Posted by Vandit Kalia on October 29, 2006 at 4:45 AM
Hi guys -
After 2 days of traveling by plane, train and automobile (literally), I reached my shoot only to find that my Gitzo pod has come apart (sort of) during the trip.
The problem:
You know that round base on top of the center column on which the ballhead sits? Well, this has come off. In my bag, the only other part I can find is the retainer nut that holds the center bolt (into which the ballhead screws) into place.
Looking at the center column, I can see the top of what looks like a bolt recessed 1 inch of so inside it. I am not sure if this is the main bolt that has gone really far back in, or if there is an additional bolt that has come loose and gone MIA.
I've taken apart the center column and there doesnt appear to be any way to extract that bolt. I dont have any tool thin and long enough to insert into the center column from the bottom end (oy.. did I just write that?).
So does the bolt need to be extracted, or do I need to find a replacement bolt? If the former, how - if the latter, does anyone know the size/length of the bolt?
Being in Pushkar at the camel fair, somehow I doubt if I'll find a Gitzo dealer within 1000 miles.
TIA,
Vandit - cursed with support devices
Posted by Kent Staubus on October 29, 2006 at 11:33 AM
You mean there is a bolt at the end of a long tube (the "rapid column"?) My old Bogen tripod is like that. To reach the bolt, you need a rachet wrench with a couple of long extensions between the wrench and the socket. This is the tool I am thinking of:
You might be able to find a maintainance man at your hotel with one of these, or an automobile mechanic shop would certainly have them.
Kent in SD
Posted by Mark Stahlke on October 29, 2006 at 12:29 PM
Hi Vandit,
I just disassembled the center column of my Gitzo 1228 MK2 so I think I understand the problem. Basicaly, the nut came off and the bolt that the tripod head screws on to worked its way into the tube, yes? On my tripod this bolt turns quite easily. If it didn't you wouldn't have this problem, right?
If the bolt is still in the threaded part of the tube you may be able to work it back out by grasping it with needle nose pliers or something like that. The bolt turns so easily that you might also be able to work it out by applying something sticky to the eraser end of pencil or similar.
If the bolt dropped all the way into the tube you could replace it with a short section of 3/8-16 threaded rod or a bolt with the head cut off. It needs to be about 1.5 or 2 inches long.
Hope that helps.
Posted by Vandit Kalia on October 30, 2006 at 12:38 AM
Hi all -
Kent, thanks for the idea - the Gitzo is slightly different, in the sense that once the bolt drops in, it is pretty hard to access with tools.
Mark - thank you for taking the effort. Yes, it is exactly as you described - the bolt is in the threaded part of the tube still, but it is flush against the tube, so I am not sure if I can apply needle nose pliers to it (there is no room on the side to grasp it). I'll try the glue + pencil trick - hopefully, that will work.
Somehow - and I dont think this is just my frustration speaking - I cannot but help think that there has to be a better way to design this center column!
Appreciate the help, all.
Vandit
Posted by Vandit Kalia on October 30, 2006 at 4:34 AM
Update, in case anyone is following this sordid tale of three legged woes (and I dont mean the amputee canine that is hanging out near my hotel):
I tried glue. In my defense, I didnt get a pencil with attached eraser (not available here), so had to try a pencil with a seperate eraser (trying to see which surface would stick better to the screw). All I managed was to mess up the screw threads (due to some glue falling on them).
So I took this thing to welding shop, where the welder first tried some kind of rotary boring machine to drive the bolt out. This - in his words - was causing the bolt to dig into the carbon fiber, so we stopped this. Then he hammered the top cap off the center column, exposing an inner part to which the screw was attached (the 1228 Mk2 is slightly different from the 1228 schematic above, incidentally). Then he welded one end of a long pipe to the other end of the bolt and used this greater leverage to fold it free.
Insert new bolt, superglue it into place, cut the length to just the right size and the puppy is as good as new. Better than new, actually, cause this time the blasted thing will NOT come loose.
