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Topic: Brad's splicer mod?

Sheldon Harris
Film Handler

Posts: 16
From: Chicago, IL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-14-1999 04:28 PM

Ok Brad.... I'm new to "tape" 35mm splicing and I just read your mod article. My tape splicer has arrived and although it is not a Neumade, the cutter on the right side easily will take a small shim as you advocate... but why? Why the overlap? You fail to say why it's so good to have an overlay. I would think that a butt ended splice (end to end) would be desired as it would more smoothly go through the film gate. What am I missing here?

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-14-1999 05:17 PM

I'm not Brad, but here's my answer to "why slightly overlapping splices are good": first, older acetate-base film (and nitrate, too) tends to shrink, which will cause splices to separate over time; second, splices tend to separate slightly each time the film is run through the projector. After a short time, there will be a slightly gap between the two pieces of film that are held together by the splicing tape. This not only makes the splice weaker, but also will cause a noticeable "pop" in the soundtrack, which is annoying unless you bloop it with a dot of ink.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-14-1999 09:40 PM

You know, I've often been faced with the problem of how to splice a 'shrunken' acetete print. With the splicer I have, it's often hard to splice shrunken film without busting out the sprocket holes. I just try to use only the center two sets of pins. The problem is that the top of the splicer tends to crinkle the rest of the film on the other (outer) pins. I've often thought of borrowing the 'Hollywood' splicer from the other place I work at to splice these prints. It has spring loaded pins. Problem is that it's harder to make a good splice on and I don't have enough experience using it. Anyway, something about that kind of splicer, (I think it's also called a RIVA, or something like that), just doesn't seem very good. I don't like the 'wavy' edges of the tape and it's hard to get it stuck down well.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-14-1999 10:51 PM

Well, I think Scott pretty much nailed it right on the head before I got a chance to! A splice with a slight overlap will be much stronger, particularly in the long run. Also, a butt splice will start to "hinge" within only a few passes, making it weak and definitely "pop" the analog track.

Randy, I agree with you 100% on the lack of using the outer set of registration pins. Using ONLY the 4 closest to the actual splice is far better. However, making an overlap splice of about the thickness of a little more than a nickel (with good film) will work quite nicely with shrunken film. I don't prefer to make all splices with quite that much overlap, but for shrunken films, I'll stick a couple of extra shims between the splicer and the cutter blade.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-14-1999 11:35 PM

Thanks,

What about the splicer top crunching up the film? Do you just have to be careful?

(It's not a Neumade -- It's the kind with the skinny black handle and only 5 hole punches. Sorry I don't know the name of it. No nameplate except for the "Entertainment Equipment" sticker. Just a cheap no-name guillotine splicer, I guess.)

[This message has been edited by Randy Stankey (edited 07-14-99).]

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Sheldon Harris
Film Handler

Posts: 16
From: Chicago, IL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-15-1999 08:29 PM

Yes, that's my splicer, an Equipment Specialist which the seller told me was from Italy from Dr.? and it turns out it's from Tennessee with a dealer sticker from Alabama.... as a collector and not a commercial booth operator, I make very few splices a year.... just those to make up two 6000' foot cores per feature. Anyways, it should suffice. About the overlap... would you also advise this for 16mm?

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-16-1999 01:30 AM

That trick on 16mm depends completely on your projector. Many 16mm projectors can't handle the overlap. Most can, though. I'd try it and see how it runs through the gate. Perhaps you could make a loop. Just make sure the overlap is very, very small. Not even the thickness of a dime.

My 16mm splicer is modified in this manner and I always used a short loop on the Pageant projector when using external lamphouses (I once had a 2000 watt on one) just to make sure the film wouldn't burn. I would let it run for hours at a time and the overlap still ran perfectly after hundreds of passes.

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Brian Paymer
Film Handler

Posts: 31

Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-18-1999 03:57 PM

That trick really works well. It eliminated my pops at the splices on my non-digital houses. I will go back and convert my other splicers this week.

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