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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Worlds leakiest projector
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Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-17-2001 09:11 AM
In the UK you can still find Ross projectors running somewhere. Ilfracombe has a pair of these machines on changeovers with 2,000’ reels and BTH type ‘C’ carbon arc lamps. Also in Brecon I have seen two Ross GC3s on RCA 1041 soundheads with a Westrex tower. The owner told me that the picture was as good if not steadier than the Cinemeccanica Victoria 5 in his 2nd screen.The worst oil leak I have seen was a standard Simplex projector onto a Western Electric Universal Base. ------------------
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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster
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Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-17-2001 09:57 AM
While there may be leaky machines out there remember it is the projectionists duty to keep the oil mess under control at all times!! My nominees for the leakiest machines are........1. Older Simplex X-L's. Even with all the new fangled seals the oil insists on exiting right through the main casting. Oil sales to plexes running these are always very good. 2. The Exxon Pro 35 with bad oil seals.... This will leave over a quart of oil all over the sound head and booth floor. And you thought the Exxon Valdez incident was awful? 3. Cinemecannicca Vic-4's are really awful. 4. Any Brenkert, especially an older neglected one with bad, swollen rubber gaskets. 5. Simplex E-7 with built in oil pumper. Everyone always pumps the heck out of these! 6. Simplex Super....Keep those Tampons in there and change em often! 7. Simplex Standard......Definately needs Tampons to keep things under control. Mark @ GTS
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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-17-2001 12:28 PM
No Ross machines running up here in jockland, I've got a couple of x-boxes that are taking up space. That said, Mike Denner of Dolby UK uses Ross machines for his outdoor work at the various music festivals here. There was an article about his set up in 'Cinema Technology' a while back.If my memory serves me well, one of the Ross models had a design flaw that basically stopped the shutter shaft from being properly lube'd. An old guy who was a former RCA engineer told me that it was not uncommon to find that section of shaft (I'm assuming it passes through a bush or bearing) had siezed and sheared clean off, the surrounding metal having been blued by the heat. The Kalee machines are bad for leaking if they are on any kind of a rake, a place I worked at for a bit had two GK 21's which were down in the head by an impressive 20 or so degrees, the oil used to flow liberally out along the racking handle shaft, drip down into a baking tray carefully positioned for the purpose, before being poured back in through the brass 'ole in the top! Changed days, even in my short life time.
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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-17-2001 02:07 PM
About the RCA and Simplex soundhead leaking:I know that they leaked when overfilled--and that the plain jane oil cup was origonal equipment. How many of you use the sightglass oil cup? As far as gaskets--I am making my own out of bulk Felpro rubber-fibre material to see if it works better. Install sealed roller bearings in the sound drum shaft (1040) so you do not have to oil that!--Do not use rubber shielded ones, as they do tend to be stiff. Remember, when torqueing bolts down, to use the proper torque and tightening pattern. Tool loose will not properly seal, and too tight can ruin seals. Also, irregardless on what type of machinery you are working on--projectors, auto engines, etc, etc,--proper torqueing sequence is imperative to prevent the warpage of mating surfaces. This is very true of both iron and aluminum! And when replacing seals, double check that ther are no little burrs or debris on the mating surfaces that can ruin your day! As for the E-7, my gear studs were scored from a lack of lubrication--this is how I received the machine. Anyhow, I am going to overbore my gears and press in oilite bearings. This should hopefully make a difference!
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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster
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Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-17-2001 05:38 PM
There is no way to stop leaks in a Simplex, or RCA soundhead. I've tried all the things you mentioned at least a decade ago. There was even a company outside of Chicago(Perk Industries)that made wax coated gaskets for RCA/Simplex and these worked pretty well. But eventually the oil permeates right through the porus cast iron, or alumnium castings just as in an X-L, or Brenkert. There is a process that Harley Davidson uses and is done by a company in West Bend, Wi. They hermetically seal a given casting under about 20,000 PSI of pressure. The sealent they use permeates the castings pores and closes it up tighter than a drum. This is the only way to do it right. Sometimes having the casting electropainted will do a really good job of sealing things up but you mare relying only on the finish itself for the seal. Although an electropainted finish is pretty doggone durable! As for Soundhead bearings, Never use a bearing with any type of seal, rubber, or felt, on the rotaty stabilizer shaft. All you are doing is to introduce excessive drag on it and add to the wow & flutter spec. Only use bearings with a metal shield, or no shield at all if you can for this purpose. Use of bearings with a rubber shield on the gearbox can and does help seal it up. Another way is to pump the gearbox with 90 weight gear lube instead of oil. The gear lube will not run out very much. Mobil makes a great synthetic 90 weight gear lube that works great for this purpose. It does not go ransid and stink up the booth either. Oil sight glasses can be had from either Wolk or your local bearing distributer and are easy to get. The whole assembley in machines brass costs only 15 dollars or so. These too may leak even when new but they come apart and can be sealed up permanently by putting just the slightest amount of silicon on the ends of the glass sight tube before re-assembling. MArk @ GTS
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