Maker-cam Stand (a Good Use for a Selfie Stick)

I know what you're thinking, the selfie stick is dead and buried, as it should be. normally I would agree but this little project puts the infamous menace to good use.

One of the most annoying parts of making instrucables is remembering to take photos and videos along the way, without having a dedicated camera minion or expensive tripod this can be a pain.

I made this project primarily to record work on the lathe, but it would work well with any project, for filming builds, time lapses and montages or to hold your phone at a comfortable height for reading hands free .

Step 1: You Will Need

Tools:
A drill and drill bits.
A Saw ( handsaw or bandsaw works).
A very thin chisel or file.
Pliers.
Clamps or a weight for gluing up.

Optional -lathe ( it's easier with a lathe but you can work around it).


Materials:
A selfie stick ( I paid a whopping £1).
2 part epoxy.
Hard wood, I used oak.
Wood glue ( I used gorilla ).
A nut and bolt, a wingnut would be best.
Thin plywood or veneer.
Something heavy like fishing weights or ball-bearing.

Optional- felt.

Step 2: Gutting the Selfie-stick

First, roll up the rubber grip at the bottom of the handle to expose the plastic cap.

next using some pliers, remove the plastic cap making sure not to damage the wire or surrounding tubing.

Note: I was stupid and accidentally cut the wire for the button, I recommend not doing that. If you keep the wire, button, and cover intact, you can turn your camera on without getting your mucky hands all over the phone.

Step 3: Measure Up

Use a set of calipers (or a ruler, or piece of rolled up paper) to measure the internal diameter of the tube.

You will use this measurement for the plug in the next step.

Step 4: Making the Plug

Take a piece of wood, preferably hardwood, measuring approximately 10cm by 2cm by 2cm.
leave 2.5/3 cm square at one end and turn the rest slightly smaller than the diameter of the selfie stick tube. you can do this with a knife too, I have a lathe so I may as well use it.
I cut grooves into the plug to help the epoxy grip later.

The plug needs to be a good fit but needs a tiny bit of room for the epoxy.
DO NOT GLUE IT IN YET.

Step 5: Making the Hinge

Next you need to cut the fingers for the hinge into the square end of the plug.

To do this, divide the end into 3 equal sections and then cut the middle section out with a saw. Use a file or small chisel to tidy up the bottom of the cut and the internal sides.
Next, take a piece of wood the same dimensions as the previous and repeat the marking process, this time cutting the outer 2 thirds off, leaving one finger in the middle.
Check that the centre finger can fit between the 2 on the other piece of wood and move freely but without too much space.

Align the hinge and drill a pilot hole through all three fingers. Then make the hole wide enough to accommodate the bolt you are using.

Now, take the hinge apart and round the ends of the. Fingers until they can rotate freely in the hinge.

Step 6: Making a Base.

There are 2 important features of the base:
1 it needs to be wide enough to be stable.
2 it needs to be heavy.

To make the base I glued 2 squares of oak together about 15cm by 15cm by 2cm each.

I then cut this round on the bandsaw and turned it true on the lathe, I then hollowed out the back to make a cavity, leaving the center free for the mortise and tendon joint. The cavity can also be made with a router or a chisel and drill using the same method as the square hole.
In the center of the top side, I marked out the square hole to receive the selfie plug. I then drilled out as much material as I could and cut it to shape with a chisel, resulting in a tight fitting joint.

I then filled the cavity with lead fishing weights and glued on a piece of veneer. you don't have to use veneer or fishing weights, they are just what I had to hand.
I then sprayed the whole thing with spray-on-poly and left to dry.

I made the base too small and there is a point that the selfie stick falls over so wider is better. This will depend on the weight of your phone and how far you extend the pole.

Step 7: Assembly

I glued a piece of felt to the bottom to stop the wood from scuffing any surfaces I put the stand on.
Then we simply slide the stick into the base and we are done.

I didn't glue the stand in because the fit is tight enough not to need it and it also makes it easier to store. This also means I can take it off the stand and clamp it to the wood in my shed for a taller shot, it's nice to have options.

Step 8: Done

That's it, now you can film hands-free. It also makes a good phone holder when you need instructions but are lacking a safe, phone friendly surface. Great for baking or following Ibles.
I look forward to trying it out on some future Ibles.