Stainless Steel Pipe

This topic has 26 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 7 May 2015 at 20:31 by Michael Gilligan.

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5 May 2015 at 09:28 #188675
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
I'm musing about making replacement stainless steel legs for a tripod.

I found 1.75" x 3m long by 1.5mm wall seamless stainless steel pipe for £60.

A new tripod with similarly specced legs is £95 …

Now I could look at MS tube, but just in case, does anyone know a less costly source of stainless pipe to that size?

Neil

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5 May 2015 at 09:28 #23856
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
5 May 2015 at 09:47 #188679
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Exhaust pipe repair shop.

Ian S C
5 May 2015 at 09:59 #188682
Clive Hartland
Participant
@clivehartland94829
Why do you need a stainless steel tripod?

Clive
5 May 2015 at 10:07 #188684
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Could get a bit weighty to lug up to thetop of a dark hill.

Assume the stainless is so it won't rust

J
5 May 2015 at 10:15 #188687
Ady1
Participant
@ady1
Aluminium?
5 May 2015 at 10:32 #188691
Ed Duffner
Participant
@edduffner79357
There's a tripod on Ebay Neil.

**LINK**

…and several other telescopes which appear to have stainless tripods.

That would be a bit of a job making them telescopic if that was your intention and then the material needed for the knuckles, sleeves and feet etc would probably bring the total near to the cost of a new one. I'd be interested to follow the project if you decide to do it though.

Amazing what you can do with a bit of Ally extrusion! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLC3G4Ss60Y&feature=player_detailpage

Ed.

Edited By Ed Duffner on 05/05/2015 10:41:15
5 May 2015 at 10:37 #188694
Clive Hartland
Participant
@clivehartland94829
Look in Ebay:- 'Theodolites' where there are some Alu legged tripods. Painted or anodised.

Clive
5 May 2015 at 10:45 #188697
Nick_G
Participant
@nick_g
.

I always want a tripod with as much mass in it as possible. Yet to find a lightweight one I would be happy with.

That view may not be the same though if I was a landscape photographer. A trick they use is to have a bag they fill with rocks etc. at the location and hang onto the tripod.

Like a lathe or mill mass is good on a tripod.

Nick
5 May 2015 at 14:56 #188738
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
> the material needed for the knuckles, sleeves and feet etc would probably bring the total near to the cost of a new one.

That's my conclusion

The aluminium ones struggle to cut the mustard. With the mount and scope mine weighs 28kg and wobbles like a jelly – doesn't help that the scope and counterbalance makes a nice centrally suspended pendulum.

The stainless tripods weigh about 7Kg but are much more rigid.

The alloy design In photo) has two weak points – the central leg is only clamped at the joint – that's what the bit of studding puts right, the other is twist where the legs join the (cast iron) tripod top. My alternative solution is making alloy clamps to replace the plastic mouldings, or simply fixing an alloy spacer at the top of the legs.

Neil
5 May 2015 at 15:16 #188745
MadMike
Participant
@madmike
£95??????????? I cannot imagine why you haven't just bought the stainless purpose made tripod. Home made tripods are OK if you have plenty of time and nothing better to do. Me………..I wouldn't mess about as it appears to be a work related item, which may even be tax deductible.
5 May 2015 at 15:49 #188750
Gas_mantle.
Participant
@gas_mantle
Slightly off topic but a lot of astronomers fill the legs with sand to give added weight and stability.
5 May 2015 at 15:50 #188751
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Have you tried timber for the tripod? damps out vibration quickly, light and stiff.
A basic 'crutch' leg tripod is the simplest thing to make but not telescopic.

Otherwise the local aerial installer may be a good source of tube, ally and stainless.

Edited By john carruthers on 05/05/2015 15:53:29
5 May 2015 at 16:46 #188764
Vic
Participant
@vic
The best materials for tripods are Carbon fibre and wood, at least in terms of dampening vibrations. There is another material but it needs patenting.
5 May 2015 at 17:25 #188769
frank brown
Participant
@frankbrown22225
Match coarse fishers use "poles" which are a selection of carbon fibre tubes that plug tightly into each other. This can result in a fishing rod 11m long. The sections can be bought separately to replace broken ones, so a nose around a good fishing tackle shop might be interesting.

Another suggestion for a source of SS or ali tubes could be manufacturers of yacht equipment (hand rails,dingy booms, )err, and other bits?

Frank
5 May 2015 at 17:54 #188775
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Wood seems to be fairly popular (ash is recommended) but wood is a horrible nasty substance that always comes out tatty and scruffy round here

Think I might see what improvements I can make to the existing tripod for now… there are various other strategies. I have already filled the centre legs with sand (have to work out how to plug the outer ones). Suspending a weight from the head can help and so can hanging a chain from the scope.

Neil
5 May 2015 at 21:22 #188799
Grizzly bear
Participant
@grizzlybear
Neil,

Add a little cement to the sand, no need for a plug.

Bear..
5 May 2015 at 21:50 #188804
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
The sand needs to be loose to maximise its damping properties.

Neil
5 May 2015 at 22:13 #188805
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Neil,

Unless you are really determined to use stainless … I think this may be the most cost-effective material for fixed-length tripod legs.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. … I wouldn't take the damping properties of loose sand too seriously … by the time it starts to work, the tripod has already flexed too far for astronomical use.
7 May 2015 at 11:25 #188969
Ed Duffner
Participant
@edduffner79357
Hi Neil,

If you're not too worried about altering the tripod you have, perhaps you could glue some slabs or plates of some material to the outside and/or inside of the legs with silicon sealer or similar, like a sandwich arrangement.

Ed.
7 May 2015 at 12:27 #188975
pgk pgk
Participant
@pgkpgk17461
…a reallly heavy, fast spinning gyroscope attached to the tripod….

It might be a problem if there's a second object you want to observe…
7 May 2015 at 14:25 #188988
Clive Hartland
Participant
@clivehartland94829
Here's the answer, get one of those screw in earth spikes for tethering dogs etc. Set up the tripod over the screw spike and attach some sort of screw mechanism ( Like a Warwick adjustor) so you can clamp down the tripod to the screw spike. This will rigidise the whole set up to a high degree.

Clive
7 May 2015 at 14:31 #188989
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Could use a bungy cord or ratchet strap
7 May 2015 at 18:12 #189008
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Interesting idea Clive. would work for a semi-permanent position in the garden. I also thought of making a concrete pillar that could double as a sundial or birdbath when not in use. A cargo ratchet would be good.

Neil
7 May 2015 at 18:16 #189009
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Scaffold tubing is a good idea. I used to have 18" I found buy the side of the road and it found many uses before it ran out.

Will get some workshop time this evening (there's nothing important happening, is there?) so I will have a play.

Neil
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