Elmo ST-1200 problem

[Angus]

Hi gang,

It's November, and therefore Christmas is approaching. I've got It's A Wonderful Life (full feature) on Super 8 and I wanna show it!

But my Elmo ST-1200 projector has a fault. It threads OK but when running the image is unstable, rather as if it were threading - if that makes sense. The sound is off too, of course.

Any ideas?

[Jonathan]

Hi Angus,

I had a similar problem with a Bauer T502, maybe this helps here: When threading the film, the loop is formed by some guiderails and rollers. Once you turn the switch to projection, those rollers, etc are moved out of the film path so that the film can move freely in the loops above and below the gate. In the case of the T502, the roller below the gate was not moving away any more: the lubricant had gone dry, so the roller stayed where it was during threading. Then the film jumped in the gate, leading to a very unsteady image. The proper solution would be to take the mechanics apart and relubricate it. Since I didn't dare to do this, I now thread the film with the lamp house open, switch to projection and push the roller out of the film path by hand, then put the cover back on. Of course, make sure not to touch any high voltage parts (which don't seem to be accessible in the T502, but maybe in the Elmo) or hot parts, etc...

Maybe you can take a look at your Elmo projector with the cover removed and see if all the rollers switch to the appropriate positions when you switch from threading to projection.

Hope this helps,

Jonathan.

[aj]

Hi Angus,

I had a similar problem with a Bauer T502, maybe this helps here: When threading the film, the loop is formed by some guiderails and rollers. Once you turn the switch to projection, those rollers, etc are moved out of the film path so that the film can move freely in the loops above and below the gate. In the case of the T502, the roller below the gate was not moving away any more: the lubricant had gone dry, so the roller stayed where it was during threading.
Hope this helps,

Jonathan.

Take out the pressure plate in maintenance mode.

Then just give it one drop of sewing machine oil on the axis head and on from the side on the stack on the axis. Make it going again by moving this finger with roller part by hand. May very well be some 25 times in and out. Leave a bit and later give it another exercise. In a day it will be moving again by itself.

[Angus]

OK I have had a chance to work on the machine and the pressure plate seems to be moving as it should.

I can't see what's wrong. But when the film appears almost as if it is shifting side to side. The sound is also wonky.

I've attached a few photos of the machine in the hope someone can point out something that is wrong?

[Angus]

Any further advice really would be appreciated

[aj]

Sorry, I have no experience with the gs1200.

[BAC]

Looking at your pictures it looks like it could use a good cleaning. I clean the film path on a regular basis with rubbing alcohol. I then lubricate the film path with bees wax. Make sure it's 100% pure bees wax, no additives. Rub a little bees wax on the parts that the film will come in contact including the pressure plate, then wipe the excess off. This can make a big difference in how smooth the film transports through the projector. Some people clean the film path after every showing.

[aj]

Sorry, I have no experience with the gs1200.

And it is about the ST1200

I thought I had seen this.
Maybe this helps? The site owner used to post here.
http://www.mondofoto.com/manuals/elmo+s ... ce+manual/