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Tripod hack (Improve stiffness)

Anchor Zero Six

Problem Solver
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 11, 2007
1,838
13
49
Corona Komifornia
So I had a theory and decided to give it a try and I'm happy to say I think I'm onto something.

long story short I knew I was giving up some stability by moving from a Feisol 3472 to the 3342 but I wanted a less bulky tripod.

I know the flex is due to the small leg diameter on the lower sections and wondered if there were a way to improve that.

I decided to try filling the lower leg sections with expanding spray foam and it does seem to have a noticeable effect in improved stability by decreasing lower leg flex.

For folks concerned about weight the single leg section weighed 2.2oz on my postage scale before filling and 2.5 average between all three after filling. So a total weight increase of .9oz

This was simple and non invasive meaning you are not going to ruin the tripod provided you completely disassemble the leg and mask it off completely. The cost was a can of spray foam from Home Depot under $5.00

Only word of caution is this shit does expand and is messy so tape the entire leg exterior, plug any holes there might be for spikes and dont trim until its set. It does expand greatly so there will be a big blob on top when its setting. Simply trim away with a razor and then remove the masking tape once the foam is set up. Can says to let cure for 8 hrs I assembled at 6.5 (close enough for me)

Worth a try for the adventurous DIY folks especially those running cheaper tripods or lighter rated ones.

A06
 
Well one of the reasons I posted this was in hopes that others might know of better fill mediums.

The idea of the spray foam hit me at a project site while we were filling voids in concrete around conduit.

I selected the foam that seemed to be the least flexible of the offerings carried at HD.

If anybody has ideas for other materials to try lets start brainstorming.
 
Good idea, Anchor!
I have a (smaller) Feisol 3402, and wound up removing the lower leg sections, completely. Since I only use it off a low turkey or dove stool, the remaining 3 sections offer enough height and are actually more stable. Might try filling them up and re-installing...thanks for the idea!