8mm Forum: flutter problem with super eight movie projector

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Posted by Ronald Hall (Member # 1513) on March 18, 2009, 05:34 PM:

I acquired an old Argus Dualmaster 882 to use in viewing some old movies which were filmed in super eight. It is an automatic threading machine. It worked fine for a while but has now developed a flutter. Does anyone know how to adjust this to rid the flutter?

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on March 18, 2009, 06:49 PM:

can you be more specific as to how you are defining flutter? Such as where is it fluttering? If it is doing this as you thread the projector there could be any number of reasons, such as film or something blocking the passage way so instead of smoothly gripping the sprocket holes it struggles with them. Something might have shifted out of alignment. If someone was a film novice it is possible that maybe a setting is wrong. For instance by the name "dualmaster" I am assuming it is for both super 8 and reg 8...Make sure you don't have it set on reg 8 when threading super, and vice versa. If the parts are removable like on the Eumigs make sure the correct parts are on. Usually "cleaning, settings, or broken/alignment problems" would probably be the cause of the flutter if I am understanding it correctly.

Posted by Ronald Hall (Member # 1513) on March 19, 2009, 10:02 AM:

Concerning further explanation of my flutter problem. I have the machine set on super eight and was halfway through viewing a film with everything operating properly when the projected image started jumping consistently, which I call a flutter. I tried running the film backwards and then forward again which stopped the flutter for a short time but then it started fluttering again. Many years ago when I was operating projectors in high school, we had manual threading and we would create a loop which would eliminate flutter. AS this is an automatic threading machine, there does not appear to be any access to the film to create such a loop. Nor am I able to discern any controls on this machine which would adjust the film to eliminate flutter.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on March 19, 2009, 11:00 AM:

Ronald,

Hello and welcome to the Forum! As you've stated, it does seem like you (or your film) are losing your loop. Most projectors have a loop restorer lever, located near the gate. I'm not familiar with the Argus, but if it doesn't have one there are a few possible fixes. Does it happen to the same film at the same time? There might be a sprocket hole break that needs to be repaired with splicing tape. The old film could be also be dry, so a good lubricant/cleaner such as FilmGuard or Film Renew would help.

Doug

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 19, 2009, 11:08 AM:

Is it possible that there are splices in the films that are causing the machine's claw to climb out of the sprocket holes?

I have a film I made as a teenager I wanted to show recently on my Eumig 810. Although it ran fine on the Kodak Moviedeck I used back when I made it, the Eumig and my Elmo kept stumbling on some of my overlapped cement splices. So I sat down and spent some time finding all the splices in the film and redoing them with the Bolex beveled splicer: now it's smooth all the way through.

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