NOTE:
The new Quaker oatmeal boxes have plastic lids and the bottoms are recessed 1/4 inch, so
the opening in the oatmeal box needs to be centered 2 3/4 inches from the bottom of the
box. Draw a small box 2 3/4 inches from the bottom of the oatmeal box (in the center
of the oatmeal box). Try to place the little box beneath the smiling Quaker's face.CAREFULLY cut out the small
box with an Exacto knife or with a one-sided razorblade. If you have a Dremel high-speed
drill, a 3/8 inch hole can be easily bored into the box without having to use any sharp
blades! After cutting the small square hole (or round hole with the Dremel), clean out any
paper left in the opening. This is the "pinhole window" where the pinhole will
look out at the world. Can a tiny hole, which contains nothing but air, see things? We
will find out later.
Use a damp washcloth to clean out any oatmeal dust inside the box. Cut the contact
paper to fit the top and bottom of the plastic lid. If your oatmeal box has a paper
lid, you only need to spray paint it. If your oatmeal box is the
"new" type with a plastic lid and recessed bottom, run a bead of Elmer's glue
around the seam where the bottom piece attaches to the cylinder and let it dry before
painting. Spray paint the inside of the box, and both the inside and outside of the
lid, too. Also, spray the outside bottom after the Elmer's glue has dried. Do
this on newspapers. There is an art to spray painting with aerosol cans: it is best to not
"soak" the insides of the oatmeal box with paint. Spray in short bursts from
several inches away, and constantly shake up the can. Use as little paint as possible
because you must wait for the paint to dry before the pinhole can be installed, and
because excess black paint can become "dust" after it dries. Dust is the
photographer's worst enemy--it causes white spots on the finished pictures which are hard
to remove.
Carefully cut the ends off of an aluminum soft drink can. Cut a "pinhole plate", about 2 x 3 inches in size with
rounded edges, from the aluminum can. The pinhole will be drilled in the pinhole plate.
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