8mm Forum: First elmo. st-1200 hd Help with next step

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Posted by Bruce Wright (Member # 2793) on November 29, 2011, 04:52 PM:

After reading "show all topics" i purchased an elmo st-1200 hd
off ebay. The case and machine look new. According to many post new belts may be needed. Please, what else should i look for or do BEFORE applying power? I have touched nothing,still drooling!! Any an all help most appreciated.
Thanks !
Bruce

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on November 29, 2011, 05:34 PM:

HI Bruce

Congrats on your purchase. If you don't hav a manual go to the manuals section on this forum. Scroll almost down to bottom. Under 8mm you will find a free downloadable manual for your projector. Read it to learn how it operates. Contiunue drooling!

patD

Posted by Scott Mallory (Member # 2393) on November 30, 2011, 08:53 AM:

Hey Bruce, Great machine and easy to use. Have fun with it!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 30, 2011, 09:52 AM:

Welcome Bruce,

I think a good first step is to take the back cover off (two screws, machine unplugged!) and have a look.

Bad belts will have cracks in them and really bad ones will be lying broken inside.

A wize thing to do is clean the machine. A lot of projectors show up with a jungle of dust and broken bits of film. Clean all of this junk out wherever you can find it!

Inspect all the rollers to make sure they turn freely, and clean and very slightly lube them if they don't. If they don't turn check if a flat is worn in them. This is a weapon aimed at your films!

My ST-1200HD was a slow runner when it showed up (music and voices were pitched low.). I got dicouraged with it and used my other machines for a while. It turns out this was exactly the wrong thing to do because these machines run better when they run often. I actually let mine run without film or lamp about 3 hours and it was better after that. I still let it run empty while I gather up films.

The first film in any "new" machine should be something disposable. Run it, run it again, look for damage. Give the machine a chance to eat something you'd just as soon throw away before you trust it with something good.

Posted by Bruce Wright (Member # 2793) on December 01, 2011, 03:46 PM:

Thanks patD--I downloaded the instruction manual as per your suggestion. I sure needed it.
Scott--Thanks for the encouragement. It will prove very helpful in this venture.
Steve--I removed the back,no belts, just pieces and black goo on the pulleys. After 500 Qtips and a lot of alcohol(and a little for me)seven pulleys are clean. The belt on the shutter is a mess. I don't see any easy way to clean this. Another 500
Qtips? Just found out there is a belt to the counter--THE FUN NEVER ENDS !!!
Thanks to all. I'll be back with more good news.
Bruce

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on December 02, 2011, 12:53 AM:

Bruce
The black rubber goo is a mess I have picked up a couple of 1200's over the years used and had to clean each one from head to toe....BUT this is going to be a very good way for you to get familiar with your machine as the Elmo's are like dating a rich girl..You really have to pay attention and be ready to jump whenever she wants something....Once you get it all clean I would thread the first couple of films with the side door down so you can see everything and make sure:
1 - It threads correctly and smoothly, and doesn't get hung up somewhere in the path.
2 - make sure everything is running without abrasion.

Do you have some scrap sound film? If not I have a random R6 from a dupe of Foreign Correspondent you can have.

Posted by Bruce Wright (Member # 2793) on December 02, 2011, 09:03 PM:

Hi all
Spent all day cleaning goo off the shutter wheel. BUT IT IS CLEAN! Found the counter pulleys. The plastic/nylon pulley was clean, not so with the metal one. Must be a small belt.
BELTS--Ebay the place to go ? Dino--I don't have any sound film. I'm new at this. What is Random R6 ? Thanks for the offer.
Maybe I should trade the elmo for a rich girl. On the other hand------.
Bruce

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on December 03, 2011, 01:06 AM:

Oh I mean i have a Reel 6 only from an originally 7 reel feature, so it is of no real use other than as a test film...... Especially since it is a poor dupe....

Posted by Jeroen van Ooijen (Member # 1104) on December 03, 2011, 03:48 AM:

Congaratulations with you Elmo ST1200 HD,it's me Jeroen [Smile]

and i want to advise you for this white rollers with the arrows because that were the big scratchmakers on a print of mine [Frown]

Make sure this 2 rolls running sometimes they stopped it's better to make this clean with alcohol not with oil,they are very sensitive for dust,i mark this rolls with a marker so i can see always they run(it's a little trauma [Wink]

)

Good luck!

Jeroen

Posted by Bruce Wright (Member # 2793) on December 04, 2011, 03:49 PM:

Got brave and plugged in the elmo. The pilot lamp is on. Time to test the motor. Moved motor switch to . then to F - YES-YES-YES-MOTOR RUNS !!! More noise than I expected. Set the lamp switch to first position -- and there was light. And the noise level is starting to diminish. Maybe a few more minutes of run time will reduce noise level even more. Must get belts on order today. Thank you Jeroen for the pictures and info on the rollers,I marked them. The post here have been most helpful.
Thanks to all of you. Bruce

Posted by Bruce Wright (Member # 2793) on December 10, 2011, 10:23 PM:

Elmo: It's alive! It's alive!
Got the belts (5) this afternoon. Just installed three. Motor runs, gears turn, reels rotate, lamp works, heart rate up! Ran a short silent film. Fantastic picture. So far so good but it's deaf. Need to get on ebay and find a short talkie. Does anyone know how to put on the shutter and/or counter belt? This is a great place for information -- Thanks. Bruce

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on December 11, 2011, 09:36 AM:

Bruce, I had no trouble at all replacing the little counter belt on my ST1200D (I described doing that in a previous thread here), but the HD is another story. I couldn't find any way to get at it easily, and eventually decided to do without it...at least for now.

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