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Topic: Homemade film platter system

Matthew Bailey
Master Film Handler

Posts: 461
From: Port Arthur,TX
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-26-2000 01:33 PM

I need help on building a homemade 35
millimeter film platter system with 3 decks.
I am thinkinking about using Christie
AW3 -not AW3R- parts. However I want to make
the decks either 26 inches in diameter
or somewhere between 26 and 52 inches.
Because of limited room,I am not using
the full 4 hour 30 minute capacity per deck.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-26-2000 02:58 PM

Honestly, the money you will spend on parts and with all these theaters closing down recently, you could just buy a used platter system. Still, if you must build one yourself, email me and I'll try and explain a couple of designs I made back in high school/college.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-28-2000 07:50 AM

Consider using patio table tops. Thats What Bob Potts did for the first few platters he made. You could also go to a metal spinning shop and get them made. Shouldn't be too expensive either.
Mark

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 09-28-2000 01:00 PM

the Towne Theatre in San Jose has homemade platters. I'm told they were made by Danny Eisman... but I only got a quick glance at them, they coulda been something extremely old and I was being fed a B.S. story by the then projectionist.

From what I could tell they were mostly Potts platters... but the unique featre was that the build-up and break down spindle was on the VERY TOP of the platter mast. You mounted the reel to the top and thread the take-up path and AWAY IT WENT! Sounds pretty cool if you ask me.

-Scott

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Matthew Bailey
Master Film Handler

Posts: 461
From: Port Arthur,TX
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-28-2000 06:05 PM

How about table top or floor type 3 deck
platters for 8 millimeter film use?
For 8 millimeter,I could use modified
stereo record changer turntables.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-29-2000 04:49 AM

If you absolutely must build your own platters, 16mm inspection machine geared motors work the best for 8mm use, but stay at 24 inches or less on the decks. Masonite works great for the deck surfaces and you can disassemble a 16mm Eiki auto-takeup reel for your drive shaft's deck support. There is a certain type of "drawer track rollers" on a mount available at Home Depot type stores that make perfect 8mm rollers...if they are still being made nowadays, that is.

With 8mm, I really wouldn't bother with a "platter" but instead would just make an "extended horizontal reel to reel" transport system. It is much easier and will even run in reverse that way. You can rewind through a track of rollers.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-29-2000 12:32 PM

Holy Cow! I used to ahve one of the Danny Eisman specials at home. Sold it to a theater in Wisconsin a number of years back. I think besides the built in MUT they were also earthquake proof and would not tip over in a quake or tremor.
Mark

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-29-2000 03:20 PM

Mathew,

Are you just in the mood to "invent" something?
Building a platter is certainly a good project but I think Brad is right. You might end up quitting 1/2 way through with nothng to show for it.

If you want to invent something for your home theatre, why not build your own automation system. From the comfort of your sofa you can control every feature of your set-up. It's something you could build in stages... Motor and lamp controls first, then remote control sound, then automatic dimmers for the lights, etc., etc.,etc.

With a platter, either it works or it doesn't. With home automatoin, not only can you build in stages you can stop when you get tired or run out of $$.

Who knows, you might end up with a "Pushbutton House of the Future" like Daffy Duck and Porky Pig!!!

Just don't EVER push this button right here!

I know, I have a basement full of 1/2 baked ideas that I never finished.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-29-2000 04:29 PM

Randy said "With a platter, either it works or it doesn't."

The other point he forgot to mention is if it doesn't work, you've got a bunch of damaged film on your hands.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-29-2000 07:05 PM

Agreed! We've got enough damaged film floaing around out there!

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