The Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1913)

378 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Isolated Light Plant. Mr. \V. C. Weygint, operator Pierce Opera House, Pierce, Neb., writes: In return for what I have received through the department, I will try and help some of the brother operators and managers who have been inquiring in regard to isolated electric light plants. When we took the opera house here last May we were unable to get good results from the city current; therefore installed a 4 h. p. Cushman 2-cycle engine and a Standard zY% k. w., 60-volt generator— d. c, of course — costing $320, which included all wiring, globes and the installing of the plant. We are using about forty incandescent 48 and 16 c. p. globes, besides the projection arc. Have a Power's "Six" machine on a 65-foot throw and get a picture which traveling men say it is hard to beat. I have, I think, the best electric light plant on the market today. The engine has got everything that I ever saw or heard of beat to a standstill. It is 4 h. p., yet only weighs 150 pounds, and this alone is a big feature. The 2^/2 k. w. generator weighs 550 pounds. Anyone wishing a plant which can be moved from place to place could not get anything more suitable. I purchased this plant last July, and it has given me the best of satisfaction. I would not part with it at four times its cost and do without it. I start it going and do not see it again until the show closes, and have run it from 7:30 p. m. till 3 o'clock in the morning on special occasions, such as dances, so you see I have given it a very good test, indeed. You certainly are enthusiastic about this plant, friend Weygint. I am publishing what you say without, however, committing myself in any way by so doing. Certainly a plant that is as light as this, and which will produce the results you claim, is worthy of investigation. Dynamo Overload. Mr. E. F. Dowdell. of the Idle Hour Theater and Amusement Company, Artesian, S. D., writes: We are projecting an 11 ft. picture with a 42 ft. throw, using an Edison Exhibition model which has been giving excellent satisfaction. Take current from a 2 k.w., no volt dynamo, through a rheostat. We intend to install a larger dynamo soon, however. We run three 25 watt lamps when the arc is on, but believe that the present dynamo is somewhat overloaded. We mention these facts because there seems to be a great variance of opinion as to the amount of current necessary to procure good light. From our experience a 3 or zlA k.w., no volt generator will give ample illumination, unless a large number of house lights are to be used. Of course a 60 volt generator would be much more economical in the matter of fuel consumption. Have tried prepared chalk on the commutator with excellent results, using it to polish after an application of 00 sandpaper and vaseline. All of which is respectfully referred to our readers for consideration. I have many times expressed my opinion as to the advisability of having a surplus of both engine and dynamo capacity. It pays to have it. Many thanks for your kind words of appreciation. The work of this department is by no means easy and it encourages one to know that his efforts are appreciated. There is a vast amount of work done by the editor concerning which you know nothing, but the benefit of which you reap in many different ways. What Ought I to do to This Man? Mr. Benj. G. Hull, Westfield, Mass. (Westfield is near Springfield, and tinder the jurisdiction of that union), writes as follows: I am clad that you enjoyed yourself on the occasion of your visit to Springfield to attend our ball. My wife asked why I did not introduce her to you. I told her that you were so busy talking to the boys that ladies did not have any chance. Here is a scheme I use to prevent "pulling down" in rewinding. Take a piece of % inch gas pipe 7 inches long and to one end attach a flange. Bolt this down to the rewinding bench. Now drill a hole Yt inch from the top, small enough that a 6 inch spike will fit tightly in it when driven in and so that it will tilt up a little bit. Next get a large bolt nut, say 1% inch and hold this against the reel while rewinding, being careful that the three screws do not stick out or they will catch. If you hold the nut tightly against the reel the film will rewind snugly and pulling down will be avoided. In closing I must congratulate you on the excellence of the new handoook. Now what do you think of that! I am sure this brother has a mighty good looking wife and the jealous villain did not introduce me to her. I think I will go right back up there and bite him. Now, Mrs. Hull, next time I come to Springfield you just march right up and we will introduce each other to each other and tell Mr. Hull to go away back in the corner and fan himself. Huh! As to that rewinding scheme, the idea is correct, but why bother with a crude appliance when you have exactly the same thing provided in most excellent form in the rewind shown in Fig. 154, page 372t of the handbook. Hard to Start. Mr. Glenn Bossard, Avon, New York, orders a Handbook and writes: I have a new Power's Six A ^-rojector, which is working fine. I also have a mercury arc rectifier which is very hard to start. The tube will tip but seems to stick there, but the arc hu'-ns fine when I finally get it going. Do you think the trouble is in the magnet? If you can suggest anything I would be glad to try it. I have forwarded your letter to the Rectifier Department of the General Electric Company with request that tn y fix you up. Power's Six A machine seems to oe giving very general satisfaction. Light Trouble. Excelsior Springs, Mo., propounds the following