best and it contains teflon. It does not dry out does not melt......unless your theater is on fire. Its far better than the Century TU-235 Vasoline that used to come with new machines. Kelmar used to make a semi-automatic greaser to fit onto a Century that used SuperLube. I must admit that this stuff might not be available in Canada(but you can order a free sample on their online site) but I bet it is. Switch to Superlube and get alot better gear life. Man.....sounds like a commercial!
Mark

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Bryan Fournier
Film Handler

Posts: 61
From: Greensboro, NC
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-09-2000 08:32 PM

Mark,

For the past six months I've been using Century (Strong) TU-380 "Orange" grease on the gears of my Century MSA. Seems to work really well. Much better than Lubriplate! What's your opinion?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-09-2000 09:37 PM

Don't know what it is. Perhaps Pat Moore can answer that for us. I would hope its some sort of synthetis grease. There are many many advantages to using synthetic stuff.
If you check out the product safety data sheet of both products that would answer your question too.
Mark

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