End Of Year Maintenance

[DCATTechie]

My high school has about 24 S4's of varying degrees along with Altman Cycs, Altman 8" fresnels, and Altman 3.5Q-MT-5's. We have just finished our last production of the year and I was put in charge of taking down all of our fixtures and cleaning them and preping them for next year. What all should i do to take care of all the fixtures and get them ready for next year?

 

[icewolf08]

We just had a thread on cleaning lenses and such. It sounds like ETC now recommends using diluted isopropyl alcohol to clean the lenses and reflectors. You should use a lint free cloth, or coffee filters work pretty well. Also, if you have access to an air compressor that works well and doesn't spray oil you can blow any loose dust off with that before cleaning.

You should check all the bolts and knobs to make sure they are either tight or move like they are supposed to. You can also hit the shutters with a little bit of graphite spray to keep them moving freely.

 

[DCATTechie]

Do I take the lenses off the track on the S4's or do i clean then while there sitting in the shell? If if take them off, how do i got about doing that? Also, how do you clean a reflector on an Altman Fresnel and an Altman Cyc?

 

[derekleffew]

Do I take the lenses off the track on the S4's or do i clean then while there sitting in the shell? If if take them off, how do i got about doing that? Also, how do you clean a reflector on an Altman Fresnel and an Altman Cyc?

In an ideal world, you'd want to do fixture maintenance at the beginning of the season rather than the end. Of course, there's never a wrong time to perform maintenance. "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean; here's a broom."

See this link for maintaining SourceFour™s. SourceFour Assembly Guide.

As for the Altmans, the same 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and distilled water in a new, clearly labeled, spray bottle, and cotton diapers or coffee filters will work on reflectors and lenses. You'll need to remove all the lamps, and it's a good time to inspect them for any filament distortion. Any with mis-shapen filaments should go into the "emergency spares pile". (Use for fixtures that are easy to access, and not crucial to the show.)

When you're done with the cleaning, use the search for the many posts/threads here on "bench focusing".

Hope this helps.

 

[Les]

I doubt you will need to remove the S4 lenses from their tube. I'd just pull the barrel and hit the lens from the front and back so it looks clean. In the case of S4's with 2 lenses (forgot which degree they are) you may want to pull the lenses IF they look significantly dirty or dusty.

 

[soundlight]

For yearly maintenance, we don't even wash 'em. Just hit 'em from either end with an oil-free compressor hose (there's an oil and debris filter in the line). Then take out the lens tube and hit the reflector with the air hose, and then pop the tailcap and hit behind the reflector with the air hose.

 

[derekleffew]

I doubt you will need to remove the S4 lenses from their tube. I'd just pull the barrel and hit the lens from the front and back so it looks clean. In the case of S4's with 2 lenses (forgot which degree they are) you may want to pull the lenses IF they look significantly dirty or dusty.

Of the standard series, only the 36° has two lenses. Of the EDLT series, ALL have two lenses.
soundlight has a good point, unless the lenses are extremely dirty, better to not disassemble the lens tubes. Clean air should be enough. Now, if you regularly use cracked oil hazers, that's a different matter.

 

[Capi]

If it was me, I might also take the time to visually inspect the socket contacts for any sign of corrosion and check the tail for any sign of wear. Agree/disagree?

Where do you get graphite spray from icewolf? I could really use some on some of my fixtures (especially the Altman baby zooms). Does it also work for sticky barrels?

 

[avkid]

http://www.graphitestore.com/itemDetails.asp?item_id=444&prd_id=35&cat_id=28&curPage=1

 

[Capi]

Any suggestions for buying it from a brick-and-mortar store?

 

[avkid]

Auto parts or industrial supply store.

 

[derekleffew]

I specifically remember a rep. from Strong telling me that graphite in any form is bad for lubricating irises, as it can cause more harm than good. I believe something about graphite becoming liquid at high temperatures. The link avkid posted, I think the same as this: molybdenum disulfide lubricant, seems a better alternative. I'll let you know what I found out from Strong.

 

[avkid]

There are two types of graphite spray on that website I mentioned.
One is flammable and the other is not.
The maximum recommended temperature for the non-conductive/non flammable spray is 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[lieperjp]

Any suggestions for buying it from a brick-and-mortar store?

If you can't find it at an auto parts store, I'd try your local machine shop. My dad works at a tool and die shop and he brings home graphite lube sometimes. Ask if they can order some for you. It might not be in spray can form, because the stuff my dad brings home is in a syringe for application.

 

[Dustincoc]

I specifically remember a rep. from Strong telling me that graphite in any form is bad for lubricating irises, as it can cause more harm than good. I believe something about graphite becoming liquid at high temperatures. The link avkid posted, I think the same as this: molybdenum disulfide lubricant, seems a better alternative. I'll let you know what I found out from Strong.

Altman recommends commercial fine power(powder?) graphite for shutters and iris mechanisms. WD-40 for sliding lens tubes, lock down hardware, and clamps. Reflectors should be cleaned with denaturated alcohol.

 

[derekleffew]

There are two types of graphite spray on that website I mentioned.
One is flammable and the other is not.
The maximum recommended temperature for the non-conductive/non flammable spray is 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

From ETC SourceFour™ documentation:
Question: What is the gate temperature of a Source Four?
Answer: Flat field focus, 45º C [113° F] ambient temperature: 328º C [622° F] @ 575 watts, 419º C [786° F] @ 750 watts.