Lens specifications:
Peterson 6x6 loupe lenses ($39.95 each, rubber
eyepiece $4.95 ea)
Focus adjustment:
Yes, by manually sliding the lens assembly in and out.
Interocular adjustment:
No
Type of illumination:
Steal the light
Materials:
Mahogany; brass plate, lamp fittings and candlestick; translucent sewing pattern
material
Formats supported:
Rocky Mountain, King Inn
Description of viewer:
The inspiration for this viewer came from the Sputnik
viewer. I was intrigued by the simplicity of its functioning. At the same time,
I was trying to come up with an inexpensive viewer kit that would allow entry
level viewing for a very small expense. I made a prototype of that viewer which
was very plain. This viewer was my attempt at making it fancier. Sam Smith's
multi-viewer also influenced the design. My very
first viewer had the diffusion material right behind the slide. This allowed
for imperfections in the diffuser to be noticeable in clear parts of the slide.
The diffuser needed to be moved farther back so it would go out of focus. This
viewer could stand a little more slide/diffuser separation but is the thickness
of the board I had available.
Construction comments:
This viewer was fairly easy to construct. The three most demanding things were
the slide holder, the lens plate, and the base. The slide holder was cut out of
a single piece of mahogany. A slot for the slide was cut in the front face, then
covered with the brass slats to keep the slide from flopping out. The sewing
pattern material was put on the back to act as the diffuser and held in place by
more brass slats. The holes for the focusing rails were lined with brass tubing
for added durability and smoothness of operation. The lens holder is a piece of
brass plate. I cut it out on my band saw and filed the edges smooth. The lens
holes were cut almost to size with a saber saw with a hack saw blade. The exact
diameter of the holes was finished up with a drum sanding wheel in my drill
press. The mahogany base was turned on my lathe. Just about everything else is
made from standard parts. The side focusing rails are assemblies of lamp parts
and finials. Lamp spec threaded rod was covered by brass tubing for the actual
slides and caped with "acorn" nuts. Originally, this viewer was hand
held using a turned handle. I found a brass candlestick that was the right size
so I converted it to a table top model.
Are these viewers for sale?:
No
Availability of plans:
No plans available.
If you would like to discuss this viewer, drop me a line.
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