8mm Forum: Ektasound 285 won't thread

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Topic: Ektasound 285 won't thread

Robert Pope
Junior
Posts: 2
From: Baltimore, MD, USA
Registered: May 2018

posted May 30, 2018 09:15 AM

Hello!
I just got an Ektasound 285 and though it looks brand-new, I'm having a problem getting film to thread.
If I painstakingly shove the film in far enough to reach the take-up reel, it will fast forward and rewind, but it won't project. I did some research and it looks like the problem is the plastic shutter gear that seems to be so problematical.
Does my theory sound correct? If so, how expensive is the part? I see that Micro-tools mentions sending in the old one first but they don't give a price.
Thanks for your help!

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Robert

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted May 30, 2018 10:27 AM

Welcome to the 8mm Forum, Robert!

My first projector was a Moviedeck. I remember it well!

If you push the leader maybe an inch into the gate you should feel the claw begin to "nibble" at the end of the film and then actually grab it once it has a perforation to grab onto.

You should be able to open the right hand side access panel and look in and see the gate and the claw. If the claw doesn't move, that's the problem right there. You should also see the shutter wheel move once you are in projection mode.

The problem here is I've never broken mine so I've never had to take it apart. (I kind of "retired" it about 15 years ago...) I have absolutely no idea what goes on deep inside there. Sure, it could be a shutter wheel gear, but there may be some belt in there that's turned to goo over the years.

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

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Robert Pope
Junior
Posts: 2
From: Baltimore, MD, USA
Registered: May 2018

posted May 30, 2018 11:20 AM

Thanks for the welcome!
The claw never grabs the film. I can shove in the end until it's grabbed by the take up reel, but there's nothing moving it through the gate and I don't see a claw moving (although I'm not 100% sure where I should be seeing it...)

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Robert

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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

posted May 30, 2018 11:32 AM

The two side panels are on there with spring clips and hinged at the bottom edges. If you grab the right side panel at the top edge and pull outwards, then you can swing out and remove the panel from the machine, and then you can pull the viewing screen forwards. The gate is right behind it, right below the film slot. The claw should now be visible and whenever the film is supposed to be moving, you should be able to see it shuttling up and down to move the frames forward into the gate.

From what you are saying I think either your claw isn't moving or it is damaged. (de-toothed!)

A friend of mine did the shutter wheel replacement. He said it wasn't that bad. Then again, this is second hand knowledge: I've never broken mine!

Microtools has the shutters on E-bay for $45 plus the $10 core charge.

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

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Janice Glesser
Film Goddess

Posts: 3468
From: Sunnyvale, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted June 02, 2018 09:35 PM

Welcome Robert...If you need a service manual just PM me your email address and I'll send you a PDF.

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Janice

"I'm having a very good day!"
Richard Dreyfuss - Let It Ride (1989).

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