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Author Topic: Elmo ST-1200D Scratching Film
James Romero
Film Handler

Posts: 81
From: Valencia, CA, USA
Registered: Aug 2010


 - posted January 28, 2017 01:56 AM      Profile for James Romero   Email James Romero   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Guys I am totally stumped...and the camera repair guys I use are stumped too...so I am asking all of you. My Elmo ST-1200D just out of the blue started scratching my film. It's somewhere past the film gate. I've looked everywhere through the path...cleaned everything...still I am getting several scratches after the first run...some smaller lines along the left frame and one continuous line a little to the right of the smaller lines. What could it be? I've had 3 techs look at this machine...we can't seem to find the problem. Anyone else have a similar issue with this machine?

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Phil Murat
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 671
From: Villeneuve St Georges, France
Registered: Dec 2015


 - posted January 28, 2017 04:06 AM      Profile for Phil Murat   Email Phil Murat   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hello James,

1)Could you tell if scratches are reported for each side of the film or just for inside or outside part of the film.

2)Unless already done, check for condition of "Head Holder" entrance guide and outlet guide. This is a soft material part......

3)Check condition of each plastic "Green" guide with magnifying lens as necessary, they fade out easily. It is necessary to remove them to do that.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 28, 2017 05:27 AM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Very common fault James on these. If it's after the gate in this instance, Phil's number 2 highlighted area is most likely to be the area to look first.

Nothing unusual with this scenario though.
I've said repeatedly of my own experiences with many different variants of these.
There is plenty of historical reporting on these issues here if you use the "search" tab to look up these.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003


 - posted January 28, 2017 05:41 AM      Profile for Tom Photiou     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Generally speaking these will require a new second green guide,(to your knowledge, has it ever been replaced?), the large one that sits under the second sprocket, also, possibly, (only possibly),the head pressure pads may be worn. I recently had mine replaced. And another good tip given to me by other collectors and also a very well known Elmo expert, the guide to the 800ft take up spool that you push in and forward to take the 1200ft spool, leave this one in the forward/inward position permanently, if this one is worn it will also scratch films.
Other than that, as already mentioned, any green or plastic guide may need replacing or at least, all removed and a good deep cleanse. Remember, these machines are becoming very old and it isn't often all collectors actually do much other than routine cleaning.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted January 28, 2017 01:39 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I’ve been there myself.

A couple of months ago I was making the rounds through my own guides when I found a wear spot in the lower guide. I hadn’t gotten to the point of scratching films yet, so I benched the machine and started looking for a replacement. I looked at the one in my spare parts donor and it was even worse, and I asked around the usual places but nobody had anything for me. (I was getting ready to send women and children to the lifeboats!)

-fortunately Forum Good Guy Kevin Clark stepped forward and offered me a new old stock guide at a fair price. I put it in the machine, but I took the chance to shoot a couple of photos for comparison first.

As Tom says, the wear comes right at the entrance to the lower sprocket.

Here:

 -

Here’s a side by side comparison of my new and old parts. The light is oriented to highlight the wear spot over on the left side of the worn guide, about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the picture. Film flow in this picture would be in the upwards direction going forwards.

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This guide is for ST-1200HD. The one for the “D” model is different. I hope that means good ones are easier to find. In the best case something like an ST-180, 600 or 800 uses the same guide and even a used one wouldn't be worn out.

I think that the ST-1200s large reel capacity is its downfall here. It’s easier to run much more film through these than the lower capacity Elmos with similar guides: it makes wearing them out a lot easier.

It's kind of a liability of this hobby we rely on 40 year old machines on a daily basis like we do. Most any other technology we used in the 1970s is either displayed on a shelf or 20 years in a landfill by now.

The good news is the reason I shot those photos is to send them to Edwin van Eck. The best answer long term is brand new replacement guides on demand, and he's working on that.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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James Romero
Film Handler

Posts: 81
From: Valencia, CA, USA
Registered: Aug 2010


 - posted January 28, 2017 03:06 PM      Profile for James Romero   Email James Romero   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks guys for all your help. I've given all of these responses to my tech guy and he's going to go through every guide. I'll get back to you as soon as the mystery is hopefully solved. Since ELMO no longer repairs these machines it's up to collectors like us to solve these critical issues. For that, I am grateful to all of you.

Let me know if any of you find a source for new guides being made for these machines. I think that information would prove invaluable to owners of these machines.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 28, 2017 03:58 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
I think Edwin Van Eck may manufacture from 3D printing,some guides now for the ST1200.

He definitely does some for the GS1200 but by now, I'd be surprised if he doesn't yet cater for the ST1200 also.

Message to Steve, I'm pleased Kevin once again came to the forefront for a fellow collector.
He really is a saint and has also helped me out now on many many occasions with spare parts and accessories.
He is as you say Mr Forum Good Guy! [Wink]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted January 28, 2017 04:02 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The last I heard the lower guide for the 1200HD was on the drawing boards. I'm going to help test the pre-production parts out.

-if everything goes according to plan I want to buy a couple of spares too.

(-One less thing!)

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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James Romero
Film Handler

Posts: 81
From: Valencia, CA, USA
Registered: Aug 2010


 - posted August 01, 2018 02:21 AM      Profile for James Romero   Email James Romero   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Any news on the new guides? Does anyone out there have a spare one of these?

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 01, 2018 10:10 AM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have a sample of the new guide for testing. If I can ever put a couple of spare hours together I'll do it too!

(-not a good time...family health issues!)

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003


 - posted August 01, 2018 04:00 PM      Profile for Tom Photiou     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
As i learned from Mr Parsons, another point of scratching on these can be the sound head pressure pads. This will show up as light black lines to the left or right. Those four little pressure pads wear flat. They are also a part a lot of people omit to clean.
I was fortunate to get get three of these brand new complete assembly's from Leon Norris, they were expensive but at least i got them, i have one new one fitted to my main machine. One each for my other two 1200HD's. i never even gave this part a thought of scrathing until Bill told me about it. [Wink]

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