3/8-16 to 1/4- 20

[RichM63]

Has anyone ever used the 3/8 to 1/4 inserts to convert a 'pro' ball head down to 1/4, and if so how sturdy was it?

The reason for the question is that I have just received my 8kg ball head to attach to a dovetail for tracked widefeld use on either of my listed mounts, however I forgot the basic requirement of a bolt to join plate and ball head together. Doh...

Now living here in a metric environment I cannot locate a 3/8 -16 bolt anywhere, nor can I seem to find one online.

I have no problem with 1/4 - 20 bolts (got a few in a box).

My concern is that the reducer insert might pull out of the head causing the camera etc to fall off.

[Demon Barber]

Hi As long as it is of good quality you will have no problems,

Regards

Mike

[Psychobilly]

Hi As long as it is of good quality you will have no problems,

Regards

Mike

Agreed....

[JamesF]

Yup.  I did exactly this and I've had no problems.

James

[Tinker1947]

I do remeber buying a couple of reducers, there be in the workshop in a tin hidden away, so don't they screw into the existing 3/8 thread, and if so a touch of metal grade glue will sort it out....???

[Davey-T]

Various different thread bolts here.

Dave

http://www.a2stainless.co.uk/

[RichM63]

Thanks for the reassuring replies people. If I can't find an appropriate bolt locally on Wednesday (tomorrow is a B/H) I'll order the best quality I can sort out.

If I did have a 3/8 bolt, I'd need to drill out the dovetail anyway, as the SW/Vixen have threaded 1/4 holes. (not a problem).

An aside, I am very suprised by the quality of the B/S head, all metal and brass, weighs about a pound, 3 way controls with an angular scale, 2 bubble levels, and Q/R metal base plate, spring loaded b/p lock, all finished in a satin black, with very smooth action and what seems to be solid lock down. All for £16 delivered!  Beike BK-03

Evidently a clone, but of what I'm not sure.

[RichM63]

Quick update, after sleeping on the problem and being too impatient to wait another week for delivery of the inserts, I remembered that my vintage Jacobsen lawn tractor started life in mid 60s America.

Therefore it most likely had 3/8 -16 bolts somewhere on its person.

Armed with a 15mm spanner I set about trying to find a suitable donor (3/8 bolts would likely have 15mm heads +-)

Finally found one from the steering wheel rake adjustment.

It fits the 3/8 B/S perfectly, although too long in the shank for the dovetail to B/S.

Drilled the dovetail to 9mm and tapped a thread in the alloy with back n forth with the steel bolt.

Then added a lock nut tightend back down to the unthreaded part of the shaft and cut off the original extraneous over long head part.

Screwed the bolt into the dovetail and then added the B/S, base tightened with a pipe grip and rubber car mat to protect the B/S base from the jaws.

I'm now the proud father of a 700D mounted on a motorized EQ3-2, fully balanced and dummy polar aligned on my electricity pole tip.

Although I'm itching to have a real go at some widefield and maybe some longer work, it is of course now bucketing down.

So for fun have plugged in the AstroEQ from the EQ5 and am playing GOTOs with CdC, sad I know, but it looks kind of cool having the camera move remotely from my desk.

I will be ordering the 3/8 to1/4 inserts because I've decided to grab another B/S for the car tripod