8mm Forum: Re-noob questions

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Topic: Re-noob questions

Chad Shumaker
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 110
From: Dover, Ohio USA
Registered: Jan 2011

posted January 02, 2011 12:32 AM

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum but not really to the hobby. I guess I'm becoming re-acquainted.

Long story short:

I was raised in the mid-late 70's but never knew anyone with a Super-8. Grew up a huge fan of film which blossomed in college. In my early days of teaching, I discovered an old Fisher Price Movie Viewer & film cartridges I had and that evolved into an interest in Super-8.

I got an old Sears S8 sound projector from a friend and several digests from various locations, but the projector frequently mangled my films so out of frustration, I gave up.

About 9 years have passed. Just this week, I secured an Ektasound 235 and a few reels. These are on the way as you read this.

I want to do the hobby right this time and be a bit more patient. What gear do I need to get started? I snagged some leader and splices on eBay as well as a cleaning/lubricating cloth.

Any suggestions as to what would be smart to get early on?

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John Davis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 286
From: Dunfermline, Fife, UK
Registered: Jun 2008

posted January 02, 2011 05:34 AM

Hello Chad,
welcome to the forum. I'm not familiar with the Ektasound machines but I'm sure others can chip in with comments.
My advice would be to get a couple of spare bulbs, once you've established that the machine works fine. In order to maximise the life of the bulbs don't move the machine for a few hours after use (ideally leave it overnight if possible).
You don't mention an editor so I would recommend getting one, where possible check over and repair your films prior to projection (I have been given films in the past where splices have been formed with insulating tape!); most projectors will worsen existing damage or worse still a duff splice will damage the projector - so remove the damage before projecting. Elmo, Goko and Erno may sound like a singing trio from Sesame Street but they are also good, reliable editors.
John

I'm not sure about lubricating cloths and I would get advice about these prior to using them on your precious films.

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted January 02, 2011 08:07 AM

HI Chad

Happy New Year!

Welcome the THE Forum.

Get a film splicer. I like the tape kind. Also Film-Renew is excellent for cleaning films. A spare bulb is also good to have. When you have finished running a film , let the bulb cool down for a few couple of minutes before moving projector. When the bulb is hot that is when the filaments will break. I'm sure you get more tips from other members.

Pat DAlessio

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted January 02, 2011 08:38 AM

Hello Chad! Welcome to the forum! I live in Massillon, neighbor! I am not familiar with that projector either. My advise would be to not give up. I have occasional problems with my equipment like cameras jamming, projectors not threading, losing sound, re-doing spices etc. but when it all comes together (and it does alot!) there's nothing better!

Also I would encourage you to get in touch with Steve Osborne at THE REEL IMAGE magazine. He is a good source for all things film and a great guy to boot!

I'm sure you have also noticed that the forum is a WEALTH of info and filled with great people also. I learn something every day from here.

Let us know how the projector works.

Bill [Smile]

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Chad Shumaker
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 110
From: Dover, Ohio USA
Registered: Jan 2011

posted January 02, 2011 06:13 PM

Thanks for the advice and warm welcome everyone. I'm sure I'll be posting again soon!

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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006

posted January 02, 2011 08:28 PM

Hi Chad, welcome.

To add a bit:
As Pasquale and John mentioned, letting bulbs cool can really extend their useful life. Either leave the machine where it is when you are done screening, or force-cool the bulb with the fan running until the air coming out is completely cool or room-temperature.

Film-Renew is excellent, but make sure you air out copiously when using it, and after use, wash your hands with soap. It is toxic, bad for the lungs and bad for the skin, but it is great for film.

For cleaning cloth, I use chamois, bought in a sewing and crafts shop by the yard. Snip some pieces off now and then and you have lint-free cleaning material.

Keep in touch and let us know how your "re-introduction" is going [Smile]

Claus.

--------------------
"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted January 02, 2011 09:15 PM

Welcome Chad,

Not so much smart to get but to do!

To me a clean projector is a lot more than half the battle. All sorts of nasty crud can accumulate in there. At the minimum it will give you a case of the dancing fuzz around the edges of the picture, at the most it will gouge lines in the films. I've even seen debris wedge in critical places and cause projector malfunctions. (...and Murphy's Law dictates that they will!)

The thing to do is get inside to as many concealed spaces as you can and have a general cleanout. Getting to the film path is critical, of course, but even the crud outside the path will migrate in if it's allowed to stay in the neighborhood.

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

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Joseph Banfield
Film Handler

Posts: 93
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jun 2010

posted January 03, 2011 08:24 AM

I had an Ektasound 245, which is the same machine as the 235 except that it can record on the main stripe of the film, whereas the 235 can not.

It was a very interesting design and looked quite cool as it was able to sit in a bookshelf because it is only about 8 inches deep and had a very nice dust cover too. It's reel capacity is 400' and has two speeds...18 and 24fps. You can flip the mirror to have it project from the front or from the back of the machine. The drive is sprocketless and had a strange film path as I recall. The sound amplifier was of very low wattage...probably less than a watt. There was always a problem with the cam follower that does the pulldown of the film. There was some sort of a rubber piece on this part that becomes brittle with age and crumbles making the machine very noisy until replaced. Practically the entire machine is made from plastics including the lens and the gate areas. When it works properly it does so quite well. These machines are completely unlike any other sound projectors in design and function. I recall that this is one of the few super 8 sound projectors that does not suffer from sound chatter on loud passages...or at least I remember this never being an issue with this particular machine when using an external speaker. This was also my very first sound projector that I bought.

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted January 03, 2011 08:51 AM

Thanks Joseph for the description of the projector. I looked up some pictures of the unit and it is rather unique. I wouldn't mind having one...pretty cool looking.

Bill [Smile]

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Bryan Chernick
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Bothell, WA, USA
Registered: Mar 2010

posted January 03, 2011 11:53 AM

I saw an Ektasound Moviedeck at a garage sale last year. It's a very interesting design but the condition of the projector (and my wife [Roll Eyes]

) prevented me from getting it.

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John Davis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 286
From: Dunfermline, Fife, UK
Registered: Jun 2008

posted January 03, 2011 02:55 PM

That is strange - a couple of years ago I looked at Moviedecks - primarily because they had very interesting spec'd lenses. What I couldn't get over was how many were in a dilapidated condition.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted January 03, 2011 03:32 PM

From what I've heard, the Moviedecks often suffer from Kodak's plastic gear syndrome:

-Now they work, Now they don't

(without warning, too...)

I have one in what is (for now) perfect shape, and hearing about this makes me almost reluctant to use it.

Being that it's my first machine and has been with me for as long as my oldest friends I probably wouldn't trash it either, just consign it to my small stock of honored dead movie equipment.

So I like having one, just wouldn't recommend one.

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

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Joseph Banfield
Film Handler

Posts: 93
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jun 2010

posted January 05, 2011 05:16 AM

Well, just keep in mind that the Ektasound 234 or 245 is in no way similar in desgin to the Kodak Moviedeck, nor do they look anything alike.

I did have the silent version Moviedeck that I used a lot years ago and never had the slightest problem with it...one of the easiest projectors ever to use and looked to most people like it was a slide projector instead of a film projector!

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