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Author
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Topic: Warped Shutter
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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/770.jpg)
Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-29-2003 06:59 PM
Hi Josh!
I have talked about maintaining the Christie Shutter in other threads and so have others, but here is a quick low-down:
If you need to time a Christie Shutter, it is possible to place it too far to the front or rear of the shaft. THis will cause interference. When you go to tighten it down, just observe and listen...pull the machine through manually...common sense.
Make sure that you are using the new style steel gears on the shutter and hack-shaft assemblies, and not the old light-weight style! And if you need to swap pullies, be careful! Christie had a tendency to Lock-Tight the set screws in place, and they can be a bear to get out!
When setting the belt tension, you do not want it too loose (ghosting), or too tight (excessive wear on gears and bearings). How to tell if the tension is correct? If you pinch the belt together in the center, then it should just touch...but without using excessive pressure to make it do so.
Also be sure to clean the entire assembly on a weekly basis (including removing the sheetmetal belt cover)! A good cleaning and a few drops of Christie Belt Lube on a weekly basis will really prolong life and make the machine operate soooo much smoother! Christie also recommends in their manual to replace the belt every few months or so...I do recommend doing so!
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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/770.jpg)
Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-30-2003 07:57 PM
generally speaking, I do not like the Christie P35 GPS either. But I must give Bevan Wright and Christie due credit. They really tend to listen to customers complaints and make serious attempts to address and rectify problems. They are also great with customer service and tech support...Bevan Wright is a good teacher and helped me out on more than one occasion!
The P35GPS really requires a lot of up-keep and maintenance (especially cleaning). Christie tends to use Lock-Tight on their hardware...something I consider a major no no! The correct locking hardware sould be used instead.
For instance, I had one gate assembly where the set screws for the lateral guides and jeweles just loved to loosen up. Nothing like having a lateral guide fall apart (and the jewels get lost in the carpet) in the middle of the show! Also, Sometimes the screws that hold the trap shoe on like to loosen up. Be careful...it could severely damage a print! I always checked them between shows!
Per Christie's suggestion, I rebuilt all of the gates/traps at my old theatre with new hardware and Lock-Tight. But I would recommend Christie contact a company like WM BERG in New York, who is a manufacturer of specialized hardware components. They even have self locking set screws...that have fibre inserts running the length of the screw body. I really think that Christie needs to get away from Lock-Tight!
The Christie gate/trap assemblies can also be time consuming (and a pain) to clean. I do think that a small, inexpensive ultra-sonic cleaner would do wonders. But I would have concerns about this type of cleaner loosening up hardware...unless Christie changes their Lock-Tight ways. I did want to experiment with this idea, and some of the jewelers in the shopping mall where my theatre was were game. Problem was that the management at my old theatre had their tail between their legs for political reasons...and were to cheap to buy a cleaner.
With one exception, every P35GPS that I have seen in operation has not had a very steady picture! The one exception was at Century Park Place 20 in Tucson, AZ. One machine there...excuse me for forgetting what screen...had a rock steady picture.
Generally speaking, Christie lamphouses and consoles are quality. The sheetmetal bracket for the amperage adjustment knobs in the SLC consoles could be beefed up. And the air ducting could be made better...and more maintenance friendly (made easier to clean on a regular basis).
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