Welcome to BigScreenBiz.com

I bought a used Christie AW3-R and make-up-table recently for the new theatre. It is only a year or two old. My problem is the first reel to go onto the platter (usually my trailers) goes on nice and smooth until near the end of the reel at which point the film on the platter starts to bind from the inside which causes the ring to close up and the film to "bubble." There isn't a problem with the rest of the reels, except it is so slow.

Make up is slower on this unit than a similar Christie at my other location. Tear down seems to be about the same speed for both.

Any suggestions for correction?

I don't use Christies, but it sounds like you have something pulling at the film as it loads. Is there a brake on your make-up table that should be released... or a key on the reel hub? If the platter is pulling against the motor on your table, that would make the pack pretty darn tight, would slow down the platter (cause it's having to work so hard), and make the ring pretty hard to take off.

The film is wrapping around and squeezing the ring tighter and tighter as you build up. If you aren’t careful, it will end up with you unable to pull the center ring out. This causes the film to wrap tighter and tighter and eventually, it starts to ripple the film. There are two very simple solutions to this!

1.) Build very, very slowly until you have at least 1 ½ full twenty-minute reels on and then increase the speed.
2.) Put something in the pinch area of the center ring so it can’t contract.

Well those have been the best solutions I have found.

Ron

A few weeks ago I put a print on and didn't notice the ring had tightened all the way up. There was no way to get the ring out and it was time to thread the machine for the main show. We ended up pounding the ring pins up from underneath the platter with a hammer, then slid the print toward the edge of the platter and ever so carefully used the claw end of the hammer to pry the ring out from the film. We then slid the film back toward the center. It wasn't pretty by any means. But we did not damage the film, the ring, or the platter.

A couple years ago it was happening at the other theatre, but I can't remember why or what made it stop. But I remember sticking a pencil in the gap and making up the platter. It tightened up and the pencil wouldn't come out! Think I had to use a hammer and a screwdriver to beat the pencil out of there.

I have a much larger ring. It has a clasp on the top where you clasp the hasp-like thing to keep the ring open. When it is time to take the ring out you undo the clasp and squeeze it together. I works great. I think I will have my son modify a couple regular rings to do the same.

But in the meantime I'd really like to solve the problem the correct way. I can't see where the brake is affecting the make-up table, but I suspect that may be part of the problem.

When the make-up table is in the tear down mode, sometimes the shank will spin inside the table and not move the reel. It makes a loud noise while doing this. I have tightened the long set screw to the point where I broke one and had to replace it. That doesn't really help. Any suggestions?

SPECO

It is probably the holdback tension on the feed reel on the makeup table
Usually it is a clutch or on some makes it is a resistor acting like a dynamic brake
either way it is a cas of too mutch tension

The only 3 times I have ever had a problem with tightly wound film--1) too little sleep and left brake on 2) the bearings on the free wheeling shaft went bad and was binding while loading 3) a newbie mistakenly used the breakdown shaft rather than the make-up side

Thanks. I will check out your suggestions.

Well, the problem persists. I called Christie direct today. It seems Bodine quit making the small motors Christie has used for years. They recently switched to a larger motor which actually causes more (too much) tension in the make-up mode. They are working on a fix with a new switch, but in the meantime, suggested I slide the belt off the pulley under the unit during make-up--(just don't pass up the splice because to rewind, the belt must be put back in place). What do you think about that Gordon?

I would check if they have a resistor accross the motor in makeup mode to act as a dynamic break If so disconect it other wise removing the belt is the only other solution