Re: Realist/Sigma mounts

[P3D emdesher <emdesher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 27 Jul 1997, emdesher wrote:

> 
> 
> On Sun, 27 Jul 1997, P3D wrote:
> 
> > The posts on Albion mounts got me wondering what ever happened to Sigma
> > mounts. I had heard that they had the old equipment used to make the Realist
> > aluminum mounts. If Sigma has gone out of business, does anyone know where
> > the manufacturing equipment is?
> > 
> > 
> The Sigma mounts were just a new brand name for the Stereo Realist 
> masks.  The only thing changed was the removal of the Realist name punch, 
> and the rest of the machine is unchanged.  Physically, it's a huge 
> industial type punch machine, which has several different stations to 
> perform the various cuts and folds to the aluminum foil.  The end station 
> has a small conveyer belt which collects and deposits the finished masks, 
> which the operater then places in a box.  When I purchased the EMDE 
> machinery in 1994, I also saw this machine.  It is owned by George 
> Skelly, and was in his garage.  The main problem with placing it back 
> into service is the unusual type of alumnium foil required for the masks, 
> being a "half-hard" temper.  Most foil sold today is either soft or full 
> hard, and half-hard foil is a custom ordered commodity, with very high 
> costs.  That is the real reason Stereo Realist sold the punch in the 
> first place-according to Ron Zakowski, the last attempts made by Realist 
> to obtain the foil were unsuccessful.  If the temper is not exactly 
> right, the masks wouldn't come out right.  The last batches were not up 
> to spec's.  Another problem is the current state of the punch; I suspect 
> that rather expensive repairs would be neccessary to get back into 
> production, assuming you could find a source for the now exotic foil type. 
> Usual disclaimers; I have no connection with the Sigma machine or George.

Dennis Sherwood  emdesher@xxxxxxxxxxxx


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