New tripod, a little at a time

[The Warthog]

I set up my table saw yesterday to cut some handrails for my porch, but also took the time to rip some 1 1/4" x 3/4"" strips to make legs for my new tripod, following the general suggestions in the cloudy night article that someone linked to a week or so ago. I have to do this carefully, as SWMBO may not be amused if I am building a tripod before the handrails are put on, I've built a new table and chairs for the porch, created a new set of kitchen cupboards and counters, gutted and replaced the bathroom, and added a couple new rooms on the back.

I'm hoping to finish the tripod this week if I can find the hardware I need. I'm using pine, but if I do it again, I will probably mortgage the house and use oak. I already have some ideas as to what I might have done differently, and I havent' driven a screw yet.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Sounds like you have enough to keep you going for two or three evenings WH.

WRT oak, I found some big shipping pallets which were marked USNC on the wood. It turns out to mean United States Non-Coniferous, as in hardwood. The 3" x 4" bits that the fork truck forks go between were oak and about 4' long. The nails were a pain to remove, but the wood was good stuff.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[jonifive]

Oak is so blooming expensive, not just in the UK. I personally prefer cherry. It is just as tough as Oak, but at least half the price. It's a little hard on the old tools, but cuts beautifully. The silly thing is you can buy an excellent quality hardwood tripod (MartinB has one) for less than the cost of buying the wood and the fittings!

Mind you, oak is cheap compared to purple heart or zebrano. I made some jewelery boxes last xmas out of off cuts of the above. A two foot long, half inch thick plank of zebrano cost me £60.00 :shock: A beautiful, oily wood though.

[The Warthog]

Actually, oak is less expensive than mple or even mahogany, here. The wood for this tripod has cost me about $25, and the hardware is going to cost me about the same, as I'm using brass and stainless for corrosion resistance. Still, I will have a tripod tall enough that I don't have to crawl to see through the finder at high angles. I am aiming at having the dovetail plate about 65" off the ground.

If I could get cherry, it would make an amazing looking tripod. Fruitwoods tend to cost the earth even if you can get them, here.

[barkis]

Anything made from wood by a craftsman is a thing to behold. There is no finer medium in my book, and this world would be in a sorry state without it. The thing is, man is doing his level best to create that situation. I don't know why so much has to be destroyed, to create so little in return. A few tripods won't hurt much I have to say.

Just another little rant gentlemen, you may just ignore me.

Ron.

[The Warthog]

I love working with wood. It's a renewable resource, after all, and can look so good. It drives me crazy though, that in a country full of trees, it costs me $11 to buy a piece of pine 6' x 1" x6", and that milled to 3/4" x 5 1/2". And you have to sort to find straight pieces. I cut my strips out of a larger board in order to get straight pieces, the smaller sizes were mostly bent.

[beamish]

Come on JV post some pics of the goodies !

Where oh where do find all these lovely woods ? Not from Bl**dy B&Q that's for sure. I am sooo tempted to try a tripod build myself in the new yr!

WH don't forget to post a piccy of yours when its done.

Karlo

[The Warthog]

For sure. I'll be doing some assembly pics, too.

[The Warthog]

Well, I've assembled the tripod, but I haven't put the mount on it yet. I'll probably do that tomorrow, as it's getting dark here. It didn't take very long, to be honest. I cut out the parts last week, then changed my mind today and decided to do the lower part of the tripod legs in 1.25" x 1.25", instead of the 3/4" thickness in the CN description. I think it is sturdier, and easier to assemble. I think I shall use the square-cut timber for the upper part of the tripod next time, as it is easier to put together. The joy of having a table saw is that I can cut the wood to any size I want. It went together so fast that I don't have very good assembly pics, but I took some.

I have only to put together an accessory tray, for which I got a nice plastic serving tray with blue flowers on it. Very pretty indeed!

[barkis]

Come on guys, let's have the pictures charting the progress, we need to see what's happening.

Should have videod the emergence of these masterpieces, but we will settle for a couple of photos.

Ron.

[The Warthog]

OK, pics:

The three legs after attachment of the side pieces to the upper spacer. I used the bolts to hold the legs in alignment.

Detail of the upper spacer:

The lower leg attached to the assembly for one leg, the other two legs waiting to be drilled.

Tomorrow I'll attach the legs to the mount, and put the accessory tray on. It needs to be sanded a mite, and varnished. It is surprisingly light weight, and very sturdy. I may try oak next time, but this is pine, which is a fairly hard softwood. I love the look of oak, though.

[jonifive]

Looking good WH. What finish are you going to use to protect it?

JV

[The Warthog]

I'm going to use Varathane spray varnish. I like the natural colour of wood, and it's easier to see in the dark than my present black tripod. This is just a first try, so I might do something different in future.

[barkis]

Yes I agree, what you are doing looks very nice. I am a sucker for thing created in wood.

Also, gents, I would say you have triggered a desire in me to follow suit, because, the tripod which supports my 152mm f8 frac. is way too short, and I am fed up with getting old mans backache each time I use it. Therefore, I shall commence a search for suitable timber. I have my Obs project in progress at the mo. so the tripod start date will follow when time allows. Meanwhile, talking of backache, I have an awful lot of concrete to mix, and I am loathe to hire a machine, as the money for that has gone towards buying a Powermate.

Looking forward to the finished masterpiece WH.

Ron.

[beamish]

I am loathe to hire a machine, as the money for that has gone towards buying a Powermate.

Ron.

Masochist ? :nono: However it is a Powermate so maybe there is a case for it.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Have you considered oiling it WH? It would be a shame if all your nice sliding fits were taken up by the thickness of the varnish. I don't know if the oil makes the wood swell up, but it looks nice and is easy to daub on.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[beamish]

I'd feel the same , surely a good Danish should do the trick ,a couple of coats?

[The Warthog]

Well, I'm going to have to reconstruct it, as the spacers turned out to be about 1/16" too narrow, which was enough to cause one of the glue joints to partially separate, and one of the spacers to crack, when I forced the lugs of the mount into the top of the legs. Those lugs, although I had carefully measured them at 1.25" turn out to be just a little bigger. Remember, I said this was a shakedown for later models. Once I've made all my mistakes, I can build a good 'un.

I put the mount on it, anyway, and talk about rigid! No wind is going to move this. I don't know if it is going to be a little short for me. That is something experience will tell, and with last night's experience, I might go about 3" higher.

I find two coats of Varathane spray loads up the wood less than one brush coat, and I don't have any sliding parts - the legs will adjust in the way that a crutch does, using pins, or in this case, bolts. I was unable to get brass or stainless fittings in the sizes I need, so until I can find a better supplier, it's plated steel.

I'm not a craftsman yet, and this isn't a masterpiece!