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Author Topic: Wenzel "Ace" and Ballantyne model 6 soundhead. Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-20-2019 01:51 PM                     Hello. I am trying to put together a home 35mm setup. I am probably able to purchase either one or 2 Wenzel Ace projectors mounted to Ballantyne model 6 soundheads. I am wondering how hard it would be to get the set going again after sitting for decades. I know I am going to have to clean out all the old oil and grease and relube. The Ace projectors are simplex standard clones. I know that the Ballantyne model 6 soundheads are not exactly the greatest and parts are nonexistent. I have never worked with 35mm proper though I have a small 16mm collection and I restore all sorts of mechanical antiques mainly 1890s typewriters. Is this a avenue I should purse or should I look into other options. Thanks  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 01-20-2019 11:47 PM                     Hi Ethan, welcome to Film-Tech. I hope your purchase price is really cheap...beware of the ebay sellers who say they're "antique" or "vintage" and charge accordingly. Yes they are old, but not worth a lot of money. (Truthfully, most film equipment isn't worth much now anyways.) They were very nice machines but you'd be better off finding later model projectors, and stay away from Ballantyne anything. (A lot of it is crap.) Most of the other brands (Simplex, Century, RCA, and Motiograph) still have limited parts availability, but you can still find parts for them (mainly through private parties.) And if you want to play back your sound in stereo, even stereo cells are still obtainable for Simplex, Century, RCA and Christie. If you want reverse scan readers, most of the above can still be found, even new. You also need to consider the light source..are you going to run a low wattage Xenon or try to adapt another light source? I have a few Xenon lamphouses available that can do 1-2k lamps. You would need to find a suitable rectifier though. (And most magnetic rectifiers will require three phase 208-240 volt power, though some magnetics and most switcher types can do single phase 208-240.) Others will also chime in with advice and recommendations, so you'll learn a lot on here.  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-21-2019 06:56 AM                     Ya they would be dirt cheap. I would basically be paying scrap value for them. There is a Century C up in the booth of this theater where they are located. It has a soundhead mounted to it. There are several Simplex E-7s and a few XL/35s but no soundheads. I am going to look in another spot for some more soundheads though. There are more projectors then soundheads. There is also a large parts rack with hundreds of parts. I am going to go through them and see what I can find.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-21-2019 08:36 AM                     I would avoid the Ballantyne model 6 as there is no reverse scan kit for it and the gear box is terrible and the ace is a simplex standard knock off I would look at the simplex XL  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-21-2019 09:04 AM                     I should also mention that Century C in the booth has the newer readers installed and last ran 8 years ago.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 01-21-2019 10:06 AM                     quote: Ethan Singree Ya they would be dirt cheap. I would basically be paying scrap value for them. There is a Century C up in the booth of this theater where they are located. It has a soundhead mounted to it. There are several Simplex E-7s and a few XL/35s but no soundheads. I am going to look in another spot for some more soundheads though. There are more projectors then soundheads. There is also a large parts rack with hundreds of parts. I am going to go through them and see what I can find. Since you're basically saying scrap value, it is not a bad idea at all. If you can get the Century C setup with updated readers, do it. The readers alone are worth it. If the Century's soundhead has an intermediate gear between it and the projector head, IIRC you can even put one of the Simplex heads on it with the right replacement gears. Been years since I dealt with it, maybe Gordon or John Eickhof could confirm if it is possible. Finally, if you can find a Simplex sh1000 or "5 star" soundhead (belt driven) available somewhere those would also be a great choice. The 5-star isn't the greatest, but if you search the FT site there is a modification that will make it better. The Simplex XL would have the best availability of parts even today. (And if you can pick up a spare head in the deal and have the space to store it, do it.) Though with the spare parts rack you mentioned, it may be better to sort through that. Another thought: Regardless of what projector you get, make an offer on the full lot of the spare parts. You can probably recoup a lot more than you spend if you have the time to inventory the parts then resell them on our for sale forum here. Are you getting any lamphouses/rectifiers as part of this deal?  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-21-2019 11:10 AM                     There are several lamphouses in various states of disrepair Strong, Motiograph, Brenkert and Peerless carbon arcs and Christie and Eprad xenons. THe xenons take 240v power as far as I know. All are in the 2k-3k range I think. A bit big for a home setup. I was going to build my own lamphouse with a halogen bulb like the 16mm projectors use.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-21-2019 12:00 PM                     The Wenzel Ace is the same gear train as a Standard or Super Simplex.so the gears, provided they are spiral bevel, and most shafts are all interchangeable. If the projector gearing is straight bevel it's ok as log as ou have a parts machine. The model 6 sound heads are pretty much an eh. Not adaptable to reverse scam at all. Your best bet is the Century projector in its entirety. Parts are still so,ewjat easy to obtain. You should replace 7 bearings in it first. Use Superlube on the gearing and 20 weight non detergent oil in the intermittent. Mark  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-21-2019 05:37 PM                     Which 7 bearings would you replace in the Century C. Are they nominal sizes that I can get at a industrial supply store or are the a nonstandard size.  |  IP: Logged John Eickhof Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 588 From: Wendell, ID USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-21-2019 06:02 PM                        there are two different bearings used on the c, both are metric bore and can be hard to find (BG-6 & BG-9) so look for these numbers in the parts lot. there are two BG-9 on the shutter shaft, two BG-9 and one BG-6 on the vertical shaft and two BG-6 on the main drive shaft. i can't remember thecommercial part numbers anymore, getting too old i guess! can you post a picture so we can see what model soundhead ? there should be a nameplate indicating the model, ie: R-3, R-6, ETC.  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-21-2019 06:29 PM                     I do not have any photos of it. I should be back out there saturday. Looking at the parts diagram for the Century I think there is a NOS gate out there among the parts stash.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-22-2019 02:27 PM                        Like everyone else said take the century C machine and its soundhead. No brainer.  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 01-22-2019 08:36 PM                     I will see about getting it this Saturday. I will also look through the parts stash and see if I can find parts that belong to it. I think there is another Century C that is partially taken part with no soundhead that I may be able to throw in on a deal as a parts machine.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 01-22-2019 10:35 PM                     That sounds like a good idea. As I mentioned before though, try to get the full parts stash. Since no one really has any new stock of the older machine parts, if you can spare the space (and catalog it thoroughly when you first get it) you can, over time, recoup enough money to make it worth while.  |  IP: Logged Ethan Singree Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Brewster OH USA Registered: Jan 2019 posted 05-03-2019 06:53 AM                     I eventually did get this Century C mounted to a SH-1000.  |  IP: Logged

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