|
|
This topic comprises 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Potts Platter brain wrapping at end of show
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man
Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000
|
posted 07-02-2002 09:24 PM
Mark brings up a good point. At the end or near the end of the show, watch the dancer (or carriage as some call it) and see if it starts "hunting". If it hunts excessively, this will have a drastic effect in pay-out, since the variac sets the operating level of the pay-out as well as the take-up deck. It could be a variac problem as Mark suggests.By the way, which Potts platter do you have? The old orange ones that look like Cinema Film Systems, or the ones that look identical to Strong's A-3?
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Don Sneed
Master Film Handler
Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001
|
posted 07-02-2002 10:37 PM
Mark & Paul sugguestions about the variac is correct, a 1" movement is ok, more than that, then the Variac is bad & needs to be rebuilt, another thing to check is the microswitch, be sure there is no spring on the microswitch located behind the switch arm...if there is...remove it !! It will cause too much tension for the microswitch to work properly....one time I had the same problem, all checked out ok...the feed arm moved smooth, no bind at all when move by hand, after all checked good, I removed the feed arm bearings & oiled them, reinstall, & anything worked perfectly, even though no bind was felt with my hand when checking the feed arm, oiling the bearings did the trick !! I would make sure the take-up carriage does move more than an inch & oil the feed arm bearings...but be sure to oil both bearing, upper & lower by taking off the feed arm bolt....Good Luck !!
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
|
posted 07-03-2002 05:24 AM
Did you check to make sure the word "Autowind 3" was at the top of the tree? Clearly that is the problem here. Your company bought the wrong product.  Ok so that didn't really help, but I couldn't resist. I have nothing but bad things to say about microswitch type Strong/Potts/CFS/ORC platters. Given the choice of running off of those, I'd choose reels and 20 minute manual changeovers. You might want to make a print belt and then get about 20 BevanPoos and stick them around your print. That probably won't be enough, but it may help a little bit until you can get rid of that thing. I have yet to see one of these run acceptably to me, regardless of who set it up. In the meantime, it looks like all of the standard troubleshooting has been covered already in this thread. Good luck and remember to curse at the machine a lot. (P.S. Don-you can edit your post instead of posting a second time.  )
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
|
posted 07-03-2002 08:33 AM
Mike Fitzgerald said: "I also have tried to increase the humidity in the booth by placing a couple of pails of water in different places in the booth. Any suggestions would be great."Since the introduction of KODAK VISION Color Print Film, "static cling" problems have been greatly reduced. Summer in North Carolina tends to have higher humidity, so I don't think that is the issue (but you should measure it with an accurate humidity gauge). If the relative humidity is indeed too low, use an evaporative humidifier to add moisture to the air --- "pails of water in different places in the booth" is ineffective in increasing humidity. The ideal range for film handling is 50 to 60 percent RH.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
| IP: Logged
|
|
Pat Moore
Master Film Handler
Posts: 363
Registered: Mar 2000
|
posted 07-03-2002 09:19 AM
I have to step up a bit here and say that there are literally thousands of Strong (and Potts) Platters out there running on a daily basis, using microswitches in their payout assemblies, without any problems. Are they as elegant as a Strong SCDC or other electronic platters in terms of linear film feed out? Nope. But neither are they designed to be. Are they my first choice in my booth? No, probably not, depending on the budget. Catastrophic or serious problems are few and far between in my experience, and if properly operated and cared for they'll run an awful lot of film without fault. What's easier to troubleshoot than a microswitch?It does sound like all the suggestions have been made and are good ones -- I'd lean towards the variac and/or the brush assembly for this problem, though, if the platter is 5 yrs old or more. And yes, I'll readily admit that those switches are too expensive from us. I'm looking to remedy that, at least to reduce the "ouch". Pat
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
|
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.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic