Question: tripod as engraver's vise

snappdragon

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Jun 5, 2014
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I'm a retired photographer; Have a Bogen/Manfrotto tripod (full rotation, panoramic ball head) w/quick release attachment. It also has a "tension lever", which will also lock movement. It has very smooth movements. Has anyone ever tried to makeshift an engraver's vise from a tripod? l plan to attach my small universal holder vice head (from Rio Grande) to the quick-change top, to hold my small stuff...Any input is appreciated. I'm on a squeaky tight budget, and I'm going to try to make this work. I will follow up with results, if I ever complete this project.
 

Sam

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Sounds like a very unstable setup to me. If you're using hammer & chisel or pneumatic handpiece, vibration is your worst enemy.
 

monk

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sounds as though the tripod may be a good one. might be useful if the height adjustment works ok, regardless, it must be absolutely rigid, with no "play" in it. it must also be capable of supporting the load placed on it. in the old days i made a couple out of nothing more than plumbers pipe from the junkyard. ugly as sin, but they worked. your pod should be able to be lowered sufficiently to allow you to work in comfort. most here that have started on a low budget, will tell you of backaches, neck pains, shoulder pain, and idiopathic discomforts of all sorts. all resulting from working without regard to comfort.
 

Ron Spokovich

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I have similar set ups to yours, but not for ball vise or engraving purposes. I have Zeiss and heavy duty tripods of aluminum for the mounting of surveying instruments, and a high grade Swiss ball, similar to yours. Any combination of those will not provide you with the qualities of dampening, and you still will have degrees of freedom (movement) as Sam says. The old rule of 'the heavier the camera, the lighter the tripod can be, and the lighter the camera, the heavier the tripod should be' doesn't apply here. You need strength, limiting of movement, and mass to dampen any vibration as best you can. The tripod and ball won't provide that.
 

Barry Lee Hands

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I used a tripod for gunshows and on the road work at places like David Trevallions shop in kennebunkt. I have had good luck with them, vibration doesnt bother me much, and my bogen didnt vibrate too badly.
 

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