posted November 11, 2008 04:31 PM
I see these projectors with the cover around the focus knob missing on ebay all the time. in fact most of them are missing. how easy is it to get one if you buy a projector that doesnt have one? I know that they are missing cause the focus mech goes bad with age. how do you fix one that has that problem? thanks!
Posts: 453
From: Barking, Essex, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
posted November 11, 2008 05:47 PM
You can buy rubber tubeing from model shops which is used as fuel hoses for model planes. Also PTFE tape wound around the shaft of the focus knob is a good temporary fix.
Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted November 12, 2008 08:41 AM
The focus assembly had a molded on polyureathane tube that was used to drive the lens. What often happened (in the US at least) was the lenses came "fixed" against loss by a small 3mm screw. Users would try to remove the lens by turnig the focus mechanism out and grind up the tube.
Early versions of the tube also would just turn to goo like some of the poly reel arm belts.
The good news is if all the parts are in place, the knob and metal drive can be removed and cleaned. Then a short piece of the correct diameter of vinyl tubing is cut, heated in hot water to make it easy to assemble and pushed onto the shaft. Then reassemble.
The cover on the SL and SSL projector is also part of the slot load guide, but it is not critical and you can easily use the machine without the snap on cover. (It's so easy to take off that they're often just lost by the previous owners).