Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Mysterious Strong Platter Peripheral

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

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » Mysterious Strong Platter Peripheral (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Author

Topic: Mysterious Strong Platter Peripheral

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 08-28-2002 02:27 AM

Recently I purchased some brand spankin' new Strong platters. Each platter came with 3 decks, a platter tree, 2 rings, 2 brains, and 2 of these things:

I have no idea what these are or what they could possibly be used for. Could somebody please let me know their purpose so that I may improve my presentation tenfold? Thanks.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 08-28-2002 03:21 AM

I'm guessing that is intended to be bent into shape and used as upper and lower magazine rollers. Either that or to cause operator bleeding, I'm not quite sure.

| IP: Logged

Mike Babb
Master Film Handler

Posts: 250
From: Norwich UK
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 08-28-2002 03:24 AM

for interlock maybe?

------------------
Mike
Drive-In Records
www.driveinrecords.com

| IP: Logged

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-28-2002 04:02 AM

Or part of a wrap detector assembly? But if the same identical component has been shipped with lots of platters, that would seem less likely.

| IP: Logged

Peter Kerchinsky
Master Film Handler

Posts: 326
From: Seattle, WA, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 08-28-2002 04:22 AM

I agree with Brad, in that I believe they are for the upper or lower arms for feed or takeup. We have several of these sitting on a shelf in our booth we've never used. We have 10 Christie AW3s.

| IP: Logged

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-28-2002 06:05 AM

If you have a looooonnnnnngggggg run from the platter or projector, you can bend them at 90 degree angles and bolt them to the floor and ceiling.

| IP: Logged

Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 08-28-2002 08:59 AM

They are indeed guidance hardware that come stock with all Strong/Potts platter systems. They can be bent into whatever angle you need and then drill holes and make them either into upper and lower projector magazine guides or wall/ceiling guides. Or some people just toss 'em into a box for future use elsewhere.

| IP: Logged

Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 08-28-2002 09:59 AM

Ken is right. I've seen many older theaters that use these as upper and lower guidance rollers on the projectors. Also, many theaters hang them from the ceiling to use for interlocking, as well. But I didn't know they came with the platter. I've always wondered where they came from!

| IP: Logged

Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 08-28-2002 10:59 AM

This is Potts part # 1515 with a list price of $17.40. Many techs use it as a back scratcher or massager

Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

| IP: Logged

Greg Pauley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 173
From: Huntington, WV, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 08-28-2002 12:18 PM

Don't know what they are intended for from the factory, but I make tension failsafes out of them along with a couple of extra parts. www.ourshowtimes.com/temp.html

| IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 08-28-2002 12:19 PM

Didn't one of the apes in "2001 - A Space Odyssey" use that as a weapon, and then throw it into the air, where it became a spaceship?

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

| IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 08-28-2002 12:24 PM

Greg said: "Don't know what they are intended for from the factory, but I make tension failsafes out of them along with a couple of extra parts."

Ingenious. I bet you've saved a few polyester prints from being "taffy pulled" with that clever failsafe. As you know, Kodak has always recommended tension-sensing failsafes between the platter feed and the projector. Polyester film is tough stuff.

| IP: Logged

Greg Pauley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 173
From: Huntington, WV, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 08-28-2002 12:37 PM

Thanks John!
I started making these back in the early 80's long before the threat of the polyester film. I wanted to find a way to eliminate the possibility of losing a show due to a brain wrap and had some of the arms lying around and came up with the idea.

| IP: Logged

Steve Kraus
Film God

Posts: 4094
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 08-28-2002 01:12 PM

Yes, that's the guidance that comes with each Potts/Strong platter to be used as you see fit or not at all. Mark and I once set up an interlock from one end of a complex clear down to the other using those. We sawed a bunch of those aluminum bars down to a few inches long, bent them into L's, added a hole at the end, and attached them to clips which fit the dropped ceiling grid. The distance was long enough that when I ran it I was adding temporary junk film to the end of the print that I could detach and reattach to the front to pull the head back when I was going back the other way so I didn't have to rethread all the rollers.

The blood was a nice touch, Joe.

| IP: Logged

Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 08-28-2002 02:22 PM

Here's a good way to tell the multiplex guys from the real cinema guys! You multiplex lads don't know what those are for cuz you never need them!

One of these days I must photograph some of my more inventive platter film paths that would never have been possible if it weren't for these gizmos.

Not only are they good for film guidance and back scratching, remove the roller and you've got a nice ally bar, perfect for all kinds of 'stuff'. There's a set of RAB's and various antennas on my Range Rover that are all ingeniously held together and in place with the left overs from a couple of installs.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

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.