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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Manny's Strip Show
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-04-2002 11:29 PM
Here's what happens when you don't take care of your intermittents!The irony is that I had just cleaned this unit a week ago. I noticed that it was running a bit loud and I told the operator, "Sounds like the intermittent's about to give out on you." Of course...the shows went on... A week later, the star broke, the intermittent froze and gears got stripped. There's also a pic of some "platter bulge"... the film may have wound a bit too tight and the tension got released during play. The danger with this is that the payout head may develop stop-and-go syndrome because the print is no longer perfectly circular. If that happens, the movie could get tossed. You can also see what this booth looks like after some cleaning. Note the HUGE collection of outbound trailers. We are indeed returning all of them to the depot. Here's the link to the page o' pic's...
http://homepage.mac.com/mannyknowles/PhotoAlbum1.html ------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there. ~Manny.
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-04-2002 11:52 PM
I have edited this to reflect that I have placed an order for the magic oil.BTW...I'm just returning to these cinemas after a long absence...I'm "putting out fires" all over the place right now (so to speak). This is the part of our broadcast, wherein Manny gets defensive, saying: "It's not my fault! I just got here and I'm here to help!" ------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there. ~Manny.
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-05-2002 03:12 PM
OTT = Off The Topic!
JK (or J/K or *JK) = Just Kidding!  So I've put in an order for LaVezzi Projector Oil and I just *know* that they're gonna come back and ask me who makes that. Who manufactures that oil, and does anybody have the contact info? Also...what would be the recommended changeout schedule for intermittents. I try to do everything on a preventive schedule. The oldest of these projectors has been in service for a little over three years and I'm sure these are all the same intermittents they started with. I don't want to have them all failing one right after the other. I've just put a new one in one machine -- interestingly enough, this is one of the newer machines (less than three years) -- and now another one is running a bit loud (more on that one later, see next paragraph) and I'd rather change them all now if they're just gonna die together anyway. I know that can be an expensive proposition, but there are even more expensive ways of dealing with this problem (i.e. "just let em fail on their own") which is precisely what I'm trying to avoid here. Now...about that loud movement...I changed out the oil and it's still just as loud. And the new oil went dirty immediately. Fresh oil went in nice and pale; moments later (after a short test for shutter timing) the same oil came out dark and "muddy" looking. Is it true that we should also change out the drive gear for the intermittent at the same time? I was always told that the intermittent and its correspoding drive gear (on the vertical shaft) should be changed together, even if gear damage has not occured. BTW...I should point out that these are Westar ATAP/K heads - a retrofitted version of the basic Century heads. AT = Auto Turret, AP = Auto Plates and I think that the "K" stands for Kelmar (plate and turret retrofits). ------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there. ~Manny.
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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 03-08-2002 11:15 AM
Five Years!! Wow!! That sounds like a money making figure to me. I have numerous Westrex and Century mechs in service all over Scotland, Most of the Centuries are no more than three years old, but there's a pair in Edinburgh that are well over twenty, and a Westar in the same complex that is circa 1955. We've changed on Century intermittent sprocket (although we probably could have got away with turning it) and a rebuilt intermittent was fitted to that Westar a couple of years abck. Checking the theatres maintenance logs (and they keep EVERYTHING), that Westar has had a few sprockets and bearings fitted over the years, but certainly never an intermittent. These particualr machines are used 363 days a year, at least four shows a day and on long play. The intermittent was replaced due to a lightly jumpy picture but moreso because of the noise.Most of the other Westars around here are not so meticulously cared for, and have required intermittents in a shorter time, but still more like 20 years, not 5!
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-08-2002 11:43 AM
I had no idea they could go that long. The LaVezzi oil is ordered and shipped already. Thanks for the tip! "Manny listens...Manny obeys." I should point out that these machines have managed to get VERY dirty. I'm cleaning out each one and maybe I'll get some before-and-after pics. I'm now using Film Guard on the edges to reduce shedding (this company doesn't have a Kelmar web media cleaner...yet). The cap on the oil-fill is indeed missing on that one that's running loud. I'm waiting for a loaner and I'll be sending that one in for rebuilding - second one this week. In the meantime, I'm changing its oil daily in hopes that the oil will start clearing up. Thanks again for the tips; they are much appreciated. ------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there. ~Manny.
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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 03-08-2002 12:14 PM
One of the things that will determine an intermittent units life is the amount of work it has to do to move the film. To get the longest life out of them you must bang in to operators to run with only as much gate tension as required. I normally back the gate right off until the picture begins to jump, then slowly tighten up until the jump dissapears. That was instilled, no, drummed into me by a very old and very wise chief operator, we had Kalee 21's, which were no spring chickens ten years ago, and are still perfectly serviceable now. Unfortunately operators these days, either don't care, or don't know any better, and I find they are usually running with way too much gate tension, which results in the quicker death of gate runners, intermittent sprockets, and intermittent units. Incidentally, the oil used in those Centuries and Westars in Edinburgh that have lived so long isn't LaVezzi, well not AFAIK, it's whatever Westrex used to supply with the machine, comes in a gallon container, which is big enough to last many many years.I might get hold of some of this LaVezzi oil to try out though, can't hurt!
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