Mini Tripod w/Adjustable Legs

This is a small tripod that is great for macro work or low angle photography. This design does not include a head, but is intended to be used with any small ball head that can attach with a 1/4-20 screw. I have used it with a Sony A7IV and a 200-600mm lens with success, although she's a bit wobbly. 

Material: PLA or PETG work well. PLA will make the tripod more rigid and will print cleaner, especially with the leg hinge assembly. But PLA could be prone to warping on hot days (so I found out when hiking with it on the outside of my backpack). PETG will be more durable but will be more flexible and it will be more likely for the leg hinge to fuse together while printing. 

Parts:

Center Body - I recommend printing this part solid. The center hole for head attachment is designed to not require supports. 

Tripod Leg - This is a one piece leg/hinge assembly. Print with the “ratchet gears” up. I have provided slits in the part where I recommend painting seams. The important thing is to keep the seems out of the hinge mechanism as much as possible. To reduce flex, print the area around the hinge with a 60%-100% infill using a modifier, and the rest at least 25%. I also recommend at least 3 perimeter layers. I would recommend printing one at a time for better quality. Once printed, you may need to secure the hinge end of the leg and apply pressure, rotating the hinge, breaking it free so it will freely rotate. Once that is done it should rotate smoothly and the ratchet lever should articulate away from the gear teeth. There are three different leg files with suffixes of HC (High Clearance), SC (Standard Clearance), and LC (Low Clearance). This refers to the gap size within the hinge. HC being the largest gap, providing more clearance if needed. 

Flathead Screw -  This is a 5/16-18 screw. Print this with at least a .2mm layer height. These act to pin the leg in place and minimal force will be exerted onto them. 

Foot - This is an optional part that should be printed with flex material to give the tripod leg a little grip. I like to use the fuzzy skin setting for these. They should press into the slot at the end of the leg.

Head Gasket -  This should be printed from a flex material to create friction between the tripod head and Center Body.

Tripod head and screw to attach it will need to be provided separately.