Foldable telescopic snap lock camera mini tripod

Hi guys,

seeing the telescopic tripods that you are probably familiar with I was wondering if those can be 3D printed. So I've devised a snap lock mechanism which might be similar to those telescopic tripod but this one can be 3D printed.

You will need

- TPU - PLA/PETG/ABS or material of your choice, PLA should be the best option here - M3x20 bolt (9x) - M3 nut (9x) - ¼" camera screw - allan key/screwdriver from the printed parts:

- Leg outside (3x) - Leg inside (3x) - Insert (6x) - Lever (3x) - Anti slip sock (3x) - Top plate (1x) - Bottom plate (1x) Printing instructions

- no supports are needed - all parts pre-oriented , you don't need to change the orientation - print the Insert and Anti slip components in TPU . Due to different printer tolerances I uploaded different thickness variations of the Insert. You can try them out and see which works the best for you. I used 1.15 version but you might want to go thicker. Make sure the leg slides out easily otherwise go for thinner version. PRO tip: after printing the Leg inside part, sand the sides (including the v-slot) to get better holding force.

Assembly

Firstly, follow the assembly video below:

- start off by taking the Leg outside component and place the Insert in. Make sure the Insert is seated correctly. - proceed by inserting the Leg inside component with the round tip facing forward - place the second Insert on top of the Leg inside. Again, make sure it is seated correctly. - put the Lever in place and screw it in with M3 nut and bolt - put on the Anti slip sock - repeat steps 1-4 for all three legs - screw the Bottom plate in all legs using M3 nuts and bolts - screw the Top plate in all legs using M3 nuts and bolts - place the ¼" screw in top plate and screw it into the camera Done!

Can it hold 6 boxes of milk though? Watch here .

As always, I also post .STEP files if you are not happy with my design or it needs adjustments, feel free to post a remix!

Cheers!

Luke