8mm Forum: Restoring A Ernemann2 Projector

This is topic Restoring A Ernemann2 Projector in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on June 18, 2006, 10:05 PM:

Well I hope you dont mind I thought I might post a couple of photo,s and an insight into the challenge of getting it going. Everything about the projector is heavily built, and the quality of engineering is truly amazing. The lamp house is a Zeiss Ikon, also dating back to the 1920s. I modified the original carbon arc assembly to take a 24 volt 300 watt lamp. The big benefit of fitting the lamp to the original carbon arc. was being able to adjust the position of the lamp fore or aft, left or right, of the mirror, this made alinement much easier. The light is reflected from a 8 inch mirror to the gate. The lamp is designed to run hot so only a minumum of cooling is required. The light output is far brighter than the standard GS1200 although the xenon and two bladed GS1200 would be a different story. A friend modified the sound head which is from the 1930s fitted a new photo electric cell, kindly donated a power supply for the exciter lamp {at the bottom of the photo} he also made a pre-amp. The sound is excellent considering its mono. After two years and a cost of 400 dollars I am pleased as punch. Some in the video world might say why bother, but as some friends pointed out to me when I first got it and dismissed the idea of using it instead of video the reply came back its not the same is it. Words of wisdom dont you think anaway thats the story hope you find some of this of interest
Graham.
PS Sorry about the spelling it getting a bit grim.

[ June 18, 2006, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: Graham Ritchie ]

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on June 20, 2006, 05:30 AM:

Graham, what a fantastic looking beasty, could you tell us some more about it, some more history would be great, in fact anything you have to say would be good... Where did it come from?

Mike [Cool]

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on June 20, 2006, 04:45 PM:

Oh I do so wish I had on of those....droooool Kev [Smile]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 20, 2006, 07:10 PM:

Me too!

At this rate I'll have to take out a mortgage for a separate theater building next to my house [Big Grin]

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on June 22, 2006, 04:07 AM:

Hi chaps
Mike the beasty came form an old town hall fitted in the 1920's and removed about 1998,they wanted to get rid of it ,it was lying in bits in the corner,to my surprise I couldn't find anything wrong with it,with encouragement and help from friends it was possiable to get it up and running,it's amazing to see this eighty year old machine working,I am sure it will still be working well after I go to the big projection box in the sky.

Hope your summer is nice, it's freezing here plenty of snow if you like skiing.

Regards Graham

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on June 25, 2006, 10:04 AM:

Hi Graham

Wow, what a lucky find, I wonder what would have happened to it if you hadn't have come to hear about it. I can just imagine how great it must have been to get it up and running again. The thought of it purring in to life sends me all a shiver [Smile]

!

So what film guage is it?

Mike [Cool]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 25, 2006, 01:36 PM:

Why, 9.5mm of course, can't you see that?

[Big Grin]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on June 25, 2006, 02:52 PM:

That little lamp looks terrified standing in front of that gigantic mirror!

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on June 25, 2006, 03:25 PM:

Graham,

Great story and report
in putting the life back
into a tried and true medium.

Does this model only play
35mm? I had the understanding
that the Ernemann Projector is
equipped to also play 16mm?

Anyway, this is another
testament to the will,
in keeping film alive.

Michael

[ June 25, 2006, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: Michael De Angelis ]

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on June 25, 2006, 04:46 PM:

Graham,

What 35mm titles do you have to show on the machine and is it easy to come by features?

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on June 26, 2006, 05:39 AM:

Mike
It's 35mm,the projector probably would have been dumped,like Trevor I'm a member of the NZ film buffs and was involved in organising the Christchurch convention and we were looking at using the hall as part of our weekend programme,saw it lying in the corner and asked the chap what he was going to do with it,he said you can have it if you want,it sat in the garage for a year before we made an effort to get it up and running.

Paul
It's surprising the light output,there is a small cinema that uses a 36volt 400watt in a similar way, with very good results.

Michael
That's interesting about 16mm I will try and find more about this and get back to you,this particular model Ernemann 2 was orginally a front shutter silent machine and were built for 35mm nitrate film.

Kev
35mm is getting hard to get, the reels I do have are mainly adds and trailers,I am mostly interested in short films, I also have a 3D reel which is fun to watch,I gave a lot of films away to a friend who has a Ernemann 1 beautifully restored in his lounge, his wife didn't like that too much,I remember one night we ran Star Wars one 20min reel at a time, [Smile]

Regards Graham.

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on June 26, 2006, 07:03 AM:

A case of being in the right place at the right time [Smile]

Wish someone would just give me one like that.

Kev.

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