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Author Topic: Maximum Amount Of Film On A Platter Question Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 03-24-2008 09:46 AM                     What is the most film, time wise, I can safely load on to 1 deck of an old Potts Platter? Acetate? Polyester?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-24-2008 12:42 PM                     With or without a safety ring? Big difference.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-24-2008 01:00 PM                     Wasn't the avg time length (long before the concept of these platter rings) for most platter units set at 4.5hrs?  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 03-24-2008 01:41 PM                     No ring, just those suction cup holders thingies.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-24-2008 02:47 PM                     I wouldn't put more than 3 hours (with a print belt and at least 8 suction cups taped down) on one of those. I also wouldn't put anything you truly cared about on it.  |  IP: Logged Amanda Mundin Expert Film Handler Posts: 122 From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK Registered: Sep 2005 posted 03-24-2008 04:54 PM                     Are these platters not good??  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 03-24-2008 06:37 PM                        Potts platter not good? Well they are good at tearing up film! As you might guess from Brad's statement they are bad about the film coming off the back and wrapping underneath on a tail wrap. After the get older they tend to creep out of the settings rather fast for my liking.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 03-24-2008 07:37 PM                     A lot of film can be wound onto the platter deck, but problems can happen during payout. After 4 hours or so, the remaining 'ring' of film does not feed into the payout head property. I found that the older Potts (with the breaker point switch) operated too stiffly; the film would wrap around the payout head about 180', then finally pull hard enough to get the payout arm to move. The deck would then spin too far, wrapping around the other way, and repeat.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-24-2008 08:02 PM                     ...until the last couple of reels were sitting in a tangled mess of spaghetti 10 feet away from the platter. That is why I asked if you were going to use a safety ring. The film can still slip through those suction cups, particularly if they are not taped down to the platter. With the safety ring, the film isn't going anywhere, although what John described can still happen and scratches around the brain can result.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-24-2008 09:13 PM                     what about converting the old breaker point brains to phase control..or is that possible...for I'm not to familiar with Potts - closest I've seen Potts is the Balco platters ... Yea, pretty scary with a large movie on a deck (like when I ran "Gods and Generals") I made a phase control brain just for this presentation and used a film wrap to ensure the end doesn't fly out.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-24-2008 09:31 PM                        4.5 hours with "proper care." I use an old trailer to form a ring which is securely taped down, if Brad's device is not available. Remember mylar is 30% thinner than acetate, so that should help a bit more. This is for the 52" platter; less on the 42". Louis  |  IP: Logged

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