DeVry ESF sound projector from the 1930's

[Herb Montes]

Call me me crazy but I acquired an ancient DeVry ESF 35mm portable
sound projector from eBay. It's in fair condition and I would like to
restore this projector to good working condition. It came with a
rusty Simplex magazine and it could be missing some parts. I have
another DeVry coming I also bought on eBay but this one is a silent
version that looks similar. I think this is worth restoring since it
would make a nice portable projector for 35mm shows. At least for the
nostalgia value of a part of film history.

If anyone has any experience with these or documentation that would
help me with the restoration I would greatly appreciate it. Thank
you.

-Herb

[Early Film]

Post by Herb Montes
Call me me crazy but I acquired an ancient DeVry ESF 35mm portable
sound projector from eBay. It's in fair condition and I would like to
restore this projector to good working condition. It came with a
rusty Simplex magazine and it could be missing some parts. I have
another DeVry coming I also bought on eBay but this one is a silent
version that looks similar. I think this is worth restoring since it
would make a nice portable projector for 35mm shows. At least for the
nostalgia value of a part of film history.

If you bought a suitcase DeVry, like pictured in auction 3816944796, which is
sound, or in auction 3816563586, which is silent, then even when restored, the
image quality will not be that good. Any needed replacement parts will have to
be hand made, unless you can cannibalize.


If you bought one of the heavier portable DeVry machines, like pictured in
auction 3819112535 which were made from the 1930s to late 1940s, you will find
that these still give good service today, and parts are still available.

Earl.

[Herb Montes]

Post by Early Film

Post by Herb Montes
Call me me crazy but I acquired an ancient DeVry ESF 35mm portable
sound projector from eBay. It's in fair condition and I would like to
restore this projector to good working condition. It came with a
rusty Simplex magazine and it could be missing some parts. I have
another DeVry coming I also bought on eBay but this one is a silent
version that looks similar. I think this is worth restoring since it
would make a nice portable projector for 35mm shows. At least for the
nostalgia value of a part of film history.

If you bought a suitcase DeVry, like pictured in auction 3816944796, which is
sound, or in auction 3816563586, which is silent, then even when restored, the
image quality will not be that good. Any needed replacement parts will have to
be hand made, unless you can cannibalize.
If you bought one of the heavier portable DeVry machines, like pictured in
auction 3819112535 which were made from the 1930s to late 1940s, you will find
that these still give good service today, and parts are still available.
Earl.

I did purchase the first two you mentioned. I am not that concerned
with the image quality. I am an animator who will be filming stop
motion work on 35mm and needed a way to view workprints. These old
projectors would be fine for that purpose. One cost me $100 and the
other $50. If anything it would be possible to combine parts from
both machines to make a system for viewing workprints. Though the
missing parts seem to be mostly reel spindles. The main mechanisms
look like in decent shape.

A 35mm Moviola or Steenbeck are hard to find in my part of the
country. So I have to settle for what I can find and afford.

I have seen the newer model you mention as well, the DeVry Model D. I
have seen a pair of these owned by a local film collector and dealer
of home projection equipment. He wanted $5,000.00 for the pair. They
were in excellent condition but I don't know if he still has them
(it's been a year since I have visited him). They were too far out of
my price range.

Thanks for the advice.

[John Anastasio]

Just expect that your workprint is going to end up looking like it's been
dragged through a sand pit when you've shown it on one of those a few times.
They're hell on film.
Never run anything of value through one.

Post by Herb Montes

Post by Early Film

Post by Herb Montes
Call me me crazy but I acquired an ancient DeVry ESF 35mm portable
sound projector from eBay. It's in fair condition and I would like to
restore this projector to good working condition. It came with a
rusty Simplex magazine and it could be missing some parts. I have
another DeVry coming I also bought on eBay but this one is a silent
version that looks similar. I think this is worth restoring since it
would make a nice portable projector for 35mm shows. At least for the
nostalgia value of a part of film history.

If you bought a suitcase DeVry, like pictured in auction 3816944796, which is
sound, or in auction 3816563586, which is silent, then even when restored, the
image quality will not be that good. Any needed replacement parts will have to
be hand made, unless you can cannibalize.
If you bought one of the heavier portable DeVry machines, like pictured in
auction 3819112535 which were made from the 1930s to late 1940s, you will find
that these still give good service today, and parts are still available.
Earl.

