Something I've been meaning to try for a while to use a more up to date grease for my projector's , I have used a multi purpose one for years and haven't had any problems, maybe its because I do clean off the old stuff and apply new more times than I probably need to but its help keep things running smoothly. I got the Elmo CL out on the table and took off the back to reveal a nice clean set of greased gears, I cleaned off the old and applied the new Silicone based grease on the plastic gears, it's a lot smoother than the old one and seems to give a very nice coating, ran the machine and straight away the grease seems more level around the teeth of the gears, it seems to flow better. Now moving onto the front where the rollers are I used a lithium grease for these as it was for bearing applications, I did use a bit of WD40 on the front upper roller and the same on the rear, the front seems to turn nice and free but the rear wasnt as happy , that's fine as I'll carry on using a drop of WD40 for this roller as it's a very easy removal to do. As for the other rollers they all seem to react well to the lithium grease so I'll keep an eye on them and check on future use, I've also put a dot of white paint to see them all turning freely, these machines are kind to film but only if the rollers move freely, the upper front is often neglected and can scratch if it doesn't turn. Mark

Always handy to know when someone uses something different. Hopefully you have found a good one there by the sound of it.

I have used super lube in the past but switched over to molycote 33, chatting to Bill a few years ago this is what he used and that for me is recommendation enough .
When i first bought my Eiki' many years ago i used sewing machine oil for the rollers, this also seemed to work well and doesn't gel up.
Like you Mark, i like to try and keep the oils and grease fresh. Again, some may recall the article i did on Bill a couple of years ago where one of his tips was to keep that worm gear grease fresh, get in there with an old toothbrush to clean out the old and re grease with new.

As we all know, (and in my early years i very much learned the hard way) it is very easy to over do the lube and oil. It just gets splashed about all over the place.
Reading service books i often raise an eye when it states to service every 500 hours of use. Does anyone actually keep a record of how many hours they use a projector between oiling and greasing etc?

I for one have no idea how many hours my machines do, I use the CL the most for 16mm so have a better idea on how it sounds and performs, I do have quite a few machines but dont use a lot of them but most are running. The CL rollers are easy to get to so I dont mind over doing cleaning and relubing.

I agree that you should know your limits with grease, I did the same with a GS1200, I put too much on the front arm feed and some flew off into the contact for the auto feed and stopped it working, a clean off was all that was needed and it worked again but a lesson learned, Mark.

Where can I pick the grease/lube up as I think both my Bell and Howell TQ1 and my Elf/Eiki NT2 could use some.

Wenn Sie hier auf Links zu eBay klicken und einen Kauf tätigen, kann dies dazu führen, dass diese Website eine Provision erhält.

It'll be worth shopping around as the prices vary quite a bit, i am sure many collectors will also have different oils and greaes they use as well.
I am still lucky enough to have a fair bit of the Elmo red projector oil which i think will see us through.


https://www.univarsc.com/products/molyko...g-grease-medium

Werbung: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123643861080?..._hoCigcQAvD_BwE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SUPER-LUBE-85G-...ps%2C154&sr=8-2

https://carservicekits.co.uk/product/car...-plastic-parts/

I picked mine up David from the local motorist place, £3.99 each, I thought it was a fair price David, I'm quite happy with how it went on etc, Mark

Thanks Both,

Im checking if I can pick some Carlube at Halfords or B&Q.

Can anyone point me/us in the direction of a YouTube video or other resource for how to perform a basic projector lube for 16 or 8 projectors? I have Molycote 33 (also recommended to me by Bill) and sewing machine oil, but I've never actually applied either to my machines!

Unfortunatly, ive never found any videos anywhere on line to show this.

No, I've never seen one either. Does anyone have any instructions then? I'm not too worried because John White always makes sure my PJs are running well, but it would be nice to know.

It is a bit interesting that something that seems as basic as lubrication is such a 'mystery' of sorts--and it is to me. For example, in looking at the Elmo ST-1200 Service manual there are only basic statements such as: "Lubricate all gears with Alvania grease".....But no details on how much or how/where specifically to apply it. I agree a few pics or a youtube video would be super helpful.

Myself, I feel like I apply too much grease. Also, I use the Zoom Spout oiler with the long spout where you can apply a single drop of this clear, refined oil (like sewing machine oil) for things like spindles with rollers on them. I use the Super Lube for gears, as that was more easily available to me than Molykote.

