# Mole-Richardson



## Les (Sep 1, 2007)

I've had this light up in my attic for about 3 years now, after it was given to me by someone at the local community theatre. The fixture seems to be in really good condition. The whip looks good, as do the sockets and reflector. Other than one missing bolt which holds on the bottom of the accessory holder and a few minor dings, everything looks perfect. Though I've never had the proper lamps to test it. Does anyone know the proper name for this, and what it might be worth assuming it's in working order?


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## Grog12 (Sep 1, 2007)

http://www.mole.com/rentals/prodrefcat.pdf Its either a baby softlight, or a super softlight of some sort. There's no exact match in the catalog, but the folks at MR are nice and would probably help you out if you gave them a call.

Remember that its really a movie light...not a theatrical instrument...but that doesn't mean it won't have its uses in the theatre.


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## derekleffew (Sep 1, 2007)

My guess is it's a Linnebach projector. Does it look like you could put a piece of 1/8" Lexan in the "colorframe" holder? If yes, get yourself some Rosco Colorine, check/rewire the light, obtain the mogul screwbase lamps, and have yourself a time!


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## avkid (Sep 1, 2007)

I hope you don't plan on using that black spray paint!


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## Van (Sep 2, 2007)

I think it's a "Soft light". I thought ,at first,like Derek, that it might be a Linnebach Projector. However a Linnebach is a single point source light, two lamps would throw off the mechanics. Looks a bit too big to be a Baby soft, considering those are mogul bases, the lamps would tend to be rather large.


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## silvrwolf (Sep 2, 2007)

It certainly does look like a Soft light but the casing is different. If you were to look at Lester's light there is a piece of metal on the front of the unit below the reflector housing that is very different then the one on the front of a softlight. How ever it looks almost exact to the Mole Richardson's "Double incandescent broadside lamp". Check out this web page it tells alittle about the use of this in cinematic history. And there is an image that confirms my thoughts.
http://www.mole.com/aboutus/history/smpte/1928-34p521.html

The picture below is one from mole.com from the history timeline page.


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## silvrwolf (Sep 2, 2007)

Here are two lamps that would work with this fixture. One is frosted and one is clear.

Frosted: 
http://www.lightbulbdepot.com/product.asp?sub=51&dep=PS52&prod=03583A

Clear:
http://www.lightbulbdepot.com/product.asp?sub=51&dep=PS52&prod=26673A


This is based on the specs off of the Mole Richardson's plack from your picture.


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## ship (Sep 2, 2007)

Use PS-52 Mogul Screw Globes 110-120v AC or DC. 750 Watt or 1,000 Watt.

These are the lamps specified for the fixture as per the name plate on the fixture. As above with versions of the 750w, the 1Kw DKZ lamp amongst other mogul screw 1Kw lamps otherwise would be normal to use. There is also long life versions of these lamps avaliable. Normally the industrial lamps will have been used and they would have description codes such as believe it or not "750" or "1000". These at least would be for the clear version of the lamps, the frosted versions would be better such as the 750/IF, this if not just plain the DKZ. Love the Thorn version of this lamp. Not persay as rugged, but much smaller.

Double filaments would be bad for a projector.

That fuzzy white wiring leading up from the lamp socket... perhaps it is time for this fixture to get fresh wiring. Looks in good condition but not a type of wiring I want to see on fixtures about me.


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## gafftapegreenia (Sep 2, 2007)

Yes, it's a Broad. Not a softlight being as the light source is visible, not reflected. Broads still exist, of course now we call them "symmetrical floodlights" and the housing is very similar to cyc lights, the difference being with the reflector. I would say this is more along the lines of the old school boxflood or olivette. Not a scoop however, it isn't elliptical.

Just found the "modern equivilent" on the Mole site:

http://extranet.mole.com/public/index.cgi?cmd=view_item&parent=-1899-1900-1905-1925&id=9244


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## Les (Sep 2, 2007)

avkid said:


> I hope you don't plan on using that black spray paint!



Nah, definitely not gonna paint it. That was just for size comparison.

Thanks for the replies! It looks identical to the double incandescent. It even has "Double D" Stenciled on one side. And by the looks of things, this fixture is rather old, but I'd say it definitely doesn't show its age like a leko would from the same time frame. Definitely wouldn't need the labor and cost of parts to get it up and running again. I'll see about getting that wiring replaced. There can't be more than a couple of feet in there. The whip was likely already replaced and is probably a good 15' long and hi-temp rubber. I'll check tomorrow to make sure it's appropriate. Looks good. Forgot to mention, there are 2 heavy duty switches on the back of the cast aluminum housing underneath. They allow the lamps to be operated individually. They feel solid, but I'm not sure if they should be replaced due to their age. 

Maybe now it's time to get on ebay and buy me some mole fresnels. Get me together a little studio!


