[photo-3d] Red Button Anxiety

["Joseph Petrarca" <jpetrarca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Young wrote:

I am fairly new to the 3D experience.

I have bought a Stereo Realist, and Red Button, having paid the high
end of what they're worth, on Ebay. I have shot, had developed, and
mounted 2 rolls of film and am having a ball with it.

I have 5 siblings with whom I like to share my new hobby (i.e.
letting them use my Red Button viewer to view my latest slides). No
problem. My concern comes in when all the kids (my nieces and
nephews) want to see and touch them all, too.  I love to show it to
them, but I have some anxiety over trusting greasy little fingers to
hold my coveted, 50 yr old viewer without dropping it. I am
considering acquiring a second, less valuable, but fair quality,
viewer for handling by "everybody".  This could be an ambient or bulb
lighted viewer.

Any suggestions?

I'm also considering giving some stereo pairs as gifts, and the
giftee will need something to view it with.  Any favorite "giveaway"
viewers?

Paul Young

PAUL-
I started off with a couple of cheapie viewers that I made myself.  Real3D
has inexpensive realist-format plastic lensed "hold-to-the-light" viewers
for about $3.25 that work quite well (that answers your second question.  I
use these as give-aways)
I then went to RadioShack and got a couple of plastic project boxes, about 4
1/2" x 8" x 3".  They have a removable lid which attaches with 4 screws.
You'll need a 2 D cell battery holder, a light bulb base, a push-button
switch (SPST-single pole, single-throw) and the switch should be a
momentary-on variety, and some wire and a glue-gun.  I used some aluminum
flashing to fashion a reflector with a hole right in the middle for the
miniature light bulb.  I cut two holes into the "bottom" of the plastic
project box corresponding to the configuration of the plastic diffusers on
the cheap viewer, installed the  viewer into these holes with some black
rubber-type cement, which sealed light leaks as well as attached the viewer
to the light/reflector area.  Rig up all the electrical bits and you have a
durable, surprisingly effective viewer which can be dropped without effect-
for around $25 plus one evening of goofing around.  As well as kids, these
rigs are great for drunk people at parties, outside at night around the
campfire, etc.  Here's another tip, if you cement in a blank slide mask or
some cardboard at the edge, the slide will be friction fit into the viewer
so that kids and drunk people won't inadvertantly tip the thing over and
lose or damage the slide.  Good luck!  E-mail me off-line if you want more
details.
Joseph Petrarca