1. Highest quality, lint- and fuzz-free white cardboard
2. Accurate, die-cut overall construction
3. Clean-edged windows, precise hinge
4. Rounded framing window inner corners
5. Three window formats for both 5p and 7p
6. 4p half-frame & 31.5 mm wide sizes available
7. Economical pricing

     However, unlike RBT or other stereo mounts that assist positioning the left and right chips, Spicer mounts have a completely bare inner surface. Accurately positioning and securing the two chips “freehand” may be an obstacle for some stereo photo enthusiasts, since considerable patience and dexterity is required. But precision mounting is fundamental to results that satisfy a discerning audience. Thus, to enjoy the advantages of Spicer cardboard mounts, a routine and easy method is needed for precisely controlling chip location during the mounting process. Ideally, the desired precision is quite small, a tenth of a millimeter (or less) or a few thousandths of an inch.

     One solution is a simple mounting jig based on an RBT stereo mount half. This combines the ease and accuracy of the RBT pinbar mounting system with the economy and versatility of Spicer cardboard mounts. The dexterity obstacle is largely overcome, and precise results can be reliably and quickly obtained.

      The techniques described below in detail are more complicated than using a straightedge or flat reference surface when transferring the chips from the jig to the Spicer mount. But the principle remains the same: accurately set the stereo window in the RBT mount jig, then tape the film chips to the cardboard mount.

     As with any creative technique, details have to be experienced first hand. Only you can determine what works best for you. What follows is my current procedure, and there’s plenty of room for improvement. Suggestions are always welcome! My apologies for these fuzzy video capture images.

     Shown above is a corner of the light table working surface. To the left is the black RBT stereo mount half prepared for use as a Spicer mounting jig. Some of the plastic from the bottom of each window aperture was removed, as were the little pins that fit into adjacent holes when joining two mount halves together The jig fits snugly in the aluminum “U”, which is made from three small pieces of metal secured to the glass with double-stick tape.

      Positioned above the “U” is a Peak 4X stereo magnifier, which allows the stereo window to be set “actively.” Active mounting means that subtle changes in the apparent position of the stereo window can be observed in real time as the relative position of the two chips is changed.

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      A close-up of the jig in its ready position, secure in the “U”-shaped slot under the stereo magnifier. The white spots are lighting artifacts. The two RBT pinbars can be seen toward the top edge of the black mount frame. By changing the orientation of the normal “05” pinbars, the left or right chip can be set 0.1 millimeter higher than its counterpart. Alternate, special pinbars provide additional offset combinations and up to a 0.4 millimeter offset. Most well-adjusted stereo cameras or systems should produce chip pairs within this range, and some do not require any vertical adjustment.

      The small black protuberances just visible near the bottom of the mount windows are the corners of the original apertures of the RBT mount, in this case a 5 perf one. (The five perforation width of the left and right chips is the most common size offered by the stereo cameras popular in the 1950s.) An area at the bottom of each window was milled away, but enough plastic is preserved at the bottom edge of the mount to provide overall rigidity. This helps prevent the outer frame from bending or moving when the pinbars, snug in their tracks, are nudged horizontally to set the stereo window.

      The left chip is placed emulsion side down in the left window, the right in the right, so the scene can be viewed in stereo as it appeared when photographed. The metal bar ensures that the free edges of the chips lie flat in the plane of the mount. The bar can be freely positioned over the original window aperture corner vestiges mentioned above, or lower in anticipation of alternative cropping. When using reduced height or reduced width Spicer mounts, these can be briefly placed over the chips to preview cropping, or to check how the stereo window will ultimately appear after the chips are transferred to the Spicer mount.

      Setting the stereo window proceeds as when using normal RBT mounts, except that the additional cropping and adjustment alternatives offered by reduced height and reduced width Spicer mounts should be kept in mind. Since the cropped portion can later be chosen from almost the entire image, approaching the sprocket holes vertically, some ultimately visible upper portions of the mounted image may obscured by the RBT mounting jig when setting the window.

      When finished with the stereo window adjustments, the RBT jig is taken out of the “U” slot and turned over so the film chips face down, just before placing it upon a checked and ready Spicer mount. If for some reason the film chips tend to come off the pinbars, the Spicer mount can be laid on top of the jig before inverting the sandwich. If the pinbars are too loose in their tracks, they can be bent or pinched to make their sliding action tighter.