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## ship (Sep 6, 2007)

I currently have a Mole 5K Fresnel on my work table, I”m changing it into a prop light that houses 3x Pixel Pup LED lights. Gee, some advanced notice will have been nice - this given it got where I work yesterday and leaves Friday. This in addition to a very busy schedule, I hope I can replace the broken off gel frame clip on time. On the other hand the fixture came with a full set of screens to it, barn door, tweko mounts and what seems to me a first era type DPY halogen lamp. Very much different than any modern DPY lamp, and not incandescent. Just got added to my wall of shame. On the other hand, as very common to old Mole Fresnels, yep, had asbestos wiring and a broken lamp base - them are not cheap. Also normal to such fixtures is an asbestos tape around the lens, a possible need to replace the bearing on the yoke cam, a need to replace the yoke cam pad and oil the heck out of all fittings and especially pivots. After that, should work perfect. They are tanks and it doesn’t matter how old it is.

Biggest problem with such a fixture is in the lamp base. Even if the more recent porcelain type that doesn’t break as easily as the pressed fiber type at times with an asbestos pad, your sockets are often toast. Easy enough to clean them up in re-surfacing with a dremmel tool and special deoxidant or electrical cleaner/lubricant but most often what you get used is toast and needs good attention. 75% of the time, the porcelain brackets that hold the lamp base are broken however, expect to pay for new ones. The lamp base type is unique to Mole Richardson though I have seen this part with a Warner Brothers stamp on it also which is just as good. Good concept for retaining the lamp though at times there will be a steel/aluminum corrosion problem in the thumb screw assembly for retaining the lamp. Replace such parts such as the bolt with a stainless steel or grade 8 one and that will go away. Make friends with TriFlo lubricant, good Teflon oil for all assorted parts or joints in the fixture. Replace what screws are corroded or rusting also. Oil only helps so much. Most likely necessary to replace all wiring, crimps and terminal nuts/washers. Replace the wiring with 250c TGGT wiring inside the fixture - any good cable supplier or McMaster will stock or be able to get it. Replace all crimp terminals if wiring is replaced with high temperature ring terminals that have fiberglass electrical tape over the crimp, and replace all nuts, washers and lock washers as necessary or not looking in good condition with brass or silicone bronze nuts or washers. Don’t use normal hardware or crimps, nor under 250c wire inside a 5K or larger fixture.

Mole Mauve as a spray paint is available thru Mole Richardson or any distributer that can get their gear. It’s advisable to use it both for high temp. and color match. Most likely you will need to clean the fixture really well and scrape and sand anything that’s coming up if it is. Paint the bottom also, it shouldn’t be silver.

Painting isn’t a bad thing if you plan on using the fixture. Keeps steel parts from rusting & aluminum parts from corroding due to conditions and heat. Also looks better and good looking gear gets more care to it than gear that looks like it don’t matter how many times it bumps the ladder on the way up.

For the most part this type of fixture will have been replaced by the soft light, but given frosted lamps & perhaps some frosted gel to boot, should make a nice wash light. Can even buy some Mogul screw to medium screw adaptors and lamp it down, or use 300w mog screw lamps in it.

While shopping, you might get a baby spud to C-Clamp adaptor to hang it from. Such would be available from Mole or Altman or most other movie lighting companies. This will allow you to hang it from a C-Clamp. Hang it from a heavy duty C-Clamp, Mole fixtures are heavy. Otherwise a Gr.5 hex bolt 1/2-13x4.1/2" with USS washer and spring lock washer when using a T-5700 Doughty clamp will work, or a standard half cheseborough with a similar length of alloy grade 1/2-13x4.1/2" socket head flat head screw would work in it.

Get a chain or 3/16" wire rope safety cable also, a bit more heavy than you want for a stock 1/8" wire rope unless Euro style that uses thimbles such as available thru Robe. That rope with dog clip on it is for hanging the cable or latching onto gel frame or barn door not a safety cable. Most likely it’s fine but might need replacement.

The “high temp rubber” cable off the back of the fixture is normal 90c type SO wire and not high temperature. It’s common to use extra heavy duty cable feeding power to such a fixture given the wiring area is separate and away from the heat. This said, check the condition of the cable feeding the light for dry rot, should be able to read the markings in brand, gauge and type on the cable & it should have not cuts. Cut the whip down to six feet - this way if there is a problem as standard practice in an emergency you can just unplug it. Check inside the fixture also to look at the cable. First it should be grounded - often the ground wire bolted to a mounting screw for the switch, second that it’s not heat damaged within the wireway. Shouldn’t be brittle or discolored. Easy enough to replace as needed.

