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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Bell an Howell 1615 Projector - 8mm

Author Topic: Bell an Howell 1615 Projector - 8mm Don Elsass Film Handler Posts: 3 From: New Bern, NC Registered: Dec 2019 posted 12-08-2019 03:27 PM                        A Kodak 8mm film reel doesn't fit the B and H spindle (hole too small). Is an adapter required? Also the film take up reel outside diameter is slightly too large. It prevents the take up wheel from turning. I thought the film reels I use with my Elmo projector are standard and would fit. NOT! Any advice?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2019 05:00 PM                     Dumbass question: Are you sure you're putting the reel on the right way? 8mm reels are keyed with one side is smaller than the other so that you can only put them on one way. Have you flipped the reel over and tried to put it on the other way? Film reels come in fairly standardized sizes. 3 inch. 6 inch. 12 inch. etc. You really should not have a situation where a reel of film fits on one projector but not another. If that were true then you couldn't show your home movies unless you had a particular projector and a set of matching reels. What if you took your movies to somebody else's house who had a different model of projector than you? Spindle hole sizes should not vary according to the brand of projector, either. Double check to see that one side of the reel has a smaller, round hole in one side and a larger, square hole in the other. Again, it's a means of preventing the user from putting the reel on the wrong way. 8mm film only has sprocket holes on one edge. Putting the reel on the wrong way means that the user will be threading the film wrong and he could damage the film and/or projector. Keyed reels is a safety measure.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2019 05:31 PM                        Standard-8 and super-8 use different sized hubs, even though the width of the film is the same. Presumably, this is to prevent Aunt Millie from trying to project a super-8 film on a standard-8 projector (which would destroy the film). Are you trying to use a standard-8 reel on a super-8 projector or vice-versa? Some reels have removable bushings so that the same reel can be used for either format.  |  IP: Logged Don Elsass Film Handler Posts: 3 From: New Bern, NC Registered: Dec 2019 posted 12-08-2019 08:27 PM                        I have used an Elmo 8mm projector for years, so I'm not a newbie and I know the proper way to install the reel. As I stated, the Kodak film reel does not fit the projector drive shaft. The reel hole measures about 5/16" diameter and the black plastic part on the drive shaft measures about 1/2". Photo shows the shaft.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2019 11:13 PM                     Putting reels on backward is a mistake that I have made, myself. Anybody can make mistakes like that. Even seasoned veterans. Do double check to be sure which format of film you've got. Regular-8 has the frames between the sprocket holes. Super-8 has the sprocket holes aligned with the horizontal center of the frames. Super-8 also has smaller sprocket holes. Again... Anybody can mix them up and so have I. That's the reason why reels are keyed to prevent mix-ups.  |  IP: Logged Lindsay Morris Expert Film Handler Posts: 233 From: Darlington, WA, Australia Registered: Sep 2002 posted 12-09-2019 05:11 AM                     That out of focus shot of the spindle looks like it could be a Super 8 projector and the diameter should be around 13mm and Standard 8 spindles are 8mm diameter. Neither are generally like some 16mm reels which have a round hole one side and square hole on the opposite side. Other 16mm spools have 2 square holes. With both Super 8 & Std 8 the drive between the spindle and spool is by a drive dog that engages a slot in the spool cheek usually 3 of them arranged around the spindle centre. If you are trying to run a Super 8 reel on a Std 8 spindle because the film has been wound onto the wrong type of spool there are adapters available that press into a Super 8 spool and have a Std 8 8mm diam hole. So what size is that spindle as shown in the photo??  |  IP: Logged Don Elsass Film Handler Posts: 3 From: New Bern, NC Registered: Dec 2019 posted 12-09-2019 07:07 AM                        I found a user manual and the problem is resolved. By squeezing and pushing in on the black plastic part, the diameter was reduced to engage the film reel. Thanks every body for your comments.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

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.