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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Threading Up a Simplex 35 (Page 1)

 
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Author Topic: Threading Up a Simplex 35
Matt Hollis
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Paragould / Jonesboro, AR, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

- posted 03-21-2005 12:15 PM      Profile for Matt Hollis   Author's Homepage   Email Matt Hollis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Alright gentlemen, here is the setup:

Simplex 35 Projector (No Turret)
SPECO LP-270 Platter
Cat. 701 DD Reader
No Automation Used

I am back in the theatre business again and have to admit that when I left I only knew one way to thread a projector. I was taught to thread from the platter across the upper magazine roller into the FLOOR, then thread the projector, and then come back to the platter. Now I know this is wrong, and even though our theatre is not a "presentation" theatre, I would still like to learn how to thread one of these machines the right way. [Smile]

Could someone please explain the best way to do this?

My concerns:

Getting the film in frame at the start of the movie.

How to work with the wonderful take-up mechanism on the SPECO platter.

Thanks,

Matt

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

- posted 03-21-2005 12:19 PM      Profile for Jeremy Fuentes   Email Jeremy Fuentes   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The Right Way

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Dean Kollet
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Florida State University
Registered: Jul 2003

- posted 03-21-2005 12:26 PM      Profile for Dean Kollet   Email Dean Kollet   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Matt Hollis
and even though our theatre is not a "presentation" theatre
all theatres are 'presentation' theatres, there is no reason to think otherwise.

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Matt Hollis
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Paragould / Jonesboro, AR, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

- posted 03-22-2005 07:37 AM      Profile for Matt Hollis   Author's Homepage   Email Matt Hollis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Alright, I have to agree with you there. I care about the presentation and that is why I'm trying to do this right. [Smile]

On the 35 though, should I start at the bottom or at the gate and then work my way up? Also, I'm assuming I shouldn't select my take-up platter on the 270 until after I thread. (?)

Thanks,

Matt

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

- posted 03-22-2005 09:29 AM      Profile for Darryl Spicer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
you can select your take-up platter before you thread. You just want to be sure to pull enough leader down to avoid pulling up on the variac. Best way is to pull the film down past the projector heads and hook it into the bottom return roller below sound head then clamping the film into the bottom hold back sprocket of the sound head and through the failsafe system then pull the film tight. THen you can either try to thread the film reverse throught the sound head and on up or thread the top feed sprocket the thread through the cat 701 then set your frame and top loop in the gate and continue on down. be sure to pull just a little bit of extra leader before starting to thread. you can remove the excess by adjusting the film at the hold back sprocket in the sound head.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

- posted 03-22-2005 05:47 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah, what Darryl said, but I do want to add one thing. On the LP270, don't "baby" the film when you go to pull tension. If you have an older model LP270 with only 1 roller on the elevator, you will find that if you gently tug on the film that the elevator will go shooting up to the top and hit it's limit, potentially breaking the two rollers on shafts that are screwed directly into the tree. What you want to do is quickly pull about 2 feet of film (in 1 second or less) and then hold it there for about 2 seconds, then let the excess slack you just pulled rest back on the film path. That will prevent the platter from taking off on you. (This applies to most platters out there.)

If you have a later model LP270 with 2 rollers on the elevator, you can tug it any way you like and it won't matter.

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Chase Hanson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 172
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Oct 2004

- posted 03-22-2005 05:51 PM      Profile for Chase Hanson   Email Chase Hanson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Matt Hollis
Getting the film in frame at the start of the movie.
I have found the single most helpful element in getting people to thread a movie in fram, is to understand the movement of the intermitent. This simply being that one motion of the intermitent pulls 4 sprokets (or one frame). So ideally before you thread your film trap...youll want to hand crank the motor until the intermittent has completed one full motion. Than thread in frame, and baring no bad splices on the leader, you should be in business.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

- posted 03-22-2005 09:55 PM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Matt Hollis
Getting the film in frame at the start of the movie.
This is something that causes a lot of angst among new operators but is actually quite simple.

1) The very first thing you do when you walk up to the projector to thread it is TIME THE MECHANISM. Drill it into your employees' skulls. TIME THE MECHANISM!... TIME THE MECHANISM!... TIME THE MECHANISM!... If you don't do this you will never be able to reliably thread the projector in frame. In fact, it's so ingrained in my brain that every time I walk up to a projector, whether I'm going to thread it or if I'm simply going to look inside, I automatically reach for the flywheel.

My left hand reaches for the door. My right hand reaches for the flywheel. Then my left hand reaches for the framing knob.

