8mm Forum: Rescuing a projector

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Posted by John Armer (Member # 4655) on August 27, 2018, 02:32 PM:

Earlier in the year I got hold of a working Eumig 810D HQS to play standard 8mm films... it was in OK condition and came along with a job lot of films I purchased. I had it serviced and I was quite taken with it and picked up some standard 8mm features to play on it.

Browsing that well-known auction site recently, I saw an advert for another Eumig 810D non-HQS for spares. It was only £18 including postage so I thought it wouldn't harm to have another for parts. It was missing the lens, lamp house cover, control knob, lamp and super 8 gates, but it appeared to have the standard 8mm gates and the Super 8 sprockets.

This is it as I received it:

When I received it, it actually looked in OK condition but was pretty grubby. I had a good look over it and powered it up. I was pleasantly surprised when the motor ran... but when the drive train was engaged it ran slooooooow.

Part of the reason I bought it was I figured it would be a good way to have a tinker and to get familiar with these sturdy little projectors. I thought if I couldn't get it working it was no real loss but if I could, it would be an added bonus.

So I spent a few hours cleaning the old grease off the gears and adding new plastic-safe grease to the gears and some turbine oil to the bearings. With a clean of the rubber drive discs and some adjustment of the motor it now runs at 24 fps instantly and projects quietly and smoothly... it seems to have had less use than my other 810D too. I find that older acetate films are noisier and not quite as steady as later polyester prints probably a combination of the older films shrinking and this being a single claw design. I swapped out parts temporarily from my other 810 to get this one up and running (and luckily I had a spare lens) and this is what it looks like now:

I see that Edwin Van Eck can help with the main control knob so I think I'll treat it to a new 3D printed part for that, and I've got feelers out to someone for the lamp house cover and Super 8 gates and std 8mm sprockets, but just in case that doesn't materialise, is anyone breaking a Eumig 807 / 810 etc and has a spare lamp house cover and Super 8 gates and std 8mm sprockets for sale?

This is the lamp house cover that I need:

I'm not fussy which model Eumig it comes from - as far as I am aware the 807 / 810 parts are interchangeable.

Incidentally, I've never seen quite so much shredded film in a projector: this is what I managed to retrieve from inside: [Eek!]

So the little Eumig is up and running again and will live to project plenty more films in the future... happy days!

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on August 27, 2018, 02:46 PM:

Well done John! One of the most satisfying aspects of this great hobby is restoring a non-working projector back to its original full working condition. Looks like you have accomplished just that! [Smile]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on August 27, 2018, 04:04 PM:

By the looks of it even a 710D cover would fit, though it would be grey. I don't think Eumig changed cast past if they could get away with old ones in different paint as a new mold would be expensive.

Well done with the restoration.

Posted by Will Trenfield (Member # 5321) on August 27, 2018, 05:43 PM:

Good man. It's a lovely feeling when you get a poorly machine working well again. All that film and leader you found inside is amazing. Didn't the previous owner wonder what had happened to his films?

Posted by Kev Morrison (Member # 6338) on August 28, 2018, 12:51 PM:

John,

Well done! I love to see something like this old projector saved from the dump, and brought back to working condition.

Nice job with describing the steps you took to get this old girl up & running. I found a similar "how to" document on the 'net describing how to restore a neglected viewer editor to like new condition - I've restored four grubby & dirty viewers to great physical and operating condition using this doc.

Thanks for describing how you worked on your projector. I suspect that in the near future, I also will be shopping for an Elmo or Eumig projector, and can use the advice!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 29, 2018, 11:22 AM:

A very good read! I like these "repair posts' because, even if it doesn't relate to the specific projector I want to work on, there are some "universal" repair info that i can use on any projector, (as a general rule). [Smile]

Posted by Nick Vermeirsch (Member # 4136) on August 29, 2018, 11:46 AM:

Hi John!

Maybe i can make you happy with some parts of my old S810D HQS that i don't use anymore. Some parts are missing, but i would be happy to give you what you can use! Just send me an email! nickvermeirsch@gmail.com

Posted by John Armer (Member # 4655) on August 29, 2018, 01:04 PM:

Thanks Nick, I'll be in touch.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 31, 2018, 11:42 AM:

Now I'm getting in the mood to "rescue" my Yashica!

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