Tripod & Bipod

[RickH]

I have a tripod & monopod, both bought as Jessops own brand.
They have both developed same issue.
Both have a fixing plate that the camera ‘fixes to’ the fixing screw passing through the base.

Both bases have a rubber compound that provides a non slip pad to tighten camera down onto.
On both bases the rubber has disintegrated and crumpling away.

Anybody know of a way to replace the deteriorated rubber with something new ?

 

[SFK]

Peel off old tuber sheet.
Measure thickness.
Buy something like this for about £4 from eBay.

Pardon our interruption...

Cut to size.
Glue on using UHU glue (or similar) from Poundland.

 

[RickH]

The issue is it’s not a flat slab of rubber, it is moulded and has slots cut through it etc.

I did think of buying rubber sheet for this, wondering if there are other options.
Thanks for suggestion though.

 

[robinbanks]

Show us a picture

 

[mattylad]

It happens to old rubber, unless you can find a replacement then as it's shaped perhaps the services of someone wioth a 3D printer and some flexible TPU may be able to help.
(not me btw).

 

[RickH]

I was thinking of 3D printer, I could get CAD drawing created.
Is there a ‘rubber like’ material they can print.

 

[robinbanks]

Show us a picture

Show us a picture

 

[mattylad]

I was thinking of 3D printer, I could get CD drawing created.
Is there a ‘rubber like’ material they can print.

Not rubber but TPU is a flexible plastic, used for things like gaskets, seals, phone cases etc.
My phone is in a TPU case right now, nice & flexible.

The cost of a roll of really flexible TPU would likely outweigh the replacement cost of your tripod though.

 

[JohnD]

I don't see the trouble. There are lots of rubber mats around that could be repurposed. It won't even be seen when in use.

A tripod pad might have a moulded pattern, but all it really needs is a 1/4" hole for the screw.

I needed a bit of thinnish rubber mat and got an old car mat and, on free cycle, a couple of small mats that were liners for the oddments trays on a car dashboard and centre console.

I might cut a piece to go under my Chef.

 

[RickH]

asked to provide a picture ... there is the fixing screw, and the locating pin

 

[Alec_t]

Plain rubber sheet should be sufficient. That grid pattern looks to be superfluous decoration.

 

[robinbanks]

Take a knife to the pad and cut two strips out of it eg where I've marked in red:

Once these are removed and the base cleaned up, run a bead of silicone sealant down it and smooth it down with a butter knife to be the same height as the adjacent rubber. Let it cure, then remove the rest of the crumbling rubber and fill in with silicone, again smoothing down to the same height as the cured silicone

Now have a silicone pad the same thickness as the rubber was. If you don't have a cartridge gun or old silicone tube kicking around, silicone is available in toothpaste style tubes as well as the big gun stuff. Took a Quick Look on eBay, for "RTV silicone" - first result was 3 quid. Bank breaking but it's delivered free for that, so probably not worth a stroll to the shops

 

[jj4091]

It's caused by something called hydrolisis ( or something like that ) and happens on lots of products with age. I had 3 pairs of shoes with moulded soles that went that way because of irregular use and age. If yours is the quick release type then tou may get a replacement here

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