2) Practice getting the film aligned with your framing landmark. On most Simplexes there is a framing window. You simply line up one frame of film with the window. On some projectors that don't have a framing window you line up a frame line with a landmark on the gate somewhere. On the Century projectors I used to use there was a little nut that held the lateral guide wheels in place. Centering one frame of film on that screw was the "In-Frame" landmark we used.

3) If you work at, say, a Ten-Screen theater you will thread an average of 40-50 shows a day. That's 150-200 per month and over 2,000 in a year! After you've done it so many times you should have no trouble doing it right every time. It'll be like riding a bike.

In fact, I once won a $20 bet by threading three projectors in a row and getting ALL THREE of them in frame... BLINDFOLDED! What they didn't know is that I had secretly put tiny little notches in the edge of the film that I could feel with my fingers to tell where the frame lines were! [evil]

After a while, you might even laugh at yourself for being so paranoid about it. It's just one of those things that comes with practice. [Smile]

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Carl Martin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1424
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 03-23-2005 03:32 AM      Profile for Carl Martin   Author's Homepage   Email Carl Martin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
3) If you work at, say, a Ten-Screen theater you will thread an average of 40-50 shows a day. That's 150-200 per month and over 2,000 in a year!
but randy, not all of us are independently wealthy and can afford to work only one day a week!

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Matt Hollis
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Paragould / Jonesboro, AR, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

- posted 03-23-2005 08:47 AM      Profile for Matt Hollis   Author's Homepage   Email Matt Hollis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Alright, thanks men.

I just checked out the manual for the 270 on this website (Thanks!) because it appeared our theatre did not have one. It has a procedure in there for dealing with the take-up mechanism.

Thanks,

Matt

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

- posted 03-23-2005 10:03 AM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I stand corrected on the math:

4-5 shows per day * 10 screens = 40-50 thread-ups per day.
3-5 days per week = 120-250 thread-ups per week.
4 weeks per month = 480-1000 thread-ups per month.
52 weeks per year = 25-50 THOUSAND thread-ups per year.

After working at a 17-screener for over 5 years I estimate I have threaded nearly a 250,000 projectors!

The moral of the story is that, once you have threaded enough projectors, it will become virtually automatic. You won't even think about it anymore. You'll just do it. As long as you keep a good work ethic, it will come out right every time.

You'll look back at yourself a year from now and think about how "green" you were when you were just starting out. [Wink]

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

- posted 03-23-2005 12:16 PM      Profile for Jeremy Fuentes   Email Jeremy Fuentes   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Randy Stankey
The moral of the story is that, once you have threaded enough projectors, it will become virtually automatic.
Then you can walk into any booth and thread any projector and be perfect everytime!! Wait, wrong discussion. Carry on.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

- posted 03-23-2005 02:34 PM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If you have enough repititions of threading enough different types of projectors in enough different configurations you should be able to walk into ALMOST any booth and, with enough forethought, thread ALMOST any kind of projector! With enough practice... Yes! You SHOULD be able to do it perfectly every time!

As to the exact amount of knowledge, experience, practice and forethought that is needed I will leave that up to the individual to decide.

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Dan Lyons
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 698
From: Seal Beach, CA
Registered: Sep 2002

- posted 03-23-2005 04:20 PM      Profile for Dan Lyons   Email Dan Lyons   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Randy Stankey
My left hand reaches for the door. My right hand reaches for the flywheel. Then my left hand reaches for the framing knob.
Why are you messing with the framing knob? Once you set your framing with RP-40, there is no need to ever touch the knob again, unless your machine has problems with the framing drifting out of position over time.

On my Simplex 1050, I set the framing when I cut my plates, then never touched the knob again. [Big Grin]

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

- posted 03-23-2005 05:11 PM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Dan Lyons
...there is no need to ever touch the knob again, unless your machine has problems with the framing drifting out of position over time.
OR... Unless you work in a theater that's filled with morons who can't thread a projector in frame to save their mother's life and you have to un-fuck the framing knob every time you thread.

Yes, I know that once the projector is framed it will stay framed even if the framing isn't set at the center position but I want my framing knob CENTERED, goddammitt!! I just can't STAND looking at a projector when the word "FRAME" on the framing knob isn't upright and level! It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up! If it was up to me I'd cut the framing knob off the friggin' projector but, alas, I am surrounded by imbecils!

Even if I know I am the last one to have threaded the projector I will still, at least, verify that the fame is in the centered position. I have developed the habit of centering the framing knob out of necessity.

Furthermore, in my current job, I spend the greatest amount of my time in the booth TEACHING students how to run the projector. I repeat the concepts of "TIME THE MECHANISM" and "VERIFY FRAME at CENTER" so many times, over and over I think I say it in my sleep!

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