Before digital camcorders, before VHS tape cameras, the 8mm film camera was popular for making home movies. Although 8mm is silent film, the cameras were popular during the 1960s and '70s, as they were affordable and film was available in most stores. Even the local drugstore could send your film off for processing and development. Once developed, you set up your Bell & Howell 8mm projector and enjoyed the memories made on the film.
Place the projector on a sturdy table or desk at least eight feet from the projection screen or wall.
Open the cover of the projector by pressing the lever button on the top and removing the cover by tilting it backward from the machine.
Lift the front reel arm up and lock it in place. Do the same with the back reel arm. The front reel is for the movie reel, while the back is for the take-up reel.
Place the film reel on the front arm by attaching it through the center hole of the reel. Ensure that the film drops from the reel in a clockwise manner.
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Attach the take-up reel to the back arm in the same way.
Press down on the level just in front of the projector lens to reveal the loop former that threads the machine. Insert the end of the film into the loop former.
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- Our Techs open each projector and re-lube and replace all belts inside. Bulb is also replaced and projector is fully tested. Product Details - The Bell & Howell 245PA movie projector will play regular 8mm films only. Features include a 1” f1.6 lens, auto film loading, manual frame adjustment and still frame viewing.
Plug the projector into an electrical outlet and turn the knob on the front of the machine to 'Projector.' Continue to hold the loop former lever down until the film advances through the machine automatically.
Bell And Howell 8mm Movie Projector Bulb
Release the lever when the film appears on the opposite side of the projector. Grasp the film by the end and gently pull until you have enough film to reach the take-up reel, plus several inches.
Turn the projector to the 'Off' position. Insert the end of the film into the slot on the center of the take-up reel spindle.
Turn the take up reel in a clockwise rotation until the film has wrapped around the spindle two to three times and the film is taut between the projector and take-up reel.
Turn on the projector; the film will begin to play automatically. Once the film is moving through the machine, turn on the projector lamp by flipping the 'lamp' button on the front or side of the machine.
Tip
The 8mm filmstrip only has sprocket holes on one side of the film.
Warning
Never leave the lamp turned on when the film is stopped. The heat from the lamp can melt the film in only a few seconds.
Threading any Bell and Howell projector is a simple and easy task. It doesn’t matter whether the projector is 8mm or 16mm, manual or automatic threading, the principals are the same. The objective is to thread the film in the projector so that it flows smoothly throughout the entire length of the film without any interruptions. (The most common interruption is that the loop in the film is lost causing the film to skip in the sprockets.) Once you’ve learned how to properly thread the film in the projector you will enjoy many uninterrupted hours of pleasurable film viewing.
The Setup
Plug in the projector but don't turn it on yet. Swing out the reel arms of your projector. In some older vintage models the reel arms are stationary. Depending on the projector's design, horizontal or vertical, the reel containing the film will either be in the front or on the top of the projector.
Snap the film reel and take-up reel into place. The reels will be rotating in a clockwise direction. This means that, as you look at the reel containing the film, the film will hang out of the right side of the reel. 8mm film has sprocket perforations on only one edge of the film so the 8mm projector has teeth on only one side of the sprockets. This will enable you to be sure that the film is loaded correctly. 16mm film has perforations on both edges of the film and sprockets with teeth on each edge. To avoid any threading confusion, remember that the reels move clockwise, therefore the film will always feed out of the right side of the reel as you look at it housed on the projector arm.
Bell & Howell 8mm Projector Instruction Manual
Flip the direction lever to 'Forward.' For manual threading, unroll about two feet of film to thread through the projector.
Manual Threading
Open the first thread sprocket by pushing down on its metal housing. Fit the film perforations over the sprockets and close the housing. Leave no slack between the reel and the first sprocket.
Bell And Howell 8mm Projector Manual
Open the lens gate. Leave about an inch of slack in the film by forming a loop in it before it rests over the lamp opening. Close the lens gate. Leave another inch of slack in the film by forming another loop in the film before feeding it into the second sprocket.
Open the second sprocket by pulling up on its metal housing. Fit the film perforations over the sprockets and close the housing.
Thread the film into the slot in the take-up reel. You should have enough length of film leader to do this. If you need more leader, turn on the projector's motor to let out more. Turn off the motor and finish threading the film into the take-up reel. The projector is now threaded.
Turn on the motor and lamp switches to watch the film.
Automatic Threading
The setup is the same as the manual setup. Rather than manually threading the projector, simply flip the direction lever to 'Forward' and the control switch to 'Motor.'
Press down the upper loop former and slip the film into the threading slot. The film is threaded automatically.
The film should automatically be taken up by the take-up reel. If this does not happen, turn the lamp and motor off and thread the film manually into the take-up reel.
Warning
Never turn off the motor while leaving the lamp on. The heat from the lamp will burn the film in the lens gate. Always turn off the lamp before turning off the motor.