Mole Tweenie II wiring issue?

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drcheese

New member
Hey all,

I just got a great deal off of craigslist for a Mole Tweenie II Solarspot Type 4821, but I'm new to Moles (other lights are Arri/CoolLights) and the wiring inside doesn't seem quite smartly done. Right now the two main power cables (the ones wrapped in white woven fabric) stick directly out to the side of the socket, this means that they rest in the long metal groove along the outer edge. The problem I see arising is that when the knob is turned to move the light from flood to spot, these wires rub along side the metal casing and seem to be fraying slightly.

Is the placement of these wires wrong? If you own a tweenie II where do these white cloth coated wires lie on yours? Should I just open it up and see if I can move them down?


Additionally the fresnel lens rattles in the fixture, do you think I can just force those metal tabs to hold it better? Any advice on cleaning that lens too?


Much thanks as always for any help given.
 
I would say just move the wires so they aren't near the metal sides. All fresnels have wires like that from socket to back where power cord comes in. Most just let them dangle behind the sled and the white woven fabric is probably fiberglass to protect the wires from heat--its definitely a must.

As for the lens, you can take the metal tabs off, bend them down a little on the part that will be touching the glass and then put them back in and that should take care of the rattle.
 
Thanks Richard, how did I know you'd be the one to respond:)

Having a little trouble with moving the wires. Where they connect to the socket is some kinda hard material that makes them stick straight out, so I can't quite get them to move out of the way of the metal. It also looks like one of them got a little worn on the outside protection (inside is still fine), can I seal that with electrical tape? Or is it a trip to the hardware store?

Here's a picture (EDIT: Made picture smaller, I hope):

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I just rebuilt some 407 1K moles. A couple of notes...

All the wiring sub-assemblies, sockets, etc are available from Mole Richardson directly. Depending on how old your light is, the "woven stuff" on your electrical leads may be asbestos (I can't quite tell from your photo). One of my units was. It's very flaky and a bit larger than the non-deadly material they use now.

You can contact Mole and talk to their repair shop. The guy who works there is incredibly helpful and can get you the parts numbers you need to order.
 
Oh, by the way, the wires should be routed through the two holes in the plate that supports the reflector. That's why you unit is chaffing.
 
Yeah, not sure why the wires are coming out the side, normally they would go in the small holes near the mirror which would keep them from scraping the sides.

As long as the unit is fairly new, the material is fiberglass is not asbestos (which would be more likely found on older ones. Some fraying is normal on the ends but whatever you do, don't use electrician's tape. There's a high heat silicone tape found in the air conditioning / duct section of home depot which is good to 205 degrees centigrade (I think this should be sufficient). Somewhat like this stuff:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DEI-...018QQitemZ280202604603QQrefidZstoreQQtcZphoto


You need something that will really stand up to serious heat to cover there.
 
Thanks for all the help, I was wondering why the wires weren't going through the holes. Unfortunately the fresnel lens cracked today. About 12 hours after I adjusted the tabs to make sure it didn't rattle I was sitting at my desk and just heard a loud pop. I'm not sure what happened, I guess it was tightened to much and the stress got to it. So the $100 I spent on it seems like less of a deal now, and I can't seem to find a place to find a replacement lens. Though I'm tired and might look more tomorrow.
 
You can order any part you need directly from Mole Richardson in California. check their website for a exploded view of the light and a parts list, then call Mole and ask for parts.
 
I believe that some looseness of the tabs could be deliberate, to account for the expansion of the glass from the heat.
 
sunporchmedia said:
I believe that some looseness of the tabs could be deliberate, to account for the expansion of the glass from the heat.
Click to expand...

You know this occurred to me after the fact, I just don't remember my Arri lights rattling so much when I carry them around, but maybe the metal is different (think it may be coated differently). And when I talked to Mole they said there should be no looseness.

Anyway, I called Mole they said $60 for a new lens, I actually sniffed around and found Barndoor Lighting selling them for $52.75, and they seem like the only place selling Mole parts on the web. It just makes me sad that my Tweenie II for $100 deal is quickly becoming less-so.
 
That is incredible. I doubt they ever should be so loose as to wiggle in there though. I wonder if there was a hairline crack in there somewhere and this was enough to push it over the edge so to speak.

As far as I know, there is no major expansion on the glass. We tighten the tabs on our fresnels tight enough to not move and never had one crack that I heard of unless there was already a hairline.

How wide is the lens actually in inches? I bet there are some other alternatives.
 
Looks to be about 4 3/8" or 11 cm. Theres a small notch on one side that helps align it.

Still having a heck of a time getting those wires not to rub. There's a hard plastic casing on the end of the wire that goes into the socket and no matter what I try they don't want to move or bend back to get into those holes. I think I might have to rewire the entire thing, which is bad cause I don't really know how:)

What really surprises me is how they were wired this way in the first place, think I might call up the Mole people again and ask them what's up.
 
If there is a studio/grip house nearby you might pay them a visit and ask for their help/advice. Sometimes these places can be very accomodating to indy and beginning filmmakers and give you free or low-cost advice or even help you get it repaired.

Interesting about the glass...I was just speculating. Sounds like the hairline crack theory is a winner. :)
 
You're maybe in luck:

http://www.coollights.biz/cool-lights-650w-tungsten-150w-replacement-lens-p-107.html

Same size as Arri and our 650w. Although ours has no notch and I've never seen a notch in a lens before like that. I don't know what that means or if it won't fit then. Ours is made of borosilicate.

As for a theory about why the wires won't move, there must be something hard around the normally bendable plastic sleeve and wire underneath the woven fiberglass is all I can think of. Rewiring wouldn't be all that bad as long as you can get the wires loose from the socket and also that there is a terminal block in the back that connects those wires to the power cord (probably). There's only two and they aren't polarized in such a light so you can't get the two connections wrong as long as you use black and white. Ground (green) should continue to go to the case which is where it should normally be attached now.
 
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Yeah except for the notch. I guess they don't want you buying an Arri replacement huh? ;-)

Drcheese can you provide a picture of the broken lens so we can see the notch you're talking about?
 
In principal you should be able to. Their style looks a bit different but as long as the outer dimension is fine, I guess its worth a try. If you do, report back with pictures to show us how well it fits.
 
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