Pocket Tripod

Intro: Pocket Tripod

A useful tripod that's easy to make and fits in your pocket. It uses stiff wire wrapped in electrical tape as legs, and taped to a bolt. I have like 4 now so i'll give one to my friend that wanted one.

STEP 1: Get Supplies

you need 4 things:

3 Stiff pieces of wire, 10+ inches long (old coat hangers, copper house wiring)

a 1/4" bolt that fits camera mounts, they're pretty common

electrical tape

pliers

STEP 2: Wrap Legs

start wrapping around one end of the wire with electrical tape about 10 times around, then move up to the other end, leaving 2" uncovered.

wrap the others the same way.

STEP 3: Bend "U"s in Legs

use the pliers to bend "U"s on the un-covered ends of the legs.

STEP 4: Wrap Tape Around Bolt

TIGHTLY!!!!

STEP 5: Add a Leg

Place the "U" of one leg against the bolt as shown. Wrap the tape around 2 or 3 times tightly.

STEP 6: Add More Legs

add the other two legs (or more) in the same way. Now wrap 10-20 times around everything super tightly.

STEP 7: Done :D

wasnt that easy? now just screw your tripod on, DONT OVERSCREW, you can screw on a nut or wingnut to snug up your camera, or 2 nuts screwed together to stop your camera from going down too far.

you can use it as a normal tripod, a great macro tripod for getting low and it will wrap around anything; signs, branches, chairs (camping chairs...)

give some to your photographer friends too (my friend wanted one)

Comments

[chinmaya1011]

I wonder how thick the stiff wire is... I don't think the wire I have will be able to take the weight of my camera

[Sean Et Cetera]

What about using duct tape instead of electrical tape? Wouldn't that hold up better or at least improve the grip of the legs when they are wrapping aroudn something?

[theRIAA]

no

[spork969]

it would not improve the grip, but it might be more durable

[theRIAA]

only on the legs, but you have to use electrical tape to hold the legs together. You will never get the duct tape tight enough.

[shakna]

I've actually made a tripod using only duct tape, no etape, and it's worked fine for me for a while... You just need to be patient while applying the duct tape so you get it straight, it can be plenty tight enough.

[xhephaestusx]

the point is etape stretches, allowing for a very tight grip, whereas ductape can't stretch well b/c of its internal fabric - what duct-tape DOES have is a stronger adhesive

@theRIAA: very nice, i've been looking at those "gorillapods" and my girlfriend actually has one - this is that and for cheap! i'm getting up as soon as i press post to make one! i can hardly believe i never thought of this, i'm personally a strong proponent of stiff wire and tape

[vikarious]

I've made mine like this :

[timshapiro]

Uh... hey, Vikarious... why the heck don't you post your "how to" project in making your redesign of the tripod? I think yours looks amazing.

[confuscated]

I'm curious to know: what type of wire did you use for the legs? Those don't look like wire coat hangers to me and appear to be covered with a coating?

[scoatw]

I wonder if one could solder the coat hanger to the bolt ?

[theRIAA]

With a propane torch possibly, but it might not hold.

[stephenniall]

I use this method quite alot I was looking at gorilla pods But the slr one is about 20£ in my county so i needed to make my own and came across something like this

[arikyeo]

For those of you who live in Singapore, I got it from my usual hardware store(in Singapore, that is). It's called Chong Brother Hardware Supply. There's one in CCK and 1 in Teck Whye. The CCK one (CCK is Choa Chu Kang, Google it) cos' it has more things in it... but... it's more dusty...

[_soapy_]

What size & thread is the bolt? They aren't common outside the US as far as I know, because it is an old imperial size and pitch. Neat idea, regardless.

[arikyeo]

where do u live?

[Myself]

1/4"-20, which means quarter inch, twenty threads per inch. The most common thread in the US, if not the rest of the world. It's on cameras no matter where you go, so nyah nyah! ;)

[_soapy_]

Thanks. I'll be able to either track one down, or get one made. I have no objection to special cases, as long as they are consistent and available.

[theRIAA]

get one made? lol, im sure you can buy a pack online for like $10 total

[spork969]

The 1/4"-20 is obsolete nowadays and only used for tripods. (To the most of my knowledge.) I would love to be corrected however.
My source: "The de facto standard threading for the screw that attaches the camera to the tripod is Whitworth 1/4"-20 for small cameras or Whitworth 3/8"-16 for larger cameras. (This otherwise obsolete thread system is similar to the Unified Thread Standard still used in the USA, but with a different thread angle.)" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripod_(photography)