my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Super Simplex / RCA 1040 / Peerless Magnarc Restoration (Page 1)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Author Topic: Super Simplex / RCA 1040 / Peerless Magnarc Restoration Tim Hull Film Handler Posts: 11 From: Chatsworth, California, USA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 01-16-2006 02:00 PM                        Hello, I am in the process of restoring 2 Super Simplex projectors. I plan to document the entire process on my web site at: http://www.timhull.com Currently, there are only 2 galleries available, but it should give a good idea of the their current condition. The pages for the entire restoration project are currently being designed. I am looking to get in contact with anyone that has good resources or information that can help out on this project. I will give credits and links to your web site or contact info in exchange. Thanks! Tim Hull [ 01-16-2006, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Tim Hull ]  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-16-2006 05:51 PM                        Are you going to put the photoelectric cell and yellow knobs (Magnarc) back? Just joshing you. Louis  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-16-2006 06:02 PM                     yea..looks like somebody stole some Ashcraft knobs and plopped them on the back end of that McNauley Peerless ..(lol) These Supers were fun to play with...dropping oil in those inlet tubes in the gear side of the head per each showing. Plus, doing an intermittent sprocket replacement on this things being the taper pin variety. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-16-2006 06:16 PM                     Hopefully you'll open a theatre with them and run it the old fashioned way! There is a base and 1050 RCA just like that still in daily use at the Teton Theatre.  |  IP: Logged Tim Hull Film Handler Posts: 11 From: Chatsworth, California, USA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 01-16-2006 09:20 PM                        Thanks for the replys! I have had these Supers for just over a year and I'm finally getting to the point that they are complete enough to begin restoring. I found the bases, picture heads and sounds on ebay and I really want to bring these projectors up to operational condition. At this point any information you think might be helpful would be greatly appreciated. I know from reading other threads that there is a ton of experience here at the film-tech forum and I hope to lean on it a bit to get these babys humming again. Mark - thanks for the picture! I have looked all over the web trying to find a picture of this Simplex base. It's really cool to see one in use today - specially with the RCA soundhead. (by the way...i would love to open a theater and with these!) I will post more pics as they are reconditioned. Tim  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-16-2006 10:28 PM                     ..and we forgot to mention about that oddball reel end alarm (a mechanical version) on the back end of the upper spindle...which was fully discussed in an earlier post in this forum of both versions - electrical and mechanical versions. I ran a booth that had the electrical version which an Edison light bulb socket was mounted on the wall and the light would flash on and off when the reel was coming close to an end, which was about a minute and a half. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-16-2006 10:46 PM                     Monte's thinking of this post I made last summer...... Mark  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 01-16-2006 11:23 PM                     On the Supers, take a look at the manuals Forum on FT. Pay attention to what gears you have, straight bevel or spiral. Also look at gear wear. Keep in mind that these Simplexs used hardened steel shafts against a softer cast iron bearing surface. Sometimes dirt, lack of maintenance and just wear will cause lots of scoring. But even if they are scored, a deburr-cleanup will often be enough to get them running again, so long as there is not too much slop between bearing surfaces. Mark can chime in, but if memory serves me right, shafts could be ordered with different diameters as a corrective remedy. Or, a machine shop might be able to overbore the casting and press in oil-lite bushings...which would also do a lot to decrease the amount of daily oiling. I'v forgotton, but the oil-lite thing might be iffy due to a lack of "meat" around critical areas? Also pay attention to the shims behing the shutter shaft casting, and if you do remove it, be careful so as to not crack it. Also, be careful of the nickel plated parts. Those are actually nickel plated brass, and overbuffing will remove the plating.