I did purchase the first two you mentioned. I am not that concerned
with the image quality. I am an animator who will be filming stop
motion work on 35mm and needed a way to view workprints. These old
projectors would be fine for that purpose. One cost me $100 and the
other $50. If anything it would be possible to combine parts from
both machines to make a system for viewing workprints. Though the
missing parts seem to be mostly reel spindles. The main mechanisms
look like in decent shape.
A 35mm Moviola or Steenbeck are hard to find in my part of the
country. So I have to settle for what I can find and afford.
I have seen the newer model you mention as well, the DeVry Model D. I
have seen a pair of these owned by a local film collector and dealer
of home projection equipment. He wanted $5,000.00 for the pair. They
were in excellent condition but I don't know if he still has them
(it's been a year since I have visited him). They were too far out of
my price range.
Thanks for the advice.

[Herb Montes]

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 13:11:32 GMT, "John Anastasio"

Post by John Anastasio
Just expect that your workprint is going to end up looking like it's been
dragged through a sand pit when you've shown it on one of those a few times.
They're hell on film.
Never run anything of value through one.

Yeah, I would expect that. I have had some experience as a machinist
(I worked in the medical electronics industry buidling test fixtures
for cardiac pacemakers) so I can polish and clean up the parts where
the film contacts the transport. And it would be just a workprint. I
know not to run camera negatives and final prints through something
like this. Maybe in the future I'll be lucky enough to find a
Steenbeck in my neck of the woods.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Herb Montes
A 35mm Moviola or Steenbeck are hard to find in my part of the
country. So I have to settle for what I can find and afford.

Actually, there is someone on Ebay who is selling a whole stack of dubbers
and I think he has a 35mm flatbed as well for sale.

Post by Herb Montes
I have seen the newer model you mention as well, the DeVry Model D. I
have seen a pair of these owned by a local film collector and dealer
of home projection equipment. He wanted $5,000.00 for the pair. They
were in excellent condition but I don't know if he still has them
(it's been a year since I have visited him). They were too far out of
my price range.

The problem is that there isn't really much competition. There's the DeVry,
there were those weird Spanish portables that Alan Gordon sold, and there was
the Siemens portable 35. As far as I know, that was it.
--scott

[Peter H.]

The problem is that there isn't really much competition. There's the DeVry,
there were those weird Spanish portables that Alan Gordon sold, and there was
the Siemens portable 35. As far as I know, that was it.
Shinkyo (Japanese), ca. 1958, came in pairs, for changeover.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Herb Montes
A 35mm Moviola or Steenbeck are hard to find in my part of the
country. So I have to settle for what I can find and afford.
Subject: [AMPEX] Lots of MTE Dubbers on eBay
Not something you'd normally look for, but if any of you are interested in
35mm mag film (or optical film),
http://stores.ebay.com/HOLLYWOOD-SHOW-PIECES-BY-RAINMAKERS
is blowing out for $50 each some dubbers. Some look like 3-channel--many
are duals. These are Magnatech with stepper motors. I would suspect they
operate from biphase rather than selsyn.
They also got a bunch of Moviolas.
I suspect they'll end up in the crusher if they don't even sell at this price.

[Peter H.]

LED reader mods are possible for this machine.

Look for such a mod for the Holmes and use that as a basis.

The Holmes one is stereo variable area, and includes the preamp, so all you'll
need is a power amp.

[Herb Montes]

Post by Peter H.
LED reader mods are possible for this machine.
Look for such a mod for the Holmes and use that as a basis.
The Holmes one is stereo variable area, and includes the preamp, so all you'll
need is a power amp.

Thanks for the suggestion though I may not be using the projector much
for running sound prints. I mainly need something that runs 35mm film
at sound speed to check out my stop motion animation. One can only
get a feel for the movements of animating puppets if you watch the
results at 24 f.p.s. You can't get that by running the film through a
hand-driven viewer. An upright Moviola would be nice to have but most
I've seen offered are in California and shipping costs would be
prohibitive to Texas.

The silent DeVry I'm also getting I may convert to run at sound speed
since many are made to run at 16 f.p.s.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Herb Montes
Call me me crazy but I acquired an ancient DeVry ESF 35mm portable
sound projector from eBay. It's in fair condition and I would like to
restore this projector to good working condition. It came with a
rusty Simplex magazine and it could be missing some parts. I have
another DeVry coming I also bought on eBay but this one is a silent
version that looks similar. I think this is worth restoring since it
would make a nice portable projector for 35mm shows. At least for the
nostalgia value of a part of film history.
If anyone has any experience with these or documentation that would
help me with the restoration I would greatly appreciate it. Thank
you.

I have worked on these machines, because they were for many years about
the only portable projectors you could find.

A machine shop that does cylinder drilling and honing (ask your local NASCAR
team) should be able to rebore the lens mount to accept a standard lens.
The number one problem with these projectors is the nonstandard lens mount
and the fact that the stock lenses stink.

Bearings are all standard and are easily available.

