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How to Keep Slides From Jamming in a Projector

Every child of the 1950s and '60s recalls the dreary nights of watching the neighbor's out-of-focus vacation slides circling seemingly endlessly around the Kodak carousel, and then facing another slide show the next day at school on a terminally boring science program. The only thing better than a jammed slide that caused panic was a slide inserted the wrong way and upside down -- now that caused real panic. Paying careful attention to how the slides are put into the machine solves both problems.

Things You'll Need

Soft-bristled brush

Instructions

- 1
  Check the slide holder slots for bent or damaged vanes. Whether in a carousel or box, if the slides are prevented from dropping and being picked up by a vane that is even slightly crooked the whole process will come to a grinding halt.
- 2
  Examine the folder that holds the slides if that is the mechanism used. The folders must not be crinkled or have bent or worn edges. Replace any that show even small signs of damage with new folders.
- 3
  Look carefully at the slides. A curled, bent or misaligned edge on the slide will easily cause it to either stay in the box and not drop free or not allow the mechanism to pick it up from the projector and sort it back into the box.
- 4
  Brush the carousel or box carefully on the bottom and the inside of the projector before putting the slides into the machine. A small piece of dirt or debris will cause the intricate mechanism to seize up and jam.
- 5
  Place the slide projector on a stable, level surface.

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