How to build a 4-mirror stereo rig.

You will need.

2* sheets of A4 size plasticard (styrene sheet used by modellers) 2mm to 3 mm thic.
3* front surfaced mirrors 3 inches s!uare. " #et mine from
http://www.highreflectivemirrors.com/
$olystyrene cement and clear contact adhesi%e.
&* piece of plastic pipe (chosen to fit snu#ly o%er camera lens).
'att blac paint( (any type which will adhere to #lass and plastic).
)arious hand tools as re!uired. " mana#e with an en#ineer*s s!uare( file( wor nife(
#lasscutter( small brush( compasses( fretsaw( hacsaw and most importantly a diamond file
(see below( a%ailable on ebay).
+a%e a loo at the two drawin#s below.
,rom your plasticard( cut out one yellow piece and two red pieces. 'ae sure they are
accurate and s!uare and be sure to mar centre lines on both to aid assembly later. -he
other thin# you must do is mar the positions of the two .outboard/ mirrors. -hey must be
40 de#rees. " su##est you mar the position of the rear ed#es.
You should now ha%e three pieces lie this.
1lue them to#ether usin# the polystyrene cement ensurin# the bacplate is between the top
and bottom plate.
-ip rub a candle stub o%er the worbench where you intend to cement the ed#es. "t
sa%es the embarrassment of sticin# the assembly to the bench. (Yes( " ha%e done it
once).
-ae one of the mirrors( still with it*s protecti%e plastic in place( and #lue it in to place
(front( plastic co%ered face forward) usin# the contact adhesi%e (" use 2ostic clear). $ut a
line of adhesi%e alon# the top and bottom ed#es of the mirror and slide it into place.
3ontact adhesi%e is meant to be left to .#o off/ before positionin# the pieces to be 4oined(
but in this instance it is better to do the 4ob immediately. You can bend the top and bottom
styrene sheets outwards a little to mae positionin# easier. 5nsure the bac of the mirror is
accurately positioned on the 406de#ree line you mared earlier. "t is %ital that the mirror
ends up accurately ali#ned at 40 de#rees and absolutely %ertical. 7hen you are happy with
the position( lea%e to set fully and then repeat for the other .outboard/ mirror. You should
end up with somethin# lie this.
-he wei#hts are 4ust holdin# e%erythin# steady until the adhesi%e cures.
8ow tae your plastic pipe (" used an elbow( but anythin# which fits your camera lens will
do) and cut it to len#th (& 09:
th
inch or 42mm for my camera lens). ,ile the cut end smooth
and true and #lue it to the bac of the bacplate( ensurin# it is central.
8ow comes the triciest part of the whole 4ob.cuttin# the remainin# mirror in half. 'ar
it accurately on the rear (non protecti%e plastic side)( usin# a permanent marer and a
s!uare. $lace a #uide at the re!uired place to ensure the #lasscutter runs e;actly alon# the
mared line and score once.

-urn the mirror o%er and holdin# one side( tap #ently on the polythene protection( alon#
the central scored line( until the mirror breas into two pieces.

3ut throu#h the protecti%e bacin# with a wor nife to separate. <ea%e the protecti%e
bacin# in position for now.
+a%in# cut the mirror( we now ha%e to #rind a 40de#ree an#le on a lon# side of both
pieces. -his is to minimise the distance between the two mirrored ed#es which will be
nearest the camera lens. 3lamp firmly (but not -== firmly) in order to ensure the mirror
doesn*t mo%e durin# this operation. >ee picture below of the set up " use.
"t consists of an aluminium plate( two bolts and my old worbench. " find fin#er ti#ht on
the nuts is sufficient to pre%ent the mirror mo%in#. 8ote also the mirrored surface (still
with the protecti%e plastic co%erin# in place) is face down. ?sin# the diamond file and
plenty of water..start #rindin#. -he an#le should be appro;imately 40 de#rees.
@o not be tempted to achie%e a feather ed#e( you will only start flain# the aluminium
surface from the front of the mirror. " find " can #et the ed#e down to about &9A4
th
of an
inch. Bepeat for the remainin# mirror.

-hey should now both loo somethin# lie this.
8ow( paint the un6#round lon# ed#es of both mirrors with the matt blac paint. $aint the
outside ed#es of both installed .outboard/ mirrors also. 8ow paint the inside of the ri#6
bacplate and top and bottom plates (eepin# the paint clear of the mirrors). -his is to stop
internal reflections( which can be really bad news (four mirrors can bounce li#ht around in
most une;pected waysCC). $aintin# the ed#es of the mirrors stops them actin# lie fibre
optic li#ht #uides and is certainly recommended.
7hen all the paint is dry( it*s time to install and ali#n the .inboard/ mirrors. ,irst peel off
the protecti%e plastic from all the mirrors( and spot #lue (usin# clear impact adhesi%e) =85
inboard mirror into appro;imate position.
Attach the ri# to the camera and find a .tar#et/ at least &0' distant( which you can use for
ali#nment purposes. "*%e used a chimney. "n the e;ample shown( the Bi#ht hand (%iewed
from behind) inboard mirror is in place.
8ote that the left hand chimney is in the centre of the frame( and the ri#ht hand chimney is
in the centre of the left hand side of the frame. >ounds lie complete nonsense( but thin of
it this way. -he camera is pointed at the chimney( and if we want to tae a stereo pair( we
should end up with two half frames( each with a chimney in the centre. 7e ha%e achie%ed
half our tas at this point. 8e;t install the other .inboard/ mirror to achie%e the other half
of our stereo pair frame.
" ha%e been unable to find a really #ood way to ensure ali#nment( it simply taes a lot of
time and tiny ad4ustments to #et it ri#ht. "n the e;ample abo%e( the ali#nment is pretty
#ood( but the central dar portion is much too lar#e. 'o%in# the inboard mirrors further
from the lens would help this( but tae them too far out and the ed#es will show on the
frame. $ut simply( you 4ust ha%e to stic to the tas until it comes ri#ht. Bemember( you
can always remo%e the mirrors and start a#ain( so.. @=8*- $A8"3.
8ow( when it*s ri#ht and you ha%e re#ained your sanity (" find a bottle of red wine wors
wonders) and you are soberits time to finish the 4ob.
,irst( run a bead of impact adhesi%e alon# all the #lass9plastic 4oints( only on the bac of
the mirrors of course.
7hen this has dried( it*s time to attach the side fill pieces and the anti6reflection pieces
shown in the plan. -hese fulfil two purposes. &. -hey stop stray li#ht from enterin# the ri#
and 2. -hey stren#then the assembly and protect the mirrors. 7hen this has all set( the 4ob
is finished.
"*m not su##estin# this is the easiest 4ob in the world( but it*s not rocet science either. "*m
not su##estin# this is as #ood as a <anc >hepard( but it cost a lot less. -here are 8= synch
problems( flash wors normally and it #i%es the ability to tae stereo pairs in situations
which were pre%iously %ery difficult.
@o let me now how you fare if you decide to build one.
Dindest re#ards from >cotland(
2ill +ume.