Film-Tech Cinema Systems
  Home     Products     Store     Forum     Warehouse     Contact Us    
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Xenon Nut Was Overtightened (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Xenon Nut Was Overtightened
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 03-21-2002 07:04 PM      Profile for Manny Knowles   Email Manny Knowles   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Things are coming along nicely, here. We just got in a fresh stock of Xenons and I've changed all except one. Is there a safe way to deal with an overtightened nut on a Xenon?

Some of these lamp houses have stickers stating that the lamp was last changed in 2000. Others have stickers that say the lamp was changed last month...but with used bulbs. One of them was quite dark and appeared to be a little mis-shaped. Therefore, I am assuming that all lamps are well past average lifespan. I'm considering them all extremely fragile and dangerous. This presents a problem with this overtightened lamp because I do not want to "wrangle" the lamp itself in trying to "twist" the thing loose.

The lamp in question is 2kW mounted horizontally in a Christie console.

WD-40 was suggested, but I thought I'd check for your feedback before dealing with this. Will this pose any danger to the electrical fittings? If I were to do this, should I mask off the surrounding areas?

I'm also told that the nut might actually be welded in place due to arc-ing if the connection was loose. What then?

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

 |  IP: Logged

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 03-21-2002 07:16 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
DON'T use WD-40. In fact, throw that crap out of your booth!

If the nut is welded to the bulb, you might have to partially dismantle the yoke, remove it from the lamphouse, smash the bulb, and extract the parts you need to get back into operation.

But before you have to go to that extreme, I would recommend you wait for more input, as some others may have had the same problem, and there might be an easier fix.


 |  IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 03-21-2002 07:22 PM      Profile for Mark Gulbrandsen   Email Mark Gulbrandsen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Manny,
Its probable that the nut has welded itself to the lamp. This is not an uncommon problem with Christie consoles if the nut, and or lock screw is not tightened down enough when the lamp is inastalled. They can literally weld themselves together sometimes.
Paul's fix is the correct and safe way if this is what has happened.

I just threw away a bottle of W-D 40 in a booth up here in Idaho
today!! Get rid of the stuff.

Mark @ GTS
www.getgts.com


 |  IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

- posted 03-21-2002 07:22 PM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
which nut is overtightend
If it is on the cable try using two wrenches one pushing against the other
If on the cathode vicegripes might help

 |  IP: Logged
Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 03-21-2002 07:27 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Gordon, I can't remember....Is the lamp threaded into the yoke as well as the nut? Been 20 years since I changed a Christie lamphouse bulb. If he can't budge that thing with a vise grips, he may have to dismantle.....what do you think?

In any event, I think Manny should make sure he has adequate bulb changing safety equipment, a new pair of skivvies, and some very good luck!


 |  IP: Logged

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 03-21-2002 07:27 PM      Profile for Manny Knowles   Email Manny Knowles   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Gordon: It's the nut on the bulb itself. I think it's on the anode end...I always get them mixed up...the negative end.

This lamp is XM2000W-HTP by Perkin Elmer...there's only one end threaded.

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.


 |  IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

- posted 03-21-2002 07:38 PM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The cathode end has a nut on it throught the yoke
Put a pair of channel locks on the cathode metal end (make sure maximum safety gear is worn) and a second pair on the nut
Turn the nut one till it frees up
You may have to sacrifice the lamp so put the kacket on the lamp first if possible some reflectors will allow it to be put on depending on the design

 |  IP: Logged
Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 03-21-2002 07:39 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Manny, the negative end of the bulb is the cathode.

Also, try Gordon's method. I am sure he has done many of them that way. When you use a channel locks on the cathode end of the bulb, make sure you clomp the channel locks as close as possible to the end of the bulb prevent accidental depressurization/explosion by a fractured seal.


 |  IP: Logged

Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 03-21-2002 08:52 PM      Profile for Jerry Chase   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If you can't get the jacket on and can't get the lamp out safely, you might try about a dozen layers of gaffer (duct) tape, then wrap it in newspaper. If I was fairly sure a bulb was going to blow on me, I'd want something like this in addition to flack jacket gloves and mask.

 |  IP: Logged
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 03-21-2002 10:16 PM      Profile for Manny Knowles   Email Manny Knowles   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think I'm going to pass on this and let the guy from Miami handle this problem. He should be here within a month.

I'll show him these notes, though. I'm sure that he'll find them helpful.

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

 |  IP: Logged

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 03-21-2002 11:39 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Sounds like a plan

 |  IP: Logged
Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 03-22-2002 10:32 AM      Profile for Paul Konen   Email Paul Konen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have had the nut welded on before and the easiest thing I have done is just order a new one and replace the whole thing.

Paul.

 |  IP: Logged

Randy Stankey
Film God

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

- posted 03-22-2002 10:41 AM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I dunno'... if it was me, I'd wrap the lamp up in several layers of cloth (like burlap bags) duct tape (gaffer's tape) the whole thing so it's proteted and then just take a hammer and bust the thing.

Get the worst of the danger done and out of the way so you can work on it without worry. The only thing to worry about would be glass shards, but if they stayed contained in the cloth "sack" you made there wouldn't be much to worry about. Just remove the sack of busted glass and tape over the sharp ends of the cathode.

You could work on it while it's inside the lamphouse that way. If you thought it would be better to disassemble the thing and work on it on a bench you could also do that a lot easier once the glass envelope is out of the way.

 |  IP: Logged

Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

- posted 03-22-2002 11:47 AM      Profile for Pete Naples   Email Pete Naples   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
By the sound of all this I'm glad I don't have to deal with any vertical Christie consoles!

What's with the downer on WD40?? I know people tend to use it as a lubricant, which it isn't. But if it's used correctly it's very useful stuff. That said there are better penetrating oils on the market, but as a water dispersant it's hard to beat. Although I've only once used it for that in a booth. Insides of a lamphouse where rainwater had run down the extract, made one hell of a mess! It's also useful for cleaing off greasy gunge and I've found it good at removing splcing tape goo from splicers too.
Do you guys remove ot from booths to stop people using it as oil? The number of things I've seen ruined by this stupid idea! Lubricating oil is just that, WD40 is WD40, NOT lubricating oil.

 |  IP: Logged

Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

- posted 03-22-2002 11:59 AM      Profile for Richard Fowler   Email Richard Fowler   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
No,,,the console is a horizontal model. The HTP type bulb is held in the rear by a combination support and power feed unit and the nut (sometimes used with a star washer - which creates other problems) has to be tight enough for D.C. current or it will weld itself....just like the clamps in a CX vertical Cinemeccanica which also like to do the same thing if not properly mounted....in some instances we applied silicon spray on the threads to lessen the welding of the nut to the threads.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

 |  IP: Logged


All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
- Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

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.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.