Been getting into workshop hardly at all due to full time kids homeschool. Managed to get in on monday and started on the viewing table area. Ive got a 16 and a 35 and they both need a few bits of work.
The 16 has had a full drive belt and bearings service by Lew.G and the picture is the best Ive ever seen it. However the optical sound reader and circuit does not work. I need to replace the whole opt/mag2 assembly and see where that gets me. I’m considering bypassing the pre-amp and greater audio circuit anyway as can be done to improved audio quality on 16mm projectors. If the red LED light source is succesful then this would be great. The 35mm problem is power to the excitor lamp and other issues, so both tables are currently without opt sound which is annoying. Luckily Ive got plenty of spares and boards and parts, so shouldn’t be too big a problem.
The next project will be adapting the tables to contact printers. This is done by sealing all light leaks, inc the screen. Then fabricating a small slitted plate, probably brass painted black, into the prism assembly and finally a guard to surround the film / prism area. All these adaptations are non-invasive, the table can ALWAYS be returned to normal use within minutes.
Different sized slits will give different exposures. You could also do things like mask the optical soundtrack, or portions of the picture. Triangular slits will produce fades, etc. The creative possibilties are endless. Other nice adaptations will be things like homemade digital frame counters and maybe smpte sync option. see below resources. (some of these are other sites that use, celebrate, maintain and work with these machines.
Heres the final layout for this wall. All raw stocks, films and associated materials are above. Gave the machines a clean, lubrication and service. Need to solve pesky sound problems and then we’ll be away.
http://www.filmlabs.org/index.php/technical-tips/synchronise/
http://www.hi-beam.net/fw/fw46/0709.html