[photo-3d] Re: Realist heat sealer

[JNorman805@xxxxxxx]

I've just been advised that there was a lot of garbled material in my last 
post to this list, having to do with fractions, I think.  So here's a 
re-post, with the fractions spelled out:

A few people have asked me for the instructions on how to convert a Realist 
heat sealing unit for use with modern heat seal slide mounts.  

Here they are, with thanks to Jonathan Gross and Linda Nygren

Parts needed:
1 –  ST-26 heater
1 – ST-22 alignment jig (only the metal frame that looks like a thick stereo 
slide)
2 – half-inch pieces of quarter-inch I.D. stainless steel tubing (to be used 
as spacers), or similar material, such as threaded brass tubing that is 
commonly available for use in wiring lamp fixtures
2 – wire connectors (could be the small crimp-on tubular insulated 
connectors, or small wire nuts)
2 – 1-inch no. 6 sheet metal screws
2 – half-inch no. 6 self-threading screws
emery cloth
Heatsink compound, available in small tubes from Radio Shack

    1. Cut the power court off the heater where it enters the case.

    2. Take the 4 screws off the bottom of the heater case and remove the 
insulator board.  Discard these parts.

    3. Unscrew the two screws that hold the heater in place.

    4. Pull the wire though the case opening.  May have to chip away the 
time-hardened rubber grommet to do this.  Be careful not to pry against the 
case itself, because there is a good chance you will break the fragile 
Bakelite case when doing this – if you break it, Crazy Glue will repair it.

    5. Remove the power cord wire terminal ends from the heater (NOT the 
bridging wires, just the power cord wires).

    6. Cut two half-inch long pieces of stainless steel tubing.

    7. From the metal frame-piece of the alignment jig, remove four little 
metal tabs with a pliers.

    8. Use emery paper to sand the black paint away from the side of the 
piece that has the Realist logo on it.  Remove all paint, as this is the part 
of the iron that will touch the heater.

    9. Turn both heater and jig over, so that heater tray is facing up, with 
black rectangle center on jig facing up. 

    10. Position jig on top of heater. Attach jig to heater by drilling two 
holes through jig and into heater, then screwing in the two self-threading 
screws.  The holes go in the black-painted rectangle, on opposite sides, and 
into the two heater rails (line them up through the two film chip openings). 

    11, Apply the heatsink compound to heater rails where they touch the jig, 
to improve the heat transfer between the two parts.

    12. Screw the alignment frame onto the heater. 

    13. Run the cut power cord through the temperature adjustment hole in the 
heater case. Strip enough insulation away so that the wire can be re-attached 
to the heater, and attach, using two new wire connectors.  (Insulation may 
have asbestos, watch out for the dust.)

    14. Place heater assembly back into heater case (upside down from the way 
it came out).  Put half-inch spacers in first, then use the 1-inch screws, so 
that when the screws are tightened, the jig frame stands on the outside of 
the open casing bottom.  If the spacers have been properly placed, the 
temperature adjustment screw will be accessible though what used to be the 
hole for the power cord.

    When you're finished, what you've got is a heating element in contact 
with what used to be the alignment jig.  The heat is transferred to the 
alignment jig, which is shaped just right so that when you press it on the 
slide mount you have nice even contact all the way around the image areas

    Tips: 

    1. Set heater on its side when using it, to avoid burning anything. Use 
pot holder or oven mitt to handle it.

    2. The bottom half of the alignment jig may be use to hold the heat seal 
mounts, but they may stick in the tight fit.  It may be better to place the 
mounts on a wooden board and press down on the mount from above.  Perhaps 
make a new alignment plate, mounted on a wooden base, and hinge the heater to 
press down?

    3. The more pressure is applied to the iron, the faster the mount seals.

    4. This sounds more complicated than it is – the whole job takes about a 
half hour.  Even if you screw it up, you have nothing to lose unless you're a 
collector who treasures that useless Realist heater (and if that's you, you 
don't want to mess with it anyway).

      5. WARNING: Do not use this with RBT mounts!  ;~]


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]