8mm Forum: GS1200 Film Tension Roller

This is topic GS1200 Film Tension Roller in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008762

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on November 26, 2013, 09:44 AM:

Just successfully installed a film tension roller assembly, which I got from Leon, on my GS1200. It replaces that black plastic piece which can scratch your film. It works like a charm, with the roller rotating smoothly as the film is transported to the lower sprocket. You have to wonder why Elmo did not design this into the GS1200.
No more scratches! [Smile]

Posted by Maurizio Di Cintio (Member # 144) on November 26, 2013, 10:43 AM:

Hi Paul. How did you attach it to the existing assembly? Did you cut off the plastic piece or did you install a totally new roller assembly? And how did you figure out the spring tensioning of the roller?

Thank you.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on November 26, 2013, 01:04 PM:

Leon supplied me the whole assembly already put together - arm + axle + roller, all assembled. All I had to do was unscrew the old arm assembly, remove the spring, attach the spring to the new arm assembly, and bolt in place. To ease access to the screw , I removed the lower green film guide. Spring tension did not change.

Posted by Patrick McGrath (Member # 1210) on November 27, 2013, 12:55 AM:

That's awesome. I never thought of a rubber roller. It is rubber right?
I made a similar mod to my ST-800 except with a nylon roller and I used the existing hardware just by cutting off the plastic arm and threading an axle in it's place.
This is very pro job compared to my experiment, though.
Nice!

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on November 27, 2013, 06:06 AM:

Who is Leon ? Has he a website with spares to sell ?

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on November 27, 2013, 09:51 AM:

Is this the man?

Leon Norris United States

315 West Forance Street
Norristown, Pennsylvania
19401
United States

Telephone: +1 610 275 1225

I would like this mod too.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on November 27, 2013, 10:21 AM:

It looks really good and I'd happily install one, although I should say that I had the plastic piece it replaces slightly customised when I had some enhancements done to my GS (mainly in the vicinity of the top sprocket) about 22 years ago. I haven't had scratching at any point since, so it's not too difficult to stop this piece from being a problem.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on November 27, 2013, 11:12 AM:

Yes Leon Norris, otherwise known as Mister Elmo USA, is THE man.
And yes, the roller is rubber. Looks to me like Leon used the same roller as that pressure roller used just before the film enters the sound head.
Leon has recently moved. His new phone number 215-439-1228
or email:
LL623norris@verizon.net

Posted by Patrick McGrath (Member # 1210) on November 29, 2013, 12:05 AM:

Here is a photo of my nylon roller mod.

Posted by Maurizio Di Cintio (Member # 144) on November 29, 2013, 08:02 AM:

Patrick, did you have the capstan in your GS 1200 covered with rubber? Or maybe it's not a Gs 1200? But what about the capstan?

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on November 29, 2013, 12:08 PM:

Where did that roller to the bottom left of the sprocket come from? My GS has no such roller.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on November 29, 2013, 01:52 PM:

All very interesting.

Maurizio, the rubber covered capstan was a later mod by Elmo which, I believe, was designed to reduce static crackle from mag stripe, a problem which plagued the ST range certainly.

My ST was returned to Hanimex UK in 1988 (Elmo agency at that time) for repair and one such replacement part was the rubber covered capstan as opposed to the original, un-coated brass capstan.

Another much touted fix for static crackle during that era was to screw a piece of wire to the body of the machine internally and let it rest upon the fly wheel itself, thus earthing it. Not a great fix, me thinks.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 29, 2013, 02:06 PM:

I believe Patrick's machine is an ST-800.

-looks just like mine.

Posted by Patrick McGrath (Member # 1210) on November 29, 2013, 04:52 PM:

Yes, that is my ST-800. Sorry for the confusion.

Posted by Maurizio Di Cintio (Member # 144) on December 01, 2013, 12:45 PM:

Very interesting, pals. But was the home-brewed fix on the ST 800 successful?

Posted by Patrick McGrath (Member # 1210) on December 01, 2013, 02:36 PM:

Yes, my nylon roller works very well, but I think I'm going to make another one with a rubber roller from a parts machine I have laying around. I think the overall result will be the same but something about the rubber makes me think it will be safer in the long run.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on December 26, 2013, 03:05 PM:

Well I've had to get rid of the roller, at least for now. Here is the problem:
When projecting stereo films I hear a clicking noise on track 2. It is not a steady click, and it varies from film to film, but it is loud enough to be heard over the normal level sound on track 2, and that includes music tracks. It seems to me that what I am hearing is a static discharge, originating somehow from the spinning roller. When I just touch the end of the roller shaft very lightly, the clicking sound goes away. I have gone back and fore from the roller to the original Elmo black plastic tensioner, and this clicking noise is only present when the (Leon) roller assembly is installed.
My feeling is that it has to be a very minor issue, possibly peculiar to my projector or peculiar to the particular roller assembly that I got from Leon. Mechanically the roller assembly works great and there is no evidence at all of static 'clicks' on track 1 playback. So what is it in that roller assembly that only affects track 2 ?????

Very puzzling................ [Confused]

[ December 27, 2013, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on December 29, 2013, 11:29 AM:

I installed the roller in my other GS1200 and I could still hear some clicking on track 2. I then adjusted the position of the projectors tensioning spring slightly and the problem went away.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on December 29, 2013, 05:24 PM:

so are you back to saying it might be a good mod for folks to do?

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on December 29, 2013, 09:57 PM:

Yes. I would recommend any GS owner to try this mod because it completely eliminates the potential for scratching by the existing black plastic tensioner. It is now performing perfectly on one of my GS1200'S. I have run about 6 stereo prints and the clicking problem I heard on track 2 has completely gone. Just keep in mind when you install it that you may have to make some minor adjustments to the roller or spring position.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2