      Pictured here is perhaps the main departure in my technique from those already made popular by word of mouth and helpful demonstrations. Once the stereo window has been set in the RBT jig, the chips must be transferred to the Spicer mount and secured to the paper without disturbing their precise relationship as a pair. While this may be only a matter of mechanical technique, I was initially frustrated by slight unexpected deviations after taping the chips home and previewing the results in a viewer.

      After failing to achieve satisfyingly accurate transfers by simple mechanical alignment of the outer edges of the RBT mounting jig with the Spicer mount, I switched to a floating technique. Although this demands additional attention and sensitivity, it offers increased cropping freedom, as the stereo pair in the RBT jig can positioned at will within the Spicer mount windows. In extreme cases, the film sprocket holes can be so close to the upper or lower inner edge of the Spicer mount apertures that they will need to be masked with opaque (e.g. silver polyester) tape, or else they will be noticeable due to light transmission effects even though they are covered by the mount paper.

      A powerful headband mounted “OptiVisor” magnifying twin loupe (10 diopters) is very convenient when fine-tuning the position of the stereo pair within the Spicer mount windows. Small adjustments can be made so that fine details in the left and right chips match as closely as possible along the horizontal window edges. As noted above, the floating technique allows the stereoview to be cropped as desired within the Spicer windows, vertically in the case of normal and reduced height mounts, and horizontally and vertically when the reduced width (close-up type) are used. This can sometimes hide what would otherwise be intrusive peripheral elements that might spoil a view. The outer edge of the RBT mounting jig frame can thus wind up considerably displaced from congruent alignment with the edges of the Spicer mount.

      The piece of metal angle stock keeps the Spicer mount from sliding on the light table, and the chunk of bar stock stabilizes the position of the RBT jig stereo pair on top of the Spicer mount. After final adjustments of the RBT jig placement, the film chips must be secured to the cardboard mount.

      I’m of two minds about using Wess tabs to secure the film chips to the Spicer mounts. While they are very convenient, they are somewhat spongy and thus do not immobilize the chips perfectly. Using a pair of tweezers with a rounded tip, I place a single Wess tab in the milled areas of the RBT jig, one for each chip, and burnish the tabs to the mount and film. At this point, a final check of the chip positions via the loupe will show if placing the adhesive tabs has disturbed anything. If slight additional adjustments are needed, the chips are still firmly stuck on the RBT jig pinbars by friction, so applying force to the jig can move the chip pair, even though each chip is anchored with a Wess tab. I'm not sure this kind of delicate play would be available if the higher performance silver mylar tape were used instead of Wess tabs.

      When satisfied, the RBT jig is carefully peeled free of the chips and then all that remains is to fold the Spicer mount in upon itself and secure the halves together. Alternatively, an additional pair of Wess tabs or strips of tape could be applied, to hold the chips more securely in position. At present, I use a liquid adhesive to glue the mount halves together, rather than taping along the mount edges. The Spicer mount hinge winds up at the top when viewing the results in a hand viewer.

     The Spicer mount with the two film chips fixed in position is rotated 180 degrees while on the light table glass, placing the bare mount half in position for application of adhesive to the frame edges. The same metal chunk now keeps the mount from sliding around as the glue is dabbed on. After applying glue to various locations all around, I fold the side with the chips toward me and briefly use the piece of angle stock to press the folded mount flat upon the glass. The mounted results can then be checked in a viewer. Usually, the position of the chips is as near perfect as one could wish but if further slight adjustments are required, there is minute or so before the liquid adhesive sets up, within which the chips can be repositioned by a certain amount of brute force. This is a delicate matter, and of course the film is not touched with one’s bare fingers.

      There are obvious conservationist arguments for preferring tape to liquid adhesive when sealing mounts, but the latter does have some aesthetic advantages, in my opinion. However, a glued-together mount cannot be undone without destroying the mount and possibly damaging the chips, whereas a taped one can be parted with a blade and the chips freed as needed. In most cases, my best stereoviews remain in RBT mounts.

     This final grainy image shows the entire light table mounting station. It was originally built so that a full roll of mounted 35 mm slides could be previewed at once, prior to my involvement in stereoscopic photography. The stainless steel stand was added later. Having a stereo viewer fixed at a convenient height is a useful luxury.

     The full range of Spicer mounts are available for purchase in the United States at Rocky Mountain Memories, as are RBT mounting jig kits and many other useful items.