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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Resurfacing the inspection bench? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Resurfacing the inspection bench? Christopher Meredith Expert Film Handler Posts: 126 From: Jackson, MS, USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 06-03-2006 09:19 AM                        We have two Kelmar RTV-8500 inspection ebnches to which someone has apparently taken a hole saw. The surfaces of both tables are riddled with nickel and quarter size holes and it is not only unprofessional, it is dangerous as they have begun to fill with objects such as screws, bolts, and other film-scratching accoutrements. Anyway, I am trying to think of a way to resurface these tables. I had considered the possibility of trying to order entirely new surfaces for these tables, but something tells me this would likely not incur a substantial difference in cost than purchasing a whole new table. So I was thinking that there might be a way to overlay something which would in essence cover over the old surface. But of course it would have to be white, would have to lay flat, and would have to be able to take some light abuse and heavy cleaning. Do any of you have experience doing something like this or have any ideas for what I might be able to do? Thanks!  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-03-2006 09:31 AM                     Jusk laminate a finished piece of MDF to the top and remount the devices  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 06-03-2006 09:50 AM                     Do as Gordon says, then fire your maintenance guy for using the tables as work benches.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-03-2006 09:51 AM                     I have the same problem with my rewind bench. I already spent over $100 to replace all of the bearings in it but still need to replace the bench top itself because it is curved badly in the middle. I called Kelmar and got pricing and just as I had suspected, the price was ridiculous. I would make my own except that I don't know where to get a piece of MDF that thick. Maybe glueing two pieces together would work. I am also interested to hear what others have done.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-03-2006 11:12 AM                        WTF....has some kind of brain-eating bacterium invade the spinal cords and migrate into the brainpan of certain booth operators? I too discovered a Kelmar rewind table with holes drilled right through the tabletop. The infection also seems to cause the splice jockies to make cuts with their razor blades directy onto the formica top, making it look similar to what one of the frames at the reel joints look like -- hundreds of scratches all over it. Obviously these poor afflicted victims of this brain disease need to be immediately removed from the booth and for the protection of the rest of us, their heads should be shaved and a big red letter "A" tatooed on their foreheads and "hole" on the back of their skulls.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-03-2006 12:23 PM                     At least here Home Depot sells 3/4" MDF with a white laminate top I would use PL400 and laminate it to the top of the existing top  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 06-03-2006 12:44 PM                     quote: Joshua Waaland I already spent over $100 to replace all of the bearings For bearings??? Did they give you any lube with that?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-03-2006 01:18 PM                     Been there. Done that. Bought the T-Shirt. Thank you. Please Drive through. Maybe I should have used a larger piece of material and I should have cut out a hole for the light but I was PISSED OFF! Kids had been sitting on the bench. It was physically cracked, almost in two. I couldn't get approval to replace it from "Home Office" and I didn't have any allowance for materials to do it right. I scrounged one of the door panels off one of the old bulk candy displays that Cinemark used to use. It was abandoned in the store room. I just cut it to size and screwed it in place. Had I had the temperment and resources to do it the way it should have been done, I would have taken the rewind units off and use a piece of wood the same size as the table top. I would have drilled holes for the rewinds and reinstalled them. The light didn't work anyway. The kids broke it. The fluorescent lamp was busted off in its socket. No way am I going to spend time fixing things up nice when people don't appreciate what they have!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-03-2006 03:41 PM                     The Neumade bench could've probably handled those 'tards sitting on it just fine.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-03-2006 09:49 PM                     Or just get a piece of glass cut to cover it. It's easy to clean and if you've got something important in a memo or whatever to let everyone know, put it under the glass so they'll undoubtedly see it. Always worked for me.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-03-2006 10:41 PM                     quote: Richard Hamilton For bearings??? Did they give you any lube with that? I bought Timken bearings (made here in Canton) which are slightly more expensive. There are quite a few bearings in those rewind heads. I didn't go the cheap route on rebuilding these heads.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-05-2006 03:19 PM                        Try any reputable dealer for that table top (we are Hadden Theatre Supply; Louisville, KY) I would be surprised if the table top was really excessively priced by the time you get a discount. BYW: I really like the GLASS or plexi idea. One of our major customers has used glass for 20 years. Louis  |  IP: Logged Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 06-05-2006 03:31 PM                     And Kelmar should be shot for putting such a flimsy top on them to begin with. I have seen one as well that had several dozen holes busted in it. They charge enough for the tables, a sheet of MDF wouldn't kill them.  |  IP: Logged Christopher Meredith Expert Film Handler Posts: 126 From: Jackson, MS, USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 07-10-2006 06:43 PM                        Okay, well I finally did it. I figure I'd report back here to show you the results. I bought a large sheet of white formica from Lowe's. It was big enough to do both tabletops and have a lot left over. I actually bought a sheet with some chips out of a corner so they gave it to me at a discount. All in all, it cost less than $60 for the materials (formica sheet, contact cement) and the tools (utility knife, respirator, long ruler, all-purpose paint brush). I wish I had gotten before pictures, but here are the afters, from my crappy camera. I think it came out ok. I have a few more pics. If I get permission, I'll put up more:  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-10-2006 11:37 PM                     Yeah! That's more like the job I should have done on the one I had to fix! Nice work!  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

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.