778 



Popular Science Monthly 



Making a Re-Winder for a Motion 

 Picture Film 



AFTER a motion picture film has been 

 run through a projecting machine it is 

 necessary to re-wind it upon another reel 

 before it can be exhibited again. There are 

 many devices on the market for doing this. 

 For the amateur possessing a small machine 

 and not wishing to purchase a re-winder, 

 the device described herewith will be found 

 adequate. 



The re-winder consists simply of two 

 supports fitted with suitable shafts for the 

 film reels to revolve upon, one of which is 

 provided with a crank and ratio of gearing, 

 to enable the speedy re-winding of films. 

 The one described in this article is intended 

 for the standard iooo-foot reels, which are 

 about 10 in. in diameter, but the dimen- 

 sions may be varied to accommodate larger 

 reels, if desired. 



The supports are two posts, preferably of 

 hard wood, 8 in. long and 2 in. square. At 

 a point 1 in. from the top of each post a 

 J^-in. hole is bored through the center. 

 From 1/16-in. sheet steel four plates are 

 cut, two of them 2 in. square, and two 3^ 

 by 2 in. The two smaller plates are 

 drilled as shown in the drawing with three 

 3<£-in. holes, and screwed to the sides of one 

 of the posts so that the central hole coin- 

 cides with the hole in the post. This 

 forms the bearing for the shaft which sup- 

 ports the reel. The two larger plates are 

 drilled with four holes, and screwed to 

 opposite sides of the other post so that the 

 two central holes coincide with the two 



A film must be reeled back before it can be 

 run through the projecting lantern again 



holes in the post. The reel supports are 

 now completed. 



The shafts on which the film reels revolve 

 are 4^ in. long and are cut from J^-in. 

 brass tubing. At a point i^-i in. from the 

 end of one of these rods a 1/16-in. hole is 

 drilled and a small brad driven into it and 

 filed off, leaving a point about 3/16 in. long 



projecting. This is to fit into the corre- 

 sponding slot in the reel so that it will 

 revolve with the shaft. The shafts are 

 slipped into their bearings in the posts and 

 held in place with collars and set screws 

 placed .on either 

 side of the posts. 

 The shaft to 

 which the crank 

 is screwed is 2% 

 in. long. After 

 the shaft is slip- 

 ped through the 

 holewhich serves 

 as a bearing, a 

 large spur-gear 

 is fastened to it 

 close to the post, 



-SHAFT- 



Brad to engage 

 slot i n film 

 reel 



Crank shaft ^"j 

 5 crew 



Shaft 



5crew 



Dimensions of the parts, plates and shafts 

 for making a convenient re-winder for films 



meshing with a smaller gear on the reel 

 shaft. These gears may be of any con- 

 venient size, but a good ratio is three to 

 one, the smaller gear being % in. in diame- 

 ter, and the larger one 2 34 in. 



The two supports now completed are 

 screwed to a base consisting of a board 24 

 in. long, 6 in. wide and Y2 m - thick. To 

 allow an inspection of the film as it passes 

 from one reel to the other, these should be 

 placed about 20 in. apart. When it is 

 desired to re-wind a reel of film, the collars 

 on the protruding ends of the shafts are 

 removed, the reels slipped in place, and the 

 collars replaced. — Lucius E. Winchester. 



A Hard Finish for a Lunch 

 Counter Top 



THE best finish for a bar or lunch coun- 

 ter is linseed oil well rubbed into the 

 wood when it is new, and often later on. 



