P3D Polaroid SX70 Front Surface Mirrors

["James R. Motley" <jmotley3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Andrea Blair's posting of 7-26-99 to Sell-3D asking about repairing of
SX70's prompted this posting.

Broken SX70's are a source of some good Front Surface Mirror material. 
Don't toss broken ones in the trash  when they obviously aren't worth
big bucks to try to have them repaired (if possible). They contain two 
front surface mirrors that can be used to repair some of the so-called
"beam splitters" that are missing one of the mirrors. Chances are that
you will have to replace two mirrors as the SX70 material is thinner
than mirrors in some devices.

If you have a worthless SX70 that you don't hear broken mirrors inside
and you can see thru the lens so you know that the mirrors are intact,
go for it.  Just use whatever it takes to cut loose the supports that
hold the camera together and use a sharp object or scissors to  cut the
rubber bellows.  You'll still have to pry loose the mirrors and then cut
them to the shape you need.  I strongly suggest safety glasses when
cutting the glass and when tearing open the camera.  Remember that it
takes two eyes to see stereo!!!

For the few mechanical minded hackers who may have any interest, the
small screws used in the SX70 have a "Torx" type head.  When I talked to
the repair man who worked on SX70's about four years ago, the Torx
drivers that fit the screws are about 4 1/2 size which Polaroid had made
special to prevent unauthorized repairs (and he had the only ones
left).  The smallest size that I have ever been able to buy is a number
6 and it is way too big.

Regards.......Jim Motley


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