Compact Full-Sized Phone Tripod (33 - 118cm)

Compact Full-Sized Phone Tripod (33 - 118cm)

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Print Profile(2)

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X1 Carbon
P1S
P1P
X1
X1E
A1

0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
Designer
10.7 h
4 plates
4.8(15)

Fully Printable with bolts and springs
Fully Printable with bolts and springs
14.5 h
2 plates

Open in Bambu Studio
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Released

Description

This compact tripod shrinks down to tabletop size or expands up to a full-sized floor-standing unit. Each leg consists of 4 sections that lock in either the fully extended or fully collapsed position using a quick 1/4 turn friction lock. The center post has 3 sections that can be similarly extended or collapsed. Fine tuning of the height is done by sliding the whole center post up or down in the center core. The phone clamps into the tripod head with a spring-loaded finger and can be tilted and locked with a locking knob. The phone can be panned by rotating the center post in the core and locking it with a separate knob.

 

Note that you can get any intermediate height by not extending all leg and/or post sections. Sliding the whole center post up and down allows you to fine tune the height. The tripod is quite rigid when collapsed to shorter heights, but it becomes progressively less rigid as you start extending sections.

 

The Telescoping Locking Mechanism

Each extendable section of the leg has a set of ridges on the outer diameter at one end as shown:

On the inner diameter of the next larger section, there are two sets of matching grooves - one in the fully extended position and one in the fully retracted position. When assembled, twisting the movable section CCW by ¼ turn will allow it to slide up and down freely. And when either fully extended or collapsed, you can turn it back CW by ¼ turn to lock it into position.

 

Phone Clamp

The phone clamp will handle a wide range of phone widths. Note that if you want to use your phone in portrait mode, you can print a version of the finger with the length scaled to fit the height of your phone.

 

Printing 
I printed all parts in PLA for stiffness, but a CF filled filament would be even better. For greater heat resistance, you could use PETG-CF, or even better, PET-CF. The 3MF file included lumps the tripod feet in with the other PLA parts, but if you want to use this on smooth surfaces, I'd recommend printing the feet in TPU.

 

Print 3 copies of the Leg plate and one copy of each of the other plates.

 

Assembly
To complete the assembly, you will need some CA glue (superglue), two M6 nuts or two ¼-20 nuts, two M6 x 30mm bolts or two ¼-20 x 1 ¼" bolts, and one rubber band.

 

Leg Assembly
1. Start with the largest tube. Slide the largest ferrule/end cap over the round end and glue in place with a couple drops of CA glue.

2. Insert the next largest tube into the largest tube with the ridged end going in last (as shown in the photo above). Slide that tube all the way through the largest tube to the fully extended position and give it a ¼ turn to lock it in position. Slide the next smallest ferrule over the end of the tube and glue in place.

3. Repeat step 2 for the next 2 tubes.

4. For the last tube, slide the foot onto the end of the smallest tube and glue in place.

 

Core assembly
1. Position one of the legs in the pocket of the central core and press one of the small pins into the holes on either side. Is should eb a light press fit, but add a drop of CA glue of the pins seem loose. Repeat this for all 3 legs.

2. Press your nut into the hex hole in the core clamp. Note that there is a small inner step if you are using a smaller M6 nut. The bigger ¼-20 nut will just press into the larger hole. Similarly, press your hex head bolt into the knob. Thread the bolt into the fixed nut until the knob just begins to tighten.

 

Post Assembly
1. Assemble the post in the same way as you did the legs. On the end, though, you will be gluing on the post cap.

2. Slide the finger onto the base of the phone clamp. Loop your rubber band under the ridges in the bottom of the base and over the notch in the finger as shown in the second photo above. You may need to double up your rubber band to get a nice firm grip on your phone.

3. Assemble the 2nd knob as described above and insert it into the tilt mechanism.

4. Insert the center post into the central core.

 

Comment & Rating (30)

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Print Profile
0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
Nice model, printed as adjustable stand for video/time lapse camera mount for 3D prints. Will work well. Only gave 4 stars because I had to do quite a bit of sanding for some tubes to slide together. Could have been my printer (A1) but it has been very good on tolerances to date. Wasn't worried about color filament, just selected (all PLA) what I had. Called for M6x30 bolts, only had M6x40. That is why they stick out so much. Overall, highly recommend.
(Edited)
The designer has replied
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Nice looking print! Yeah, I had to cut the tolerances fairly tight to keep it from being wobbly. The ones I printed on my X1 didn't need any sanding, but I can see where any slight variations in process or filament could require some finish work.
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Replying to @lobocnc :
In all fairness, the blue was a matte Pla. That could of caused the tolerance issue somewhat. The worse sanding was on the section going into the center mount, the rest were a light sanding or none at all. It IS very sturdy and will work just fine for my Wyze OG camera. I will be able to get the perfect angle on the print.
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0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
looks good, but for some reason, one of the legs doesn't lock properly, so it doesn't hold it's position well enough, will try to reprint it and get it to work
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0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
turn out great but it a bit loses.
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Fantastic! Absolutely chuffed with this! It was my first big 3D print and it came out great! I happened to have the exact right nuts, bolts and rubber bands lying around. I printed it in BBL Basic Black PLA and BBL Tough Orange PLA. I wanted one so I could take pictures of the stars on a camping trip but wouldn't have been able to order one in time. Now I have one! 😁 Thank you!
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Print Profile
0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
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Print Profile
0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill
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Is there a plate that I have to print twice? I’m missing some pieces.
The designer has replied
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Print 3 copies of the Leg plate and one copy of each of the other plates.
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ok thanks
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I need a tripod for my laptop so I can adjust the software to my amplifier whilst playing electric guitar, I have the tray part already that has a standard tripod fitting on it. Can you give me the OD of the top of the largest tube please so I can model a standard tripod fitting?
The designer has replied
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The largest diameter tube is 14.7mm. Note that in Bambu Slicer, You can now take basic measurements like this right off the STL models using the measuring tool.
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Do you know what rubber band size you used? I own none, so I am going to grab a bag off Amazon, since so many prints use them.
The designer has replied
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It's not real critical. Long bands you can fold over to make 2 loops, or you can double up on small thin bands. A bag of assorted rubber bands is super handy.
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I like the design a lot but the rubber band seems flimsy. is there a way to make it so it uses a tension spring?
The designer has replied
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Rubber bands are very compact and can stretch over a much larger range than a conventional steel spring. As long as they aren't stretched too far continuously, they can last for years. In an application like this, I'll often use 2 or three smaller rubber bands in parallel. This gives you a higher force with less stretch, and it also gives you some redundancy should one break. I'm usually hesitant to design in conventional springs because they are difficult for people to source.
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