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Topic: special tools?

Carl King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 199
From: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-15-2002 12:34 PM

Does anyone have any special tools, homemade or othewise, that
they use in the booth? What about something to help when adding
or removing trailers. Or maybe something that is used to keep
the print off the floor when threading up.

Carl King

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 04-15-2002 12:44 PM

For adding trailers, we have "the snake." I have no idea where it came from, but it's old as dirt. Basically, it's a bunch of PVC pipes cut to the size of trailer cores and strung together. As the film is taking up, you can slide it in to create a nice space to add another trailer. Nice trick, eh?

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German Marin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 227
From: Verbania (VB), Italy
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 04-15-2002 06:35 PM

When a new trailer is come to the booth and it needs to be inserted inmediatly, I use a 1000' can ship (only the base) to reduce trailers and get the necesary space to put in the new trailer.
When is necesary to tear down a movie we put an element to release the platter from the motor (a hammered bit of pipe) and get enough speed and avoid a very tight reel. I don't know if exist something to use in that place to release the motor.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-15-2002 07:23 PM

I have my own homemade lock picks I use around the theaters.

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Tom Sauter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 163
From: Buffalo, NY, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 04-15-2002 07:38 PM

For keeping leaders off the floor I hang a few loops of film on the manual douser handle. If you don't have one, I've heard clothespins or a cloth-wrapped magnet can stick that leader to something other than your shoes.

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Michael West
Film Handler

Posts: 67
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-15-2002 10:42 PM

i while back i made i kind of spinner that would enable me to splice a trailer into an assembled print, but i actually stole that idea from other projectionists - so i made one myself.
but now here at our imax theater i made a frame counter - a little crude, but it does work well.

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Adam Birge
Film Handler

Posts: 5
From: College Station, Texas
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-16-2002 06:36 PM

I took a control card from a christie make-up table, put it in a lil' box, and put on a connector to plug into the make-up table outlet on christie platters... Works nice for quick trailor changes or for an emergency platter speed controller if something goes wrong so you don't have to worry about lugging around a make-up table.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 04-16-2002 07:10 PM

German, I know you have Christie platters, so this tip is for you and anyone eith with them. When breaking down, you should not be pulling the motor away from the platter deck. What you are supposed to do is press the appropriate "makeup" button on the column and then break down.

Do this, go try and spin a deck backwards. Notice the drag? Now press that platter's makeup button and spin it backwards. Notice how the drag has now been reduced? That is the proper backtension.

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-18-2002 02:14 AM

In order to make sure the print is off the floor when threading up, I make sure it is on the platter. I have found that the floor doesn't spin too well.

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German Marin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 227
From: Verbania (VB), Italy
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 04-18-2002 04:17 AM

In my country the film is shiped in singles horizontal cans. When we get a release print sometimes it come without core and we send it back without cores. Then we use MARS to rewind the film into a little core and then we remove it (the most little core I know, i guess you use this core for rewind trailers in the US). If i don't release the motor I get a very tight reel and it could break the small weak core. Most of time we get the prints in big cores and use the appropriately used switch of the christie system. There is a little core what I talk about in the picture just over the trailer and beside splicer (yellow core).

(Have I done something unsuitable?

I must correct it

I'm just a year as a projectionist and want to get first class knowledge, I must be thankful that I am here on film-tech to learn. Thank you Brad

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Josh Jones
Redhat

Posts: 1207
From: Plano, TX
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-18-2002 07:36 AM

actually Brad, I have found with brittle acetate prints, one has to pull the motor off the deck or the tension is too high and a weak splice or a slight variation in speed will cause the film to snap.
been there, done that

Josh

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-18-2002 12:56 PM

I have a handy adapter made from a Neumade rewind bench spindle that adapts 1/2" holes to 5/16" shafts (really handy item to have when the Warner/New Line ELRs were out there)

-Aaron

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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 04-18-2002 01:27 PM

I use my own leader, which I have looped and duplicated onto B&W reversal Estar stock every couple of years.

It's long and it has markings for where to put the "run-down" stop cue (we use Christie CA-21 automation) and also has nice threading leader with "Picture Start" and "Sound Start" marks and a space marked for ideal placement of the "Dowser Open" cue.

Some might argue that this is overkill, but I can tell you honestly that when we switched from Xelar leaders to my custom-made leader, all shows started clean.

The extra-long lacing part of the leader keeps the rest of the film from getting dirty.

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

~Manny.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 04-18-2002 02:28 PM

Josh, when was the last time those bearings and axle were properly lubricated on your offending AW3?

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Josh Jones
Redhat

Posts: 1207
From: Plano, TX
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-18-2002 02:53 PM

not since it was installed 3 years ago. The bearings are not stiff or anything, just some of the film that goes through here is quite crispy:S

Josh

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