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Topic: AW3 Makeup table woes

Michael Rourke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 159
From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 03-29-2002 12:01 PM

Christie's site is down, and I wanted to know why my makeup table will only build up on the bottom platter.

I replaced the platter selector switch, but that didn't work. This particular tower is pretty old (20 years) and the plug for the makeup table is hanging out of the tower, is there just a bad connection?

I also have a table that won't break down. If a table won't break down, the obvious fix would be ordering a new motor, but could you give me the order of components to check before I get to the motor?

Thanks

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John Westlund
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 204
From: Burney, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 03-29-2002 02:02 PM

We are also having this problem with our AW3R. It will only build on to the bottom deck but will take down from either platter. We have new motors and control cards because there was a short that fried everything. The make-up switch was backordered and hasnt come in yet.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-29-2002 11:30 PM

If your motor won't work, (or runs erratically) check the brushes.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

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

posted 03-30-2002 12:49 AM

Control switch malfunction? Brad is the expert on these......

I have no problems building or tearing down on any platters in our 5-plex.

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John Westlund
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 204
From: Burney, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 03-30-2002 01:09 AM

Its not a problem with the motor on our platter. The platter will pay out and take up just fine. Just wont run in make-up mode.

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Don Sneed
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 03-30-2002 01:21 AM

I had this problem before, check the make-up table wires to the male plug, you will have to turn the make-up table over, remove each wire one at a time from the terminal block, remove the plug cover & find the same color wire removed from the terminal block, use a VOM meter on ohms & check continuity, if so, check next wire, if no continuity..."BINGO" there's your problem !!! but note...as you are checking these wires, wiggle the cord from the make-up table to the plug in case looking for a broken wire that might have made contact as the position of the table & cord, wiggle the cord & see if continuity is maintain, wiggling the cord will tell if a broken wire exsist, keep the meter leads on one end of the wire & one meter lead to the plug as you wiggle the cord, watching the meter...I hope this helps...

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 03-30-2002 02:13 AM

"It will only build on to the bottom deck..."

Hmmmm, that seems to rule out anything with the MUT itself. Check the makeup selector switch on the platter tree first. I would think that would be the culprit, but then again I've seen stranger things.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

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

posted 04-01-2002 08:58 AM

I bet its the motor. I had one recently that, during break down, suddenly switch directions and will only run "normal" direction.

After taking the end cap off of the motor, I saw where there was an short between the brush holder and the screw that held down the brush holder assy. It is like it was shorted. I have yet to find a replacement part, as I think replacing the motor is silly and expensive.

Paul.

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

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

posted 04-01-2002 09:10 AM

This is perfect timing.

Remember that motor I had to replace? The MUT started working again after I put in a new motor. That was less than a month ago...I got a phone call last night, and the MUT is dead again.

I noticed that the entire speed control circuitry was removed from the spare MUT and I've got a hunch that some major surgery was performed by somebody who didn't really know what they were doing...

So I'm thinking that the motor itself was not the source of the problem in the first place.

What main culprit kills motors prematurely?

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

~Manny.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

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

posted 04-01-2002 10:14 AM

I had this problem with one of the 'Anniversary Editions' of the AW3 and Aaron Sisemore determined that the problem was the bank of Make-Up Selector Switches. For whatever the reason, they weren't working properly, but the only one that was was the bottom platter.

If I recall that part is pricy, so we just made due and used the bottom platter.

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Michael Rourke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 159
From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-02-2002 03:36 PM

Okay, I removed a makeup selector switch from the one house that has no makeup table and swapped it out with the switch on the platter tower that will only build on the bottom deck and it didn't help.

I know the towers were bought used about 15 years ago, and as far as I know that tower in house #1 has never had a makeup table in it, so I don't think it's a coincidence.

I think that the problem is in the wiring from the switch to the platter or the MUT plug to the platter. Has anyone had to re-wire towers? What should I expect?

I'm pretty sure that the other MUT I am having problems with has a bad motor since I can build but can't break down.

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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-02-2002 04:40 PM

So, your platter is 20 years old. I just finished some major service work on a 20 year old 5 deck AW-3 and there has been a major design change.

The original style Make-Up/Break Down Mode Selector Switch Assembly is no longer available and has been replaced by a newer style assembly. This new style assembly is physically different than the origonal assembly. The circuit board runners are also different so that it is impossible to compare one circuit board against the other. However, this new assembly is the correct replacement. The only modification required is the breaking of some wiring harness zip-ties and the repositioning of the harness. It is imperative that instructions are closly followed and the assembly not be installed backwards or damage to the new assembly and motor control cards will occour within a matter of a few seconds! The person who worked on this platter prior to my involvment learned this the hard way!

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Michael Rourke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 159
From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-09-2002 11:25 PM

Thanks to everyone for your help, the MUT that wouldn't break down needed new brushes, and now it works fine.
The makeup selector switch was the culprit for the MUT that would only build on the bottom deck, and it was a coincidence that the one I swapped from another tower also only allowed building on the bottom deck. I got a replacement and now it works great.

One more question, I found a piece of tape under the MUT that said "greased 2/93" what exactly do you think was greased the shaft bearing? Is that something that should be done more that once a decade? What kind of maintennance do you guys give your MUTS?

Thanks, Mike

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