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-17-2006 08:16 AM                     quote: Will Kutler Mark can chime in, but if memory serves me right, shafts could be ordered with different diameters as a corrective remedy. This used to be true but Super and 1049 parts are NLA even from Wolk. They have a few parts that are commonly used. The shafts used to be available in several oversize increments but not any longer. LaVezzi also used to make a stationary shaft that went into the main casting and then the gear turned on the shaft. Supers with these shft setups were the best of the lot and had the lonfest life. If you need parts you'll have to scrounge around at different sealers to find what you need. Supers are basically a dead issue now..... but there are still exactly 24 of them running in the Mountain States. P.S. What ever ya do don't turn the thing over by turning the shutter shaft..... doing so can strip the GR87(I think) double bevel gear in there which is now made from unobtanium. Mark  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 01-17-2006 05:52 PM                     Tim: Send me an email, I still have some Super and RCA parts floating around and can assist you in the restoration. I'm local to you...sort of.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 01-17-2006 06:31 PM                     Hi Mark Seeing as you have lathe experience, you could make some shafts...a little time consuming, but not too difficult. The oil gallies that run along the shaft would be done with a radiused cutting tool. I forgot what direction the grooves twist, but it would basically be done by using layout dye and either a very course feed rate/threading rate or Acme thread. Old trick is to put tool upside down with the compound on the backside of the work and feed from the spindle towards the tailstock. Old toolmaker's method of threading if undercutting at end of threads not used and there is a shoulder and the thread needs to be a specific toloranced length. Shafts would be turned between centers, and those centers would also be used for o.d. grinding. That hard black coating that is often seen in the oil grooves is a result of heat treating. Cheers K  |  IP: Logged John Eickhof Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 588 From: Wendell, ID USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-18-2006 10:20 AM                        Ahhh yes the feeble old 'can't scratch' reel end alarm...brings back memories of hearing it go off then checking the #2 machine only to find out I had forgotten to thread up the next reel!!!! Good old Supers!! They run like clocks when they are well maintaned! I didn't see any 4 tube rectum-friars?? I have a couple pallets of them...also the Simplex 'L' 5 point pedistal was probably the most common and most copied base! The optional tilt mechanism was actually made by CS Ashcraft for use to steady the pedistal when using large arc lamps. Simplex did make they type 'S' and 'R' pedistals ( A very heavy duty 5 point base approx 250 lbs!)late in the 1940s but very few exist today, in fact I am looking for the pivot bracket for one if anyone out there may have it??? By the way, the RED knobs were used on the last of the Magnarcs that were made by Strong after aquisition of the Mc Auley company. They also used some SILVER metal knobs for a while after the stock of the old 'egg yolk' knobs ran out! I use the old "egg yolk' knobs for shift knobs on my vintage Power Wagon trucks! They always get comments!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-18-2006 07:21 PM                     quote: Will Kutler Seeing as you have lathe experience, you could make some shafts...a little time consuming, but not too difficult. Actually I don't make any of the custom shafts I had on hand, there just are not enough hours in the day to make everything and certain aspects are really quite specialized anyway. I have a good friend down in Sedona, AZ who is a knife maker by trade produce them for me. He has an almost brand new Hardinge HLV that he uses for roughing them out to just slightly oversize. They are generally made from S-12 steel, a special high shock load steel that is designed to take high loads without twisting or distorting. He also does the hardening(to about 60C)as well. Then they go to Boston Centerless Grinding(on Baston) to be ground to size +/-.001 over the length. For the Century shutter shafts I have over 20 bucks in them per shaft but they will never fail. Mark  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-19-2006 03:58 AM                     In good condition Tim, I'd put those Supers up against any machine on the market today for great picture quality.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-19-2006 09:55 AM                        Me, too. My reference projector is a straight gated Super Simplex. It is amazing to me how many "modern" projectors are suffering in some way compared to that: darker, jumpier, out-of-focus. Nothing with a straight gate is better. That leaves Simplex/Century and most curved gate projectors as a Possibility. Even the old RCA soundhead is not that far back in design principles. Short of the Davis-bridge in a Century, it is right there=OK> Louis  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

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.