inquiry Am using no volts d. c, with a Simplex 1913 Mode! projector and an 82-foot throw. Use two 6l/2 and one 7 r > condensers, the 6J4 next the arc. Have two-wing shutter and only a very slight ghost. The light is very good when not running the machine, but when running it gets dark all over. The definition is sharp, but the above trouble refuses to be remedied. Have thought of using narrower shutters. Would that help? When the machine is standing still the lens is m i you ar« getting all the light which passes through the aperture, but when th« machine is running the revolving shutter cuts approximately 50 per cent. of your light; therefore the illumination is only half a brilliant. There is no way of overcoming this with the present type of projector. If you make your shutter blades narrower you will get more light, but you will also get a travel ghost. Presumably by "slight ghost" you mean travel ghost, which would, if only one way, indicate that your shutter needs adjustment. If both ways, the shutter blaae is too narrow, or too far from the lens. Mixing Colors for Card Work. Mr J. Sursh, Coffeyville, Kan., writes: I have not heretofore contributed to the department for the simple reason that I am not an operator or a manager, nor am I ■ in any way directly connected with the motion picture business. In traveling over the country, however, I have noticed a great many operators are using prepared water colors for making show cards and posters for theater front advertising. I also find that most of them would like to know how to make their own colors, and although I do not believe the operator should have to do sign work and other things around a theater, still many operatoralso managers, particularly in the small towns, and they seem to like to do this work. I had supposed that every one able to execute a show card knew how to mix the colors, but it seems they do not, and for the benefit of those I give the following: Buy some finely ground dry' color, of the shade you desire. Dampen this color with grain alcohol (wood alcohol is bad for the eyes), and then, with a knife or flat cork, grind in dextrin mucilage or Le Page's glue. If the latter is used you will have to first thin it with a little water. Dextrin mucilage can be made by dissolving dextrin in water until a point of suspension is reached. Use boiling water and add about 20 drops of oil of cloves to every quart of dextrin. The best dry colors I have found can be procured from the Detroit School of Lettering, Detroit, Mich., the price ranging from 25 cents to Si. 45 for a half-pound package, with the exception of Persian scarlet and purple, which always sell at the market price. For rapid one-stroke work in water colors this school furnishes an excellent one-stroke lettering brush, which beats anything I have ever seen. Assuming that what the brother has set forth is correct, I desire, on behalf of our department readers, to cordially thank him for the informa* tion conveyed in his letter. I am sure it will be appreciated, especially by small town managers. Information of this Kind is of distinct Rheostats Overloaded. Harrisburg. Pa., writes as follows: The coils of my rheostat become just red enough -: [ can see them in the dark. All my connections are in good shape and I clean them twice a month. We have our wall shutters arranged with a master cord, as per the handbook, and I note that in this week's World you suggested putting a piece of film across the spreader. The suggestion is already followed. You bet we are up to date in this theater! We run nothing over 12 days old, and have the best projection in town, using two Standard machines. Can you charge dry cell batteries with d. c. ? I think you can. The brother also made a sketch of his method of keeping the reels in the operating room, but I could not quite understand. Do you have a special can made, or what? As to the rheostat, it is overloaded a little, but if you can only faintly discern the redness in the dark the matter is not serious. It will do no more than shorten the life of the coils somewhat. As to "charging dry cells with d. c," I do not understand what you mean. On page 387 of the handbook you will find a method by which dry cells may be renewed. If that is the kind of cell you are talking about, you cannot charge them with current. Storage batteries are charged with d. c. That Quiver Explained. From Mr. Wm. Long comes the following: Some time ago I sent a picture of the Atlantic City operators. Attached find a newspaper clipping which shows we mean business. Now, as to that quiver we were talking about. About three years ago a friend came to me with the same proposition, and I laughed at him, but went to see for myself. From the operating room objects really appeared to quiver on the screen. In the center of the house I could just see it a little, but down in front the quiver was entirely absent, so I walked slowly back, watching the screen all the time, and discovered the trouble, and what do you think it was? Simply the effect caused by the heat arising in the center of the house, the same as you often see it in the summer time. Very likely the brother who is troubled with the quiver will find that it is due to exactly the same thing. There are five new houses going up in Atlantic City. We now have one seating 1,900. As to the quiver, your explanation certainly is unique, brother Long, and it is passed on to the department fans for their consideration. The newspaper clipping says that the operators' union (I. B. E. W.) was formed to assist in the enforcement of city ordinances in reference to having none but reliable licensed operators in the moving picture theater* of Atlantic City.