Check Your Feet!

[Steve Klare]

-NO, NOT the ones you put in your shoes! (-although, here and there that’s not a bad idea, either…)

What I’m talking about is the feet on your projectors. They’re down there for years doing their job while the belts and the bulbs and all the other bits and bobs get all the attention. Fact of the matter is we rarely look at the bottom of our machines (maybe it’s just not fashionable). I was picking up my Kodak Pageant a few days ago, right hand on the handle, left along a bottom edge,...something just felt…wrong!

-so I took a look:
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Doesn’t look at all like a Kodak Pageant, does it? It could be a guitar amplifier or a big speaker or a case for a musical instrument. (-all perspective!)
















-but look at these feet! The top one has the plastic foot just busted up: a nice, jagged burr, but the bottom is even worse! The “foot” in that case is now a Phillips head screw. It’s been at it so long that the plating is wearing off. I had to pick all sorts of debris out of the screw head before I could remove it: these are scrapings of whatever surfaces this has been sliding around on for a couple of years. (It certainly has left its mark on the world!)


This is a potential public-relations nightmare! I usually operate this thing on a projector stand: nice, thick cast aluminum tabletop: it’s basically an anvil when it comes to surface damage. -but, what happens that day your friends let you put this machine on their polished mahogany table top? Will they ever invite you again? (-and what happens if you are married to the owner of that polished mahogany table top?! Will you wind up showing your nasty films out in the garage?)


Fortunately, a trip to the hardware store, about 5 bucks and a few minutes with a screwdriver set everything right. One original foot survived intact: Good! it's nice to have an example when you replace a part.






I noticed too, that with the new feet, the machine has a lot more grip on the surface. Considering how close it is to the edge, this may keep it from sliding off there some day. It’s a win all around!

Now, In case you are wondering how this got to be a General Yak (It was only a Colonel Yak five days ago…). Well, this isn’t just a “16mm Problem”.
o

-Behold the 800 Series Eumig!

One again: Check your feet!

Coming soon: Check your teeth! (GEARS, that is!)

[Dominique De Bast]

For some unknown reason, I cannot see your pictures, Steve.

[Steve Klare]

Hi Dominique,

I'm sorry to hear that: for better or worse, I see them, right where I left them!

Of course, you aren't missing much! It's pictures of projector feet!

Isn't this where people start to say things like "Which browser are you using?"?

(Life was simpler when it was just motors, gears, circuit boards and wires.)

[Dominique De Bast]

To other forum members : am I the only one who cannot see the pictures ?

[Janice Glesser]

You are not the only one Dominique.... I can't see the pics either. I had this problem with one of my initial posts on the new forum software. If you can still edit Steve you might try adding the photos again. I eventually had to send Doug my photo and have him reinsert it for me into my topic.

[Steve Klare]

That's whacky!

I just tried on my cell phone and I see them there! (I inserted them with my PC).

I'll replace them while I can still edit...

OK: I re-uploaded. The only thing I did differently is I abstained from centering the pictures this time. (Which I actually have done before without problems)

[Dominique De Bast]

I can see the pictures, now Thanks !

[Steve Klare]

Good!

I'm going to ask Doug to remove our off-topic posts here (OK?)

[Graham Ritchie]

Good points Steve The Eumig projectors are bad at it, all down to"old age" I use anti-slip matting, I am not sure if that's what you call it but you can buy it in a roll, its for kitchen/general use and its cheap to buy. You can cut it and use it anywhere you dont want things to move around, your supermarket might sell it

[Steve Klare]

Thanks, Graham

I've been pondering how to fix this myself. I doubt I can get exact replacement feet in this case.

I'm not really sure how the original Eumig feet mounted: it looks like they screwed onto studs inserted in that plate and all that's left there now is the top part of the foot that hasn't torn away. This machine was almost 30 years old when I bought it, so I don't know what a new one looks like.

It's not as dire as the Pageant: in that case it may weigh three times as much and it was basically sitting on a set of claws! With the Eumig, a tablecloth is enough to prevent any gouging.

[Barry Fritz]

I can see the pics. I’ve replaced numerous feet...mostly on older 16mm machines. Even if the originals are intact, they are likely hard as a rock and could do considerable damage.

[Steve Klare]

Yes,

I'm starting to think the original feet weren't really plastic at all, but rubber. Over the years they gradually hardened past the point of becoming brittle, and then they broke apart.

-kind of like an old set of tires that cracks and fails even before the tread is worn out.

[Joe Caruso]

Here's a film shoe-store called Pagaent-Pushers - Cheap joke, but it's mine - Shorty

[Ken Finch]

I have had to replace rubber feet on quite a few myself. I also use table protecting non slip matting which also helps to quieten noise of the projector. We also need to check rubber cables at these perish over a period of time, particularly the moulded connector types i.e. Bell and Howell "Y" leads. Ken Finch.

[Janice Glesser]

Steve.. Nice job replacing the feet. I always keeps some of these assorted Dollar Tree felt pads handy to stick to the bottom of feet. They are good in a pinch for protecting the table top surface and also can be use for leveling.

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