Resurrecting a Simplex Standard

[Roy Cross]

Hi Everyone,

A friend gave me this Simplex Standard (I think it's a Standard) a few years ago (SN 30387). I'm finally getting around to seeing how much work it might need to project a film with it. I'm going to do my best to fabricate a lighting source and the feed and take up reels, as well as a stand. (I may look around for an original stand.)

It has been a year since I turned it over. Previously, it cranked over quite easily but now it has really seized/stiffened up. I have some projector oil that I will try.

Here are a few photos. I'm open to any and all suggestions. I'm a universty profesor and filmmaker, not a projectionist by any means. I'd like to shoot some film and roll it through the projector as part of the creative process.

Thanks for looking and offerng up any thoughts.

Roy

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

There is a guy in Kinmount Ontario that may well be able to supply you with the actual antique items needed to complete it. Look up Highlands Cinema. There is also a very cool projector museum there...

[Roy Cross]

Thank you, Mark! I looked the museum up. There is a film about Keith Stata, just released this year called The Movie Man: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21916284/ . His cinema is about a five hour drive from me. I'm planning a trip this summer. Thanks!

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I made many trips up there in the 80's and 90's, was about a ten hour drive from Chicago. Great place, and very nice people.
Click the link below the picture. There was no choice of thumbnail size.

[Simon Wyss]

I'm a universty profesor

Shadow of a Doubt

[Roy Cross]

Hahaha! Thanks for the smile, Simon. I had a student who came up after the first class of the term to point out a typo in my syllabus. She said some professor didn't like that and would become defensive. I hired her as a research assistant! I know my own weaknesses!

[Jim Cassedy]

Your machine seems to be in pretty good shape, cosmetically, at least. Other Simplexes of
that vintage that I've encountered are usually pretty rust encrusted. When I first started as a
projectionist, in the early 1970's, there were still a number of these machines that had been
converted to sound, that were still in daily use, which says something about how well they
were built. At a couple of theaters they still had the hand-cranks in the parts cabinet in the
projection room. The cranks are usually long lost, so its nice to see you still have yours.
The last time I saw a 'spare' crank for sale on e-bay, it was selling for several hundred $$.
Good luck getting your projector back in shape!

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

The first booth I ever ran had a pair of Standards on RCA PS-24's.

[Ryan Gallagher]

That Movie Man doc looks great... any idea where to view it?

[Roy Cross]

That Movie Man doc looks great... any idea where to view it?

The distributor is out of Montreal. The film is on the festival curcuit so I suspect it will be a few months before it's available on demand video. Here is the distributor's "coming soon" site: https://www.mongrelmedia.com/index.php/comingsoon/

[Jesse Crooks]

It is indeed a late version of the standard Simplex. The serial number indicates a production date of 1928. The rear shutter, changeable aperture plate, and larger lens are all later features. Looks to be in good condition.

If it was turning over when you got it, it probably just needs more oil. Make sure you hit all the oil points... there are a few. In addition to the obvious oil tubes on the gear side and the oil cup on the (vestigial) front shutter shaft, there are oil points above the lower sprocket shaft on the operator side, and I believe there is one on the top for the upper sprocket shaft. For the rear shutter model you have, I would expect an oil point or two somewhere along the rear shutter shaft. And you'll want a few drops of oil on the gears as well. If it still doesn't turn over, let it sit for a while to let the oil work its way in. Add some more oil and try it again in a few days.

The one gotcha I found with the standard Simplex is that you have to make the upper loop bigger than you'd think. It has to extend a little bit above the top of the casting, into the small compartment of the fire roller assembly. The manuals from that era show the loop much shorter (below the top of the casting) so it took me a while to figure out what I was doing wrong.

Make sure all of the fire rollers and pad rollers are actually spinning freely. When rollers don't roll, they scratch. For the pad rollers, if they're seized up add a drop of oil and work it in by spinning the roller. Remove any excess oil. It's pretty much impossible to run film through a Simplex without getting some oil on it, but don't overdo it with the rollers.

[Jesse Crooks]

[John Eickhof]

Ray, your machine was made in 1928 and would have been a front shutter type as in your pics from an early simplex manual. It was converted to rear shutter with a kit from simplex probably in the early 1930s. To loosen up a machine, gently apply kerosene to the oiling tubes a few drops will do, as well as exposed shafts or other moving parts. allow it to soak in then work the machine by hand and it will loosen up, you can then dis assemble it (i would suggest downloading the 1940 instruction and parts list from film-tech warehouse) as it has the correct exploded diagrams of your machine, clean shafts with crocus cloth and rinse everything in kerosene, and wipe dry. then re-assemble applying a light coating to all parts with projector oil. Adjust gear mesh, time shutter, and it should be ready to go.

[Roy Cross]

Hello Jesse and John!

Thank you so much for the information! Super valuable. That explains the shutter drive shaft next to the lens! I'll find the 1940s parts list/instructions. That will help me identify the oiling tubes.

I very much appreciate the responses!

Roy