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Topic: Elmo 16-CL Care and Feeding

Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 06-20-2002 01:12 PM

I have a pair of Elmo 16-CL (16mm) projectors here at the PAC.

I was just going to put them away for storage when I got a call from the boss that he has booked the hall for a client who wants to use them.

I got them out and took a look at them. They are all in working condition but are pretty dusty. I'll need to dust them out and clean the film path before we put this guy's film through them.

The instruction manuals are mainly for the "naive user"... Put the film in here... Press this button... If it breaks, take it in for repair. I can get the covers off them and take the shoe out of them. Once that's done you have pretty decent access to the film path, etc. but I'd like to give them a good going over before putting them to use again.

Any tips on the care and feeding of these babies?

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-20-2002 01:56 PM

Make sure they have the newer takeup arm design with the toothed belt. If they have the flat belts, call Elmo and order the "16CL takeup kit" which is about $45 and gives you the parts you need to convert to the newer design. Without this, the takeup mechanism will suddenly disintegrate some day and you will have film all over the floor. The new design holds up well.

Otherwise, these are nice machines, though the soundhead mechanism has a variation of the "dirt-embedder roller" that one finds on 35mm Simplexes and which Brad doesn't like. (I don't like it either.)

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 06-20-2002 03:36 PM

Like so?...

Looks OK to me, but for some cleaning.
Probably, they haven't been cleaned since the last time I used them. The last time I used them was, probably, three years ago!

I noticed the pressure roller. I thought the same thing.
16mm has the emulsion on the other side of the film, right? In other words, the roller is smooshing dirt right into the picture area, no?

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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 06-20-2002 03:43 PM

You're right about the "dirt embedder roller", but the two sproket Eiki's, Hokushins, the old RCA's, and numerous other 16mm machines had variations of the same scheme, so it's hard to escape. Just grit your teeth (no pun intended) and keep it clean.

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Pete Lawrence
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 192
From: Middleburg, PA
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 06-20-2002 07:36 PM

Randy,
Yes, that's the new design take-up. Toothed drive and small toothed timing belt. I just updated the take-ups on two of the incandescent versions a couple months ago. The Elmo office is a walk-in for me here. We put about 24 hours running time on them over a weekend. There are four rubber surfaced rollers in the film path, just make sure they are clean and not hardened. I've also found rewinding through the gate, something the 16CL was supposedly designed to do, isn't advisable. Another complaint is you can't move the mechanism by hand, like you can with the EIKIs, to be sure the claw engages the film properly. Other than that, their nice machines and produce a rock steady picture if they were taken care of.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 06-20-2002 10:31 PM

I would never try to rewind through the gate. Way back in the days of foo-bye, I was in the AV Club of my high school. When we were in study hall, the AV advisor had a list of all the students and what period they had study hall. He would call us when teachers wanted projectors, etc.

Mostly the school had Bell & Howells but there were a few of these Singer slot loader models, similar to this one. (Had a big red lever to close the gate/film path.) Some of the teachers would rewind through the film path and a few films got pretty well beat.

When I saw somebody doing that I would yell, "NNNNNNnnnnoooooooo!!!"

The rollers inside the film path all look pretty good. They aren't cracked or glazed, etc. Only pretty dusty. I don't think I have any repairs to speak of. The only problem I can find is that one of the lamps sometimes takes 2-3 cracks to strike. (I suppose I could change it.)

I'm glad you pointed out the take up issue, Scott. I probably never would have thought about that one until it was too late. Thanks!

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Tom Sauter
Expert Film Handler

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

posted 06-21-2002 12:39 PM

Elmo parts department:

1-800-896-ELMO x114

They offer very prompt service and accept major credit cards.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

posted 06-21-2002 06:00 PM

Randy:

Some of the ELMO service manuals are on the manuals cd rom at www.film-center.com . Of course you could contact the parts dept. at Elmo and order the complete paper copy of the service and parts manual.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-22-2002 05:09 PM

And don't forget, there are even ELMO dealers on line here! (hint, hint)

Keep those Take-up belts clean and rubbery (if they harden, the take up tension will be too light). In fact, keep all of the parts the belt touches clean for good tension.

The 16-CL service manual lists all the areas that should get lubrication and with what lubricant.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 03-22-2012 03:42 PM

It has been 3560 days since the last post.

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Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009

posted 03-22-2012 03:42 PM

Anyone ever change the main v belt?
It looks like a nightmare to change.
I just got one of these Elmo 16-CL projectors.It ran great for 2 minutes and then stopped,took the main cover off and there was no main v belt! Only bits of goo and what seems like strands of string.

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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 03-22-2012 04:15 PM

The rubber rollers around the sound drum all turn to goo, also. They are definitely available, although the last time I saw them both the toothed takeup belt conversions and the new roller sets were around $100 each. Also, FWIW, Elmo has dumped their remaining parts (end of last year I believe) and no longer supplies any spares or support for 16mm machines. The only sources I am aware of are a couple of 16mm specialist dealers.

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Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009

posted 03-22-2012 05:01 PM

Well I found the belts but wonder how much needs to come apart to get a new v belt on?

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Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 03-23-2012 08:36 AM

Click Here for a dealer who sells 16mm projector parts, including Elmo belt and roller replacements. Scroll down to projector parts and accessories.

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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 03-23-2012 11:34 AM

Mitchell is correct that Larry Urbanski is a good source of parts/support for the 16CL. His company also services them, and he is a very nice guy who will frequently share his knowledge over the phone FWIW. My other suggestion would be to drop in at 16mmfilmtalk(dot)com. I don't use Elmo machines, but lots of guys there do, and I suspect one or more will help you with the belt changing issue.

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