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Author Topic: Xenon struck with safety shell on Rick Long Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 759 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 07-01-2003 10:43 PM                     Strong Highlight console It happens once in awhile. A manager, while in the process of changing a xenon bulb, was interupted by a cell-page. He returned to the job, and forgot the one important step of removing the shell from an Osram 6000W/hs bulb. As the smell became very evident shortly after the show started, and smoke began emminating from the lamphouse, he shut down the equipment. When I got there, my first job was to remove the carbon-like plastic from the floor of the lamphouse and clean what I could from the reflector. I then changed the bulb. My question is this; the removed bulb looks pretty much ok around the quartz area, but there are ugly blobs where the quartz meets the metal. Does anyone know of a safe way of removing this plastic or have they junked a bulb?  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-01-2003 10:52 PM                     He was lucky it didnt blow right then and there! Junk the bulb, the quartz will likely have been weakened at any point the plastic contacted it when hot. You might even get lucky and get your dealer to do a warranty return on it. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-01-2003 11:09 PM                     I don't see how melting plastic would "stress" the envelope....but it might comtaminate it somewhat. All it did was melt and run off. I would probably consult Osram on this one and see what they reccommend. It might be safe to remove the reflector and let it just burn off completely and then clean the envelope appropriately. I'd be curious to see what they say...? Mark  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 07-01-2003 11:21 PM                        I know of someone that ran a 2kw Osram for quite some time after doing the same thing to it. Apparently they had no problems with it. Hopefully it's not the same person again.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-01-2003 11:22 PM                    what ever happened to double checking your work. When ever doing this type of work turn off the cell phone for 10 minutes. If you can't and are interupted double check your work. I would probably scrap the bulb because even if you did take the suggestions given by osram there is no guarentee that the bulb will opperate as it should without possable explosion. better to loose just the bulb than it is to damage other parts of the lamphouse.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-01-2003 11:43 PM                        Managers! Do we go and mess with their cash register paper rolls?  |  IP: Logged Rick Long Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 759 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 07-01-2003 11:48 PM                     I agree 100%, Frank, but in this brave new world, it's the best we've got on site.  |  IP: Logged Greg Routenburg Expert Film Handler Posts: 178 From: Toronto, ON, Canada Registered: May 2003 posted 07-02-2003 01:14 AM                     I agree, double checking anything in the field, especially something as sensative as a bulb change is crutial but in defense of theatre managers, they have got their plates pretty full running the theatre. I mean, they aren't allowed to let staff do anything anymore short of sweep up popcorn because it violates some sort of company policy. If an emergency bulb change has to be done, it's quite often during the busiest part of the theatre's operational period. So why not call a technician you say? Well, I don't know what it's like in other theatre chains but the one I work for is expecting it's managers to try and cut costs where ever possible and calling a technician to come out and change a bulb is an expense that the big cheeses feel is not wisely spent due to the fact they can have managers do it and not pay them any extra. So between the lack of incentive because of increased responsibility and no increase in pay combined with a stressful job environment as it is, if one manager happens to make a mistake like this every once and a while, it's not the end of the world. They're only human right?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-02-2003 02:22 AM                     With a 6000 watt lamp, I don't recommend this, but for what it's worth I have seen almost this EXACT same thing happen once before. It was an Osram bulb (but only a 2000 watt) in a Strong Highlight I console. Although it reeked of "burned plastic stench", amazingly the bulb still performed flawlessly and ran past warranty hours. Being a 6K bulb, I would recommend to remove it and cut your losses.  |  IP: Logged Rick Long Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 759 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 07-02-2003 02:23 AM                     Greg illustrates the point perfectly. I have known the individual who made this mistake, for years. He is quite comptetent and capable of changing a bulb properly. Had he not been distracted (by other essential operational issues) during the bulb-changing operation, this topic would not exist.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 07-02-2003 03:03 AM                        What, are you supposed to take the plastic shell off?  |  IP: Logged Philippe Laude Film Handler Posts: 79 From: Longueville, Belgium Registered: Jul 99 posted 07-02-2003 03:47 AM                     Do not junk the bulb, junk the manager!  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 07-02-2003 06:58 AM                     Rick wrote: quote: I have known the individual who made this mistake, for years. He is quite comptetent and capable of changing a bulb properly. Had he not been distracted (by other essential operational issues) during the bulb-changing operation, this topic would not exist. I was once fitting a regulator to a propane cylinder; I had hand-tightened it, but not put the spanner on it. I was distracted by a 'phone call, came back, forgot that I hadn't finshed the job, lit a match first as you are supposed to do, opened the cylinder valve, and had a metre-long flame coming out of the cylinder, and had to reach down through the flame to grab the cylinder valve, and turn it off. I won't be doing that again! It's all too easy to do this sort of thing if you get distracted.  |  IP: Logged Michael Harlow Expert Film Handler Posts: 170 From: Faversham, Kent, UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-02-2003 07:15 AM                     OOPS! IMHO i would "ditch the bitch". Better safe than sorry  |  IP: Logged Dennis J. Losco Film Handler Posts: 39 From: Phillipsburg, NJ, USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-02-2003 11:29 AM                        Trust me there is stress in the quartz. A finger print alone can induce enough stress to cause an explosion. Molten plastic, worse yet. Denny  |  IP: Logged

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