Argus Showmaster 870 rear spool issue

[Donovan Burba]

Hi everyone. I recently purchased an Argus Showmaster 870 projector to view some movies I found in my dad's things. The issue I'm having is that the rear spool won't turn fast enough to spool the film. I replaced the spring/band that connects the front and rear wheels but it still is too slow and inconsistent to work properly. Picture is below. Any ideas? Apologies if my lingo isn't correct, I'm new to this. Thanks!

[Ed Gordon]

I am not familiar with that machine, but it does not appear to have any means of adjusting the tension of the belt. A simple fix would be to replace the belt with a shorter one (or shorten the existing spring belt to increase the tension).

Check out: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/co...g-round-belts/

[Donovan Burba]

Thanks, I will give that a shot! Appreciate the response.

[Brian Harrington]

Where did you get the replacement belt? I'm more familiar with rubber belts, in which case I clean them with alcohol, as well as the pulleys, so that they get a better grip. I'm not sure if that would work with spring belts.

When you say "won't turn fast enough", do you mean it stops and the film piles up on the table or floor? They usually turn and spool, or they stop.

The rear pulley which turns the take-up reel has to have a cork or something to apply enough friction to turn the reel, but not too much that it doesn't allow a little slip. This is necessary because the take-up reel turns fastest at the beginning of projecting a reel, and slowest at the end.

See if there is cork there. If it is worn out, it needs to be replaced. Changes to the belt will not fix the problem. You will need to fashion your own piece of cork to fit -- no one sells them. Start with a bottle of wine and proceed from there!

Have you given the machine a good lube? All bets are off until you have. Just remember: oil on the shafts, grease on the teeth of the gears. Use Super Lube as the grease. Just a drop or 2 of oil. Don't overdo the grease, either, but make sure each tooth has some on it. Best way is to add a little at a time and turn them manually until you get a nice even spread. Kinda like smoothing out shaving cream after you've first applied it on your skin in globs.

Another thought: the front gear should be a 2-way gear. Is it engaging the pulley with the belt fully on "forward" and disengaging fully on "rewind"?

BTW, I love the simplicity of those old silent machines! Compare that to the inside of a GS-1200!

[Donovan Burba]

Thanks for all the advice! When I say won't turn fast enough, I mean it doesn't spool up the film on the back spool, and yes, it piles up on the table. I think you're right about the lack of friction on the rear pulley, so I will try the cork solution (twist my arm to get me to drink some wine!).