8mm Forum: Hybrid Super 8mm/16mm Reel?

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Topic: Hybrid Super 8mm/16mm Reel?

Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 04, 2007 05:13 PM

I just received a 1600' Super 8mm film spooled on this reel, made by the Plastic Reel Corporation of America.

At first glance this looks like a 16mm reel, but the width is only slightly wider than 8mm and the reel has a center hole for use on a 16mm spindle. This does not appear to be a homemade job. Any ideas?

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 04, 2007 05:19 PM

I believe this kind of reel was common in lab work. The design was practical if the lab worked with primary given formats but was still using one shaft on the spooler table. For those who are not familiar with 35mm, the shaft for that size is 5/16" diameter. It easily holds the conventional reels including 16mm. It hoilds standard super 8 reels with the added Neumade brass adapters, and this is exactly how I have them set on my free standing Towers as well as my 35mm X-3 rewinds from Neumade.

Since this is a piece of steel inserted at the time of molding then glued, I would warn others not trying to drill it up to super 8 1/2 inch. As the plastic will only break due to vibration of metal drilling.

Best bet as you have done, free the film from this reel you have received, and leave it alone for the future.

Hope this adds some insight to your endeavors!

CG

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 04, 2007 10:01 PM

Thank you, Chip! There is also (as seen in the picture) what I'm guessing is a type of safety locking mechanism for keeping the reel secured to a shaft.

Doug

--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 04, 2007 10:07 PM

You're welcome, Doug.

I forgot to add that most pro spooler tables have straight shafts without pin or keys for the tiny slot. Instead, they have what some operators call "dogs" and this is a heavy duty shaft normally 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and usually 1.5 inches or longer. This would stick through anyone of the large finger holes within the hub. Once it made contact to the hub the reel would rotate with the spooler.

CG

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Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 05, 2007 07:59 AM

It looks like one of the reels made many years ago by Lou Fazzari, inventor of the Extend a Reel unit. He made up , or had made up , large reels for standard and super 8 to go on his unit. Back in the mid 70's projectors very very rarely took more than 400 to 600 ft reels.....so he made a motorized unit that was both supply and takeup ..and the reels to fit them. They were made from 16mm reel parts. There was a man at the Syracuse Cinefest this year with a huge box of films mounted on these Extend a Reels.

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John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 05, 2007 12:43 PM

I have some large (I think they're 1200' but I'd have to find them to check) Goldberg metal reels that are 8mm with a 16mm drive in them. They came from a motion picture lab and were used for take-ups on slitters to take the film to packaging/positive assembly.

John

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