TOY INVENTOR’S NOTEBOOK
Invented and drawn by Bob Knetzger
“Level Best” 3D Camera Slide-Bar Hack
2. Drill another hole near the end of the
steel rule to hold your camera. Attach the
camera with a ¼"- 20 bolt and nut. Carefully
thread the bolt into the camera’s socket,
then tighten the nut under the rule to
secure the camera. You’re done!
FOR TAKING 3D PHOTOS WITH A
regular camera, you need a tripod and
stereo photo slide bar. Professional slide
bars cost $50 or more, but you can make
a DIY slide bar fast and cheap that’ll work
just as well. Here’s how:
1. Hack a T square level. Use one with
a frame that’s big enough to sit flat on the
top of your tripod. Drill a hole in the level to
fit on the tripod’s stud, or if needed, use a
¼"- 20 bolt and nut to attach it to the tripod.
3. To take 3D photos: Level the camera on
the tripod. Loosen the thumbscrew and slide
the bar so the camera is against the tripod
head. Retighten the screw and take one picture. Loosen the screw, slide the camera bar
over 2½" (standard intraocular spacing for
3D picture taking), and retighten. Take your
second picture. Now you have a stereo pair
of images, one for each eye.
c
f
ar
You can print the pictures side by side for
“free viewing” (hold the print at arm’s length
and cross your eyes; adjust your gaze so
you see 3 boxes — the center, overlapped
image will “pop” into 3D), or use Photoshop
to combine the images into a red/green
anaglyph and view it with red/green glasses
(here’s a tutorial: opentutorial.com/make_
3d_images). ;
r fo
th ng
d
p ho
Bob Knetzger is an inventor/designer with 30 years’
experience making all kinds of toys and other fun stuff.
To make your own View-Master reels, I refer you
to Shab Levy’s slick kit with everything you need:
empty reels, software templates, a mounting rig,
and complete instructions: makezine.com/go/shab.
Check out my article on View-Master on page 58 of
this issue.
155 Follow us @make
