Gordon's Hobbies...

35mm Projectors

I've covered this on the what I'm doing page, but here is the full progress.

My full plan is to make a two-projector set of booth equipment I can install in a future home screening room. The biggest problems are lack of money and lack of space. Most of the people screening 35mm film in their homes are generally extremely rich or are in the business of cinema servicing. The rich folks tend to live privatley, but lavishly. Cinema service people work for a living and have access to used equipment at reduced prices...sometimes even for free. I don't have these luxuries, so I buy on Ebay from people who are liquidating their used equipment. And I get what I can take. I don't yet have a place that I can set this stuff up for real, so I have to dream about the future. I guess that in two-and-a-half years of collecting I've done pretty well with my new hobby. I've wanted to do this since I was young.

The technology is basic in concept, but broad in deployment. When first developed, motion picture projectors were hand-driven with a crank. By the early 20's the systems were turned with electric motors and the projector "head" was typically mounted on a motor drive mechinism which also rotated the take-up reel. The head usually retained the ability to be cranked by hand since it was not much modified since the advent of motors. When sound on film emerged, the soundhead replaced the motor drive system. Complete with a motor, a gearbox and the optical sound pickup system, the soundhead becomes the center of the aparatus as it also provides the means to attach the stack to a stand or pedestal.

My equipment consists of Simplex E-7 projectors, RCA Photophone MI-9030 soundheads, and a single home made folding pedistal system. Simplex is an old name in projectors and the E-7 is essentially the third-generation model designed specifically for optical sound on film formats and to be driven from a standard American soundhead. Introduced in 1937, it has a few drivetrain improvements over its predecessor the Super Simplex. When well maintained and propperly threaded, it presents minimal wear on film which is a must for correctly presenting this medium.

The soundhead was first-class in the late 30's and still performs well as it was built like a tank. One known flaw is the fact that the picture area of the film comes into contact with a rubber roller and can slightly grind any dust or dirt into the film, so cleanlines is a very important operational necessity. I have installed a Kelmar Systems bi-lateral solar cell in at least the first fully operational soundhead and am using the "white" light exciter bulb at 36-watts. I am also using currently the original 1.5-mil optics and am getting a perfectly acceptable 12KHz roll-off.

I welded the mounting frame myself from inch-and-a-half square tube and put four casters on it. I figured on building two of these for both projectors, but have decided that only when I have an actual screening room to install will I really try to setup two projectors. When I do this, I will acquire a pair of propper pedestals because this stand really turns out to bounce around too much. I end up having to stabilize it by hand whenever I touch it.

I picked up two sets of Kelmar Systems upper and lower reel arms with 5/16" and 1/2" spindles--a lot nicer in operation than original-style magazines. I have one working set of 2000-foot magazines and hope to at least have the option to switch between them and the Kelmars for aesthetic and old-timey purposes. I also got a Kelmar Systems film cleaner which I use to apply Filmguard product. An amazingly nice way to clean film, but because of the rather narrow market, it is way overpriced and sought highly in the used market. The cleaner won't work with the upper magazine, only a Kelmar arm.

Amateur radio

Trains

Home Studio

Tiny House