The original gate as constructed tends to be very rough on film. As they
get old, they are even rougher. I don't know if LaVezzi can make you a
new gate assembly that will be less of a problem, but it will almost certainly
be a custom machining job.

There used to be brackets to put solar cells into the sound head. Cardinal
might have one in the junk bin somewhere. Modifying the head to accept
prefocus lamps is left as an exercise to the student.

There _is_ a halogen lamp that will fit the existing projection lamp base,
though. It's much brighter and runs much cooler.

These are NO FUN to work on, but there aren't many alternatives for showing
rushes.
--scott

[Peter H.]

A machine shop that does cylinder drilling and honing (ask your local NASCAR
team) should be able to rebore the lens mount to accept a standard lens.
The number one problem with these projectors is the nonstandard lens mount
and the fact that the stock lenses stink.
This is a boring operation, only.

Honing would be a great waste of time and expense, and to hone you have to
already be within 0.0005" (or better) of the desired finished dimension, by
boring.

[Herb Montes]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I have seen the upright
Moviolas on eBay but many of those dealers don't ship them because
they're too heavy, local pick up only. I'm in Texas and I'm not about
to go to California to pick up a Moviola. If I'm lucky one will turn
up here in my part of the woods but they are as rare as a jackalope
around these parts.

[Steve Kraus]

If you have the room a "real" projector (say an old Super Simplex, SH-10nn
soundhead, 3 or 5 point base, etc.) would be a better investment than
putting any money into an ancient DeVry. Rig a light source and it will
serve your animation needs just fine without taking a toll on the film and
if you get a proper lamp you'll be able to run real movies as well. More
bang for the buck either way.

[Robert M. Bratcher Jr]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 04:37:02 GMT, Steve Kraus

Post by Steve Kraus
If you have the room a "real" projector (say an old Super Simplex, SH-10nn
soundhead, 3 or 5 point base, etc.) would be a better investment than
putting any money into an ancient DeVry. Rig a light source and it will
serve your animation needs just fine without taking a toll on the film and
if you get a proper lamp you'll be able to run real movies as well. More
bang for the buck either way.

Question. What about the Devry XD? Is it rougher of film than a full
size (theater) projector suck as an older Simplex or Century?

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Robert M. Bratcher Jr
On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 04:37:02 GMT, Steve Kraus

Post by Steve Kraus
If you have the room a "real" projector (say an old Super Simplex, SH-10nn
soundhead, 3 or 5 point base, etc.) would be a better investment than
putting any money into an ancient DeVry. Rig a light source and it will
serve your animation needs just fine without taking a toll on the film and
if you get a proper lamp you'll be able to run real movies as well. More
bang for the buck either way.

Question. What about the Devry XD? Is it rougher of film than a full
size (theater) projector suck as an older Simplex or Century?

Yes, but again I think a better quality gate could be made with a few days
of machine shop time. The big scratching issues on the Devry machines have
to do with poorly designed and machined gates and guides. If you have access
to a shop and are willing to put some time in, I think they could be turned
into reliable machines. It won't be easy, but it might be fun.
--scott

[Herb Montes]

Post by Scott Dorsey

Post by Robert M. Bratcher Jr
On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 04:37:02 GMT, Steve Kraus

Post by Steve Kraus
If you have the room a "real" projector (say an old Super Simplex, SH-10nn
soundhead, 3 or 5 point base, etc.) would be a better investment than
putting any money into an ancient DeVry. Rig a light source and it will
serve your animation needs just fine without taking a toll on the film and
if you get a proper lamp you'll be able to run real movies as well. More
bang for the buck either way.

Question. What about the Devry XD? Is it rougher of film than a full
size (theater) projector suck as an older Simplex or Century?

Yes, but again I think a better quality gate could be made with a few days
of machine shop time. The big scratching issues on the Devry machines have
to do with poorly designed and machined gates and guides. If you have access
to a shop and are willing to put some time in, I think they could be turned
into reliable machines. It won't be easy, but it might be fun.
--scott

I have machining experience and having to fix up these DeVrys would be
a challenge but not beyond my abilities. I have serviced Kodak
Pageants and other school projectors for years. And I know my way
around a camera's insides.

[Herb Montes]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 04:37:02 GMT, Steve Kraus

Post by Steve Kraus
If you have the room a "real" projector (say an old Super Simplex, SH-10nn
soundhead, 3 or 5 point base, etc.) would be a better investment than
putting any money into an ancient DeVry. Rig a light source and it will
serve your animation needs just fine without taking a toll on the film and
if you get a proper lamp you'll be able to run real movies as well. More
bang for the buck either way.

Unfortunately I don't have that kind of room. I'm not interested in
setting up a screening room. I just need a way to view tests with my
35mm animation camera.