8mm Forum: Bell & Howell MX60

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Topic: Bell & Howell MX60

Grant Fitzgerald
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Owatonna, MN
Registered: Oct 2011

posted November 26, 2011 01:01 AM

I visited my family over Thanksgiving and when I got home my dad said he thought he saw a super 8mm in his electronic garbage at work. So we headed over there and sure enough there was a Bell & Howell dual projector. After retrieving it form the pile of rubbish I inspected it. It has a 400' reel and to lamps, the only thing physically wrong is that the top left corner of the front cover is broken a bit (an easy super glue fit). I took it home after testing it a bit and it worked great. Only draw to is that is only reaches 18fps. I watched a film on it later at night and it worked great.

After rewinding I went to watch another one and for some reason the retrieving part of the projector stopped spinning. I became very curious as to why it would just stop on me like that. So I open it up and watched the projector run with its back off and I saw that the gear that should be spinning the reel is not spinning any more. Anyone know why this could be? Also I will upload a some pics to show what is wrong. Thanks!

-Grant

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted November 26, 2011 02:33 AM

While I am not totally familiar with this model I do know that many projectors that have been sitting for awhile can have grease that has solidified and will cause things to stop moving...If you have a safe place to work on things I would maybe suggest giving some squirts of WD-40 to the gears that operate the takeup arm and see if it starts to move...Sometimes if the grease has sat long enough it solidifies, then perhaps you running the first reel caused it to break apart and then get lodged somehow where it is interfering with the movement..Since you said it was a toothed gear the WD-40 should help...If this was a belted takeup arm the WD-40 could actually interfere and cause it to slip...

Hmmm I just re-read your post and perhaps there was a belt that broke, since you mentioned it was not turning, look for a belt first before using any WD-40...I guess I should not advise until I see pics... [Eek!]

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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Grant Fitzgerald
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Owatonna, MN
Registered: Oct 2011

posted November 26, 2011 10:26 AM

It is not a tooth gear that makes the take up turn in this projector. Also I did find a belt I think, I will post some pics.

1) When this fan spins it end up turning 2, the belt, 3, the bar and 4 the part that seems should turn the take up reel.

5) This black reel doesn't turn with the rest of the process. Is this supposed to happen?

A) Close up of back reel that doesn't spin

B)This white reel connects to the film reel.

1) a band that connects from the take-up to the a small spindle inside the projector. (I have no idea what this does.

2)Take Up reel

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted November 26, 2011 07:08 PM

Grant if as you say that final picture is of the take up reel, and that is the part which is not turning, then you must figure out what is happening to the other end of that belt.

Assumptions (since I cannot see what is on the other end of the belt - numbered 1 in the picture) are the following:

1 - it is attached to a pulley/gear which is toothed and is no longer engaging with a second toothed gear for one of the following reasons
a - the teeth on one or both of these have disintegrated over time.
b - Something related to the clutch (this is the lever that you move for forward or reverse) is out of alignment and therefore does not set things in the proper place when you move it.

2 - Is the belt (numbered 1) a rubber belt or a metal/wire belt? It may be slipping. If this is the case you'll need to look at the pulley/gear to determine why.

In final while I agree that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing when working with small electronics, I also know that finding affordable repairs is becoming more and more difficult. That being said sometimes things will be out of your realm of ability and if you don't feel comfortable taking things apart by all means don't, because if you are prepared to take something apart and fiddle where you don't know what you are doing then you have to be prepared to accept the facts if you somehow make things worse...I know when i first started tinkering with things I definitely did a few bits of damage before I learned what I was doing.

--------------------
"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Grant Fitzgerald
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Owatonna, MN
Registered: Oct 2011

posted November 26, 2011 07:57 PM

Thanks for the advice. And it is a rubber belt.

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