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Step 9The Bottom Mounting Plate
As I said, my original idea was to use a totally wood frame with wood screws poking through it to secure the frame to the camera. I never liked the idea very much, and was pleased to come up with this idea instead.
Because the camera would always be on a tripod when being used with the Hummingbird Shooter, I realized I could use a sheet metal plate for the bottom of the frame, sandwiched between the camera and the tripod's mounting platform. When the tripod screw is tightened, this secures the camera, Hummingbird Shooter, and tripod into one solid, secure unit !
Lay out the T-shaped bottom plate by setting the wooden frame over the camera, carefully positioned so the piston is in its proper location. Use a Sharpie or other marker to mark around the frame and the camera, and use tin snips to cut the rough shape out to fit the frame and camera as shown. File and sand the sharp edges of the sheet metal.
Locate and drill the holes in the plate for mounting to the wood frame. Be careful to locate the screws so they won't interfere with your tripod's mounting platform. Locate and drill the mounting holes in the wood frame and screw the plate to the frame.
I used a combination of marks on masking tape stuck to the sides of my camera, and measurements to try and locate the bottom hole. As you can see from the photo, I didn't get it exactly right, and had to enlarge the hole. Fortunately, the location of the hole isn't exactly critical, although it would be nice to be spot-on, it is the pressure of being sandwiched between the tripod and camera that holds the plate in place. The important thing is, of course, that the frame of the Hummingbird Shooter can be fine-tuned just before the tripod knob is fully tightened, so that the piston is positioned exactly right.
Again, use pliers or a vice to grasp the sheet metal for your safety.
Because the camera would always be on a tripod when being used with the Hummingbird Shooter, I realized I could use a sheet metal plate for the bottom of the frame, sandwiched between the camera and the tripod's mounting platform. When the tripod screw is tightened, this secures the camera, Hummingbird Shooter, and tripod into one solid, secure unit !
Lay out the T-shaped bottom plate by setting the wooden frame over the camera, carefully positioned so the piston is in its proper location. Use a Sharpie or other marker to mark around the frame and the camera, and use tin snips to cut the rough shape out to fit the frame and camera as shown. File and sand the sharp edges of the sheet metal.
Locate and drill the holes in the plate for mounting to the wood frame. Be careful to locate the screws so they won't interfere with your tripod's mounting platform. Locate and drill the mounting holes in the wood frame and screw the plate to the frame.
I used a combination of marks on masking tape stuck to the sides of my camera, and measurements to try and locate the bottom hole. As you can see from the photo, I didn't get it exactly right, and had to enlarge the hole. Fortunately, the location of the hole isn't exactly critical, although it would be nice to be spot-on, it is the pressure of being sandwiched between the tripod and camera that holds the plate in place. The important thing is, of course, that the frame of the Hummingbird Shooter can be fine-tuned just before the tripod knob is fully tightened, so that the piston is positioned exactly right.
Again, use pliers or a vice to grasp the sheet metal for your safety.
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