You've gone through Grandma's attic and have come up with old films and a projector. At first you set them aside but the titles on the outside of the film boxes intrigue you. "Marilyn at Spy School" reads one. You have to get that projector up and running. The threading process makes you appreciate the VCR and the DVD, but you can do it, step by step.
Instructions
1. Feed the film through the slit at the top called the feedhole. Pull about 2 feet of film off the reel and insert it straight down into this opening. It will now be in front of the upper feed sprocket.
2. Arc the film underneath the sprocket which takes it back toward the back of the projector. Make certain that the sprocket teeth are lined up with the holes in the side of the film. Close the pad roller arm, which will secure the film.
3. Form an arching loop between the sprocket and the back wall of the film compartment, which is called the film trap. Leave the loop loose enough so there is some play. Use the two tiny guide bars to direct the path the film should take.
4. Line up a frame to fit in the window that you see next. The little window that the light shines through is called the aperture. After the film is lined up, wrap it around the next sprocket, called the intermittent, making certain the teeth are in the holes.
5. Slide the trap gate, the piece that sits between the lens and the film trap, into place. You will recognize the trap gate by the hole in the center and its width. This little piece keeps the film in place while it is being projected and maintains its stability
6. Loop the film toward the back of the projector and pull it through the lower feed sprocket and around two more sprockets that don't have teeth. It goes in front of the first drum and then behind the second. Move the film toward the front of the projector, lapping it over one more sprocket which is the sound feed sprocket. Again this has teeth so line them up. The film will make an arc.
7. Thread the film after the arc through the hole in the bottom of the projector. Insert it into the hole in the take up reel and you are ready to turn the projector on.
Tags: feed sprocket, back projector, film toward, film trap, sprocket which, toward back