The cost? 90 cents (let's just say I gave a really big tip). Gitzo should be ashamed.
Vandit
Posted by Kent Staubus on October 30, 2006 at 6:14 PM
Don't tell anyone, but a couple of months ago I took my Shen Hao camera to a welding shop/farm machinery repair place to get it fixed quick and cheap. They were busy so I had to do the grinding myself though. Funny, they don't list a camera repair shop in Akron, Iowa (population 824.)
Discussion
5 repliesAfter 2 days of traveling by plane, train and automobile (literally), I reached my shoot only to find that my Gitzo pod has come apart (sort of) during the trip.
The problem:
You know that round base on top of the center column on which the ballhead sits? Well, this has come off. In my bag, the only other part I can find is the retainer nut that holds the center bolt (into which the ballhead screws) into place.
Looking at the center column, I can see the top of what looks like a bolt recessed 1 inch of so inside it. I am not sure if this is the main bolt that has gone really far back in, or if there is an additional bolt that has come loose and gone MIA.
I've taken apart the center column and there doesnt appear to be any way to extract that bolt. I dont have any tool thin and long enough to insert into the center column from the bottom end (oy.. did I just write that?).
So does the bolt need to be extracted, or do I need to find a replacement bolt? If the former, how - if the latter, does anyone know the size/length of the bolt?
Being in Pushkar at the camel fair, somehow I doubt if I'll find a Gitzo dealer within 1000 miles.
TIA,
Vandit - cursed with support devices
http://tinyurl.com/y3z94t
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Crastsman-3-8-Ratchet-3-6-10-Extensions-Swivel_W0QQitemZ190044393659QQihZ009QQcategoryZ42263QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
You might be able to find a maintainance man at your hotel with one of these, or an automobile mechanic shop would certainly have them.
Kent in SD
I just disassembled the center column of my Gitzo 1228 MK2 so I think I understand the problem. Basicaly, the nut came off and the bolt that the tripod head screws on to worked its way into the tube, yes? On my tripod this bolt turns quite easily. If it didn't you wouldn't have this problem, right?
If the bolt is still in the threaded part of the tube you may be able to work it back out by grasping it with needle nose pliers or something like that. The bolt turns so easily that you might also be able to work it out by applying something sticky to the eraser end of pencil or similar.
If the bolt dropped all the way into the tube you could replace it with a short section of 3/8-16 threaded rod or a bolt with the head cut off. It needs to be about 1.5 or 2 inches long.
Hope that helps.
Kent, thanks for the idea - the Gitzo is slightly different, in the sense that once the bolt drops in, it is pretty hard to access with tools.
Mark - thank you for taking the effort. Yes, it is exactly as you described - the bolt is in the threaded part of the tube still, but it is flush against the tube, so I am not sure if I can apply needle nose pliers to it (there is no room on the side to grasp it). I'll try the glue + pencil trick - hopefully, that will work.
Somehow - and I dont think this is just my frustration speaking - I cannot but help think that there has to be a better way to design this center column!
Appreciate the help, all.
Vandit
I tried glue. In my defense, I didnt get a pencil with attached eraser (not available here), so had to try a pencil with a seperate eraser (trying to see which surface would stick better to the screw). All I managed was to mess up the screw threads (due to some glue falling on them).
So I took this thing to welding shop, where the welder first tried some kind of rotary boring machine to drive the bolt out. This - in his words - was causing the bolt to dig into the carbon fiber, so we stopped this. Then he hammered the top cap off the center column, exposing an inner part to which the screw was attached (the 1228 Mk2 is slightly different from the 1228 schematic above, incidentally). Then he welded one end of a long pipe to the other end of the bolt and used this greater leverage to fold it free.
Insert new bolt, superglue it into place, cut the length to just the right size and the puppy is as good as new. Better than new, actually, cause this time the blasted thing will NOT come loose.
The cost? 90 cents (let's just say I gave a really big tip). Gitzo should be ashamed.
Vandit
Kent in SD