8mm Forum: Question about 9.5mm films....

This is topic Question about 9.5mm films.... in forum 9.5mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000156

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on January 05, 2012, 08:30 PM:

Hi all,
I have 2 x 9.5mm films 60ft and they are a bit worn but for a movie that maybe be 75yrs old they are in good condition!
When my Spectro loses the bottom loop while palying is that because the sprocket holes on the actual film are damaged?

All my others play fine.
Cheers,
Clinton

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on January 07, 2012, 02:20 AM:

Clinton
you would probably be the best judge of that... Are the sprocket holes on the film damaged? If so that can definitely cause it to lose its lower loop. It can also happen if the film is excessively shrunken. I have also seen it happen if the film has a rough or thick splice, which can cause it to bounce off the claw. And even if the film has some curl on the sides it can slip off. This is the one and only drawback of the Specto in that it has no means of resetting the loop.

This is why I added a stationary roller underneath the gate, so that if it wants to lose the loop it can't and I can flip the gate lever open and closed and this usually resets the loop so I just get a momentary roll of picture rather than having to stop the show because the loop disappears..

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on January 07, 2012, 10:17 PM:

Cheers Dino,
I guess I am going to come across any number of those reasons when buying 9.5mm films - they are getting very old but worth the gamble and the collecting of the films.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on January 07, 2012, 10:48 PM:

absolutely but, you will do yourself a big favor by picking up some 9.5 rewinds, and inspecting/repairing the films before running them since as you know there will never be any more produced.

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on January 08, 2012, 12:13 PM:

Hi Clinton, I expect you will have checked to see if the sprocket hole damage is the cause of the loss of lower loop when projecting on your Specto by now. However, another cause can be the take up spring belt being too tight, or the wrong size, particularly if the take up reel has a small core diameter. If the sprocket hole was already damaged the top loop would have become larger at the same time as you lost the lower one.

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on January 08, 2012, 12:14 PM:

Hi Clinton, I expect you will have checked to see if the sprocket hole damage is the cause of the loss of lower loop when projecting on your Specto by now. However, another cause can be the take up spring belt being too tight, or the wrong size, particularly if the take up reel has a small core diameter. If the sprocket hole was already damaged the top loop would have become larger at the same time as you lost the lower one. Best wishes, Ken Finch.

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on January 08, 2012, 09:16 PM:

Well...I found that they both had sprocket hole damage in the places that caused the loop lose (2 or 3 holes ripped to become one long sprocket hole), I repaired them and it plays perfectly now - well apart from the wear and tear film quality of that age.

It took about 30 mins to do each one but well worth the time....they were 60ft reels, my next task is a 800ft-ish "No Limits" with George Formby film that needs joining etc.

But thanks to those thoughts I will be able to lookout for the other causes.

I am really enjoying building my 9.5mm film catalogue, it gives me a feeling of past technology etc.

Cheers,
Clinton

P.S. and I have been looking for some 9.5 rewinds but have not had any luck yet.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2