Pound that ding out of the rear of the fixture - looks bad and won’t help it’s looks. Check the tightness of all screws holding it together. Don’t persay remove them unless necessary, but they want to be tight. Should they be really loose or corroded, clean and oil, add a lock washer and thread locker or replace and add threadlocker. Zinc for most parts on the fixture in screws is fine though stainless steel is better all around for high temperature and especially for any steel to aluminum connections.

As above, your internal wiring and lamp base are probably toast (your photo shows different for at least a really good clean lamp base). In the wiring you could use SF-2 wire of at least 16ga feeding the lamp bases. TGGT would also be fine. Feeding the fixture you need at least 12ga type SOOW cable. Again with the above high temperature ring terminals, grounding, high temperature fiberglass electrical tape over the crimps and replacing as needed from lamp base to nuts/washers as needed. Most likely your switches are just fine and look good by the photo. Very rare they go bad in such a fixture. The purpose of the switches is to switch off one or both lamps without unplugging. Remember for a movie shoot, dimmers are not much used. Want to dim the light, switch off a lamp. Want to un-plug and move, switch it off first. For stage usage, it’s ok to bypass and even remove the switch - often done - nothing more frustrating than the rig in the air and finding out someone flipped a switch by mistake, this after walking the truss with a replacement lamp. 

Should you bypass the switch, while code says nothing large enough to fit a finger thru should be a hole into the wiring area large enough to stick a finger into, I wouldn’t plate up the switch hole - this would destroy the original antique fixture. Leave the switches where they are, there is enough room around them for your splices. You should knock out seal plug any extra holes for the wiring if there was extra single conductor holes cut but for the switches consider them protected enough. High temperature crimp a butt splice the SO cable to the heat wire, than wrap it in fiberglass electrical tape. Otherwise Ideal sells some high temperature set screw wire nuts for connecting from cord to dual switch. You would want some eight gauge ferrules to first insert the wire into before using such a set screw wire nut, but this would be acceptable for making the splice. Put a band of fiberglass electrical tape around such wires 1" from the wire nut to act as strain relief and hold together the wires. All of these parts are McMaster Carr of course.

IF the fixture is not grounded, you need to make it so. Often the best place for this is near the switch or lamp base mount. IN this case one of the screws holding the switch should be sufficient to do a ground to. Again with lock washers and replacing bolts if bad. For a ground, zinc plated steel hardware if fine.

Photo of your lamp base looks like it’s in good condition, at very least on that one, hit it with a set of brass wire wheels or fine silicone fiber abrasive wheels for the Dremmel tool and clean them up, than coat them in the above high temperature deoxidant or electrical contact cleaner/lubricant. Check screw terminal etc. this given the asbestos wiring needs to go. The switch type is what I though it was - normally bullet proof and not to be replaced. Once in a while some of it’s circuit board like mounting plates if used will go bad, and guess what is the replacement for such a circuit board type material? Contact cleaner at most is all that’s needed. Replace the screw to the switch, add a external tooth lock washer both brass or silicone bronze, replace the wiring and that’s all you might need to worry about. This besides the insulator pad under the lamp base if one is used. Often that’s asbestos also. McMaster sells a ceramic fiber 2" tape in various thicknesses which works as a really good replacement.

After the repairs - lots more details... just inspect any bad lamp every time you replace it. If corroded, pitted or showing especially on it’s center of lamp base contact damage, pull the fixture from service and give attention to the lamp base pitting due to bad contact. Once a year pull the fixture from service, inspect it’s base and wiring, oil what’s needed and all should be good to go.
Should be a great dependable fixture.

Final note, the bearing in the yoke clutch and the fiber clutch pad might need replacement also. Try oiling up the bearing to see if it can be saved but if toast, it’s either thru Mole for the ½" shaft, 1" OD and I believe ½" thick bearing or a special order thru McMaster and waiting a few weeks but they can also supply it. Worth it as with cleaning, tapping and oiling all yoke hardware. The fiber pad you can cut yourself out of various types of high temp low friction materials or buy. Graphite is often used as with other materials. On the opposing side of the yoke mounting is going to be either a shoulder bolt or a hex bolt with lock washer, washer and a conduit like sleeve. If this hex bolt has a “R” stamped on it, it’s I believe origional to the fixture, re-tap, oil and don’t replace it. Otherwise I would go with an appropriate shoulder bolt. Thread locker what ever the end result is necessary in this area and this is the side you want the safety cable on.

IF gel frames and safety screens came with the fixture, cool. Otherwise it should be easy enough to fabricate some. Gel frames can be welded out of thick banding material, this hinged with a piano hinge or left two pieces. Might drill holes in it and do some thin gauge tie wire in a 3" support for the gel or it will sag or burn. Beyond this, you must safety screen such a open faced fixture - this if used at anything over like 150w. To do this, do a gel frame with 1/2" hardware cloth or 1" chicken wire welded or rivited between. Very important the safety screen. This or safety coated / dipped lamps.


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