P3D Custom Masks

["David W. Kesner" <drdave@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here is another alternative to custom masks for your stereo images:

You can get almost any shape and size of paper punch now from 
craft stores (circles, stars, triangles, crosses, clovers, hearts, teddy 
bears, etc.). Many companies also offer to make them from your 
design. They are used to make homemade greeting cards, scrap 
books, etc. It is a very popular and growing "sport". There are many 
web sites dedicated to them also. Search on <paper punch>.

Simply build a jig that will allow you to space the holes at the proper 
inter-occular distance and square to the edge. Two parallel straight 
edges work just fine. Place the punch on the bottom one and the 
paper on the top one, punch the first hole, slide over the proper 
distance, punch the second hole. Done!

You could use two punches and do it in one quick motion, but I am 
not sure of the precision of these punches. By using the same 
punch you are assured of exactly matching apertures.

This one system can be used for any mount: RBT, Albion, Spicer, 
heat seal, etc. even though their aperture spacing may vary.

Selection of the mask material is the most critical point. It needs to 
be thin enough to not interfer with the mask closure, be opaque 
enough to block all light transmission, and most important be 
archival and non-destructive to the film. An acid-free thin cardboard 
or thick paper from an art supply store should work just fine. You 
would need to cut the blanks to the proper size for your application, 
making sure all the edges are square.

Masks for RBT's would be the most difficult as there is very little 
edge between the pins and the aperture. If both pins are at the top 
or bottom then it is not so bad, but if your alignment requires a pin 
at the top of one and a pin at the bottom of the other it leaves little 
room for error.

Just for the record, I have not done this yet. I am planning to and will 
comment again once I have.

That's all for now,

David W. Kesner
Boise, Idaho, USA
drdave@xxxxxxxxxx


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