Tripod woes

DavidTO · October 12, 2007

What's with the mounting screws? I got a new tripod, and the screw is too small for my RRS Ballhead. I thought they'd all be the same? What am I missing?

Andy · October 12, 2007

DavidTO wrote:

What's with the mounting screws? I got a new tripod, and the screw is too small for my RRS Ballhead. I thought they'd all be the same? What am I missing?

Some tripods come with a screw that screws over that small screw, thus allowing your RRS Ballhead to mate successfully with your Slik Tripod.

So, screw you!

DavidTO · October 12, 2007

Harumph!

Andyone know if this is what I need?

Or, anyone, for that matter?

Art Scott · October 12, 2007

That looks about right...similar to what I had to buy for my Kiev 2 1/4's to mount to SAE tripods.....................

DavidTO · October 12, 2007

SLIK says that my mounting screw is U1/4, if that helps.

pathfinder · October 12, 2007

Tripods come with 1/4 in screws and 3/8 in screws. Sounds like your screw ( male portion - the bolt ) is 1/4. You need the 1/4 - 20 in to 3/8th - 16 inch adapter, and then you should be good to go. They are called reducer bushings.

RRS sells them cheap $5.00 - buy a couple so you'll have a spare the next time this comes up. That's what I do.:D

Or you MAY be able to find them at your local Lowe's or Tractor Supply in the Hardware sections

DavidTO · October 12, 2007

pathfinder wrote:

RRS sells them cheap $5.00 - buy a couple so you'll have a spare the next time this comes up. That's what I do.:D

I'm on it!

Thanks, guys.

Oh, and Andy.... never mind.

leaforte · October 12, 2007

Never Mind (Gilder Radner. SNL)

ian408 · October 13, 2007

You might want to take the screw out. It might be the screw is threaded
for both sizes.

Nikolai · October 13, 2007

ian408 wrote:

You might want to take the screw out. It might be the screw is threaded
for both sizes.

Yep, that what it was on giottos

DavidTO · October 13, 2007

Nikolai wrote:

Yep, that what it was on giottos

Yeah, well, I double-triple checked. AFAICS, not on mine.

No problem, bushings are on the way.

ian408 · October 13, 2007

DavidTO wrote:

Yeah, well, I double-triple checked. AFAICS, not on mine.

No problem, bushings are on the way.

Go back and look again. I think you missed it

Seriously. Sorry to hear it's going to be an accessory to fix the accessory.
On the bushing, you will want to make sure it's got a screw driver slot that
will let you extract it once you install it (if you put it on the tripod, it will end
up in the ball head when you remove it down the line).

DavidTO · October 13, 2007

ian408 wrote:

Go back and look again. I think you missed it

Seriously. Sorry to hear it's going to be an accessory to fix the accessory.
On the bushing, you will want to make sure it's got a screw driver slot that
will let you extract it once you install it (if you put it on the tripod, it will end
up in the ball head when you remove it down the line).

I didn't miss it. I mentioned it to Marc (he has the same 'pod), and he said, "Oh, yeah." He had the same thing.

I'll be using loctite on the bushing/tripod, so I hope that it doesn't come out in the ballhead!

billg71 · October 14, 2007

Andy wrote:

Some tripods come with a screw that screws over that small screw, thus allowing your RRS Ballhead to mate successfully with your Slik Tripod.

So, screw you!

ROFLMAO!! Andy, I love it!

As others have suggested, you may have a reversible stud in your tripod. Reading The Friendly Manual might enlighten you on this. If not, hie yourself down to your local Lowe's, Home Depot, or whatever flavor your local Big Box store assumes and get yourself the adapter you posted a link to. It'll be called a "3/8-16 X 1/4-20 reducer bushing". You can probably walk out with a two-pack for around $2.00, tax included.

While you're there, pick up a tube of blue Loc-Tite and put a drop on the tripod screw when you install the bushing. Let it sit for a couple of hours before you install the head. That'll ensure that when you remove the head the bushing will stay on the tripod and not be buried in the head.

Happy Screwing!

Bill

Cuong · November 29, 2007

I had a similar situation with my Slik tripod and the RRS ballhead. I went to Lowe's looking for the reducer bushings without any luck. Adorama has the 5-pack Bogen tripod bushing 1/4-20 to 3/8" for $14 plus $7 shipping. I ordered one, and here they are:
TripodBushings.JPG?imgmax=640

Cuong

Tripod woes

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