Somewhat related to this discussion, here is a pic of the take-up arm of an Elmo ST-600 which got new belts last night. Note how little grease there is on the gears, and I believe this is how it came from the factory. This projector was a recent addition and was dirty (dead bugs inside) but barely used. I doubt the rear arm cover had ever been removed before last night. I added just a tiny bit of Super Lube to the top two gears using a small bamboo stick to 'paint' the lube onto just a few of the teeth. My thinking was the rotation of the gears would distribute it to some degree at least.

After running the projector a bit I then remove any excess that has spilled over onto the non-toothed face of the gear. But, I could be way off in my thinking on this subject, so I hope a few more members will add their thoughts too.

Just found this on the net ...........

So did the guys that made Bell and Howell projectors with nylon (or similar) worm drive gears! They all cracked due to contact with petroleum based lubricants. I have serviced over 2 dozen of my own 16mm projectors and NO petroleum based lubes on plastic ever. I used a silicone based lube for plastics (superlube is one brand I believe) I would imagine the same to be true with Turntables. The gears in a projector are exposed to a lot of heat from the bulb so I would imagine the ill effects work quickly as opposed to a TT that is stored at room temperature or in a climate controlled environment.

It's a difficult subject as i believe everyone has their own thoughts on the subject. Different projector's probably have different lube charts and so on.
Like Greg, in the past i have tended to probably under lubricate. My projectors in the past have been serviced by professional's, but obviously in time this will be something i will have to do myself. One thing Bill taught me a long time ago was not to over do it, this causes more problems than many things with the oil and grease splashed al over everything. I can only imagine some of the sites he's seen inside some projectors especially where 3 in 1 and WD40 have been used.
Someone can correct me here, but i understand the plastic gears themselves only need a minimum of white grease, the main points are bearings, the worm gear and some of the shafts. It's hard to say how much but reading those service books they do show where to put it all, but you try getting to some of those places. As of yet, i am still to find a non runner i can play with simply to experiment.
Regarding 16mm machines, again, its easy to see where oils and grease are but as always, its easy to over so it. When i got mine back from Kevin brown you would never have guessed it was taken apart as it runs so smooth, the same as my Elmo's do after Bill repaired and serviced for me when he was still working, But, i could see the new oils and grease.
Aside the lubricating of projector's goes, there is one big massive lesson i did learn for my Eiki SL2. (or any 16mm) NEVER touch anything to do with the gate. A day will come when there will be no alternative to home repairs, but for now, aside the very simple stuff, i like to leave them alone.
Greg, regarding those Elmo lubes, most of those arnt available now, one type of grease and oil should replace most of those listed.

I think when doing this sort of thing it's trial and error, I've used the same multi purpose grease for years so why change now? Well simple as I first stated, a more up to date product. I'm no projector repair expert either, I've just read here and there getting ideas(hence the grease) and how to apply it, when you open up the back of a projector it can be a daunting experience but if you look around you'll see plastic and metal gears and bearings, all these areas in many cases haven't seen any new grease for years, you'll get a general idea by how hard the old stuff is too by a bit of probing. If you can get to most parts and give them a clean before applying any new ,I use dashboard wipes to clean gears etc, isopropanol and small brushes,again others may use something else. If I cant find info on certain areas of the machine and I dont know how to adjust or repair then I leave well alone, if I have more than one type of machine I will have a go and then have a reference to put it all back together, it's just how brave you want to be, I wouldn't know where to start on a GS1200 but have done repairs and a ST1200 I will do a fair bit, I think applying grease is straight forward to do it's the cleaning off that takes the time but normally easily done, Mark

Just re-reading this thread, the one thing i did forget to add was a good tip that Bill gave me some years ago, although i'm sure most of you will already be doing this. That is, (for the Elmo ST1200s) where the worm gear is concerned, every couple of years, or less time if used a lot, get the old grease off, get in there with an old tooth brush, clean it all up and re grease, also, if you can get some oil in the bearing of the shaft. I've had the projector stood on its back overnight, (well protected around it in case it topples), this allows enough time for the oil to hopefully sink in, again, not to over do it, just a drop or two. The same at the back of the motor, obviously stood on its front. Thanks for tips Bill, your repair services are greatly missed but your retirement is greatly deserved.

A product we use at work is this stuff, Wurth HHS 200 Highly Adhesive synthetic oil flea bay no 254747540456. Unlike normal oil it does not run away or dribble, spray on and it sticks to all metal surfaces and stays there, very good for shafts and moving parts, perfect for your projector parts because it will not drop on anything or get flung around, its like grease and oil combined, bloody brilliant stuff this is ...............