Can I mcgyver an old tripod to something useful

[BananaRepublic]

I have a tripod that belongs to my dad, it fell the other day and now the head/plate is broken. He would have gotten it to hold his nikon F150 back in the 80s. Its a Focal brand looks similar to the link below. Needless to say its a cheapo thing but I was saddened as its my dads and he has had it this long.

I was looking at it and unlike most modern stuff it seems straight forward to dismantle it, nuts bolts etc, and that has got me wondering is it possible to fashion something out of parts.

focal tripods - Google Search:

 

[vintagesnaps]

Could it work as a base for a small table? very small, intended for display probably, nothing heavy. Wasn't Focal a K Mart brand? make it into your own blue light special! lol what that would be, I don't know.

 

[ClickAddict]

Attach (glue/cut int...) the proper screw on the top and you have a handy light stand.

 

[khakoo]

That Google search threw up very mixed results, as they are wont to do. It might inspire more suggestions if you post a couple of pictures of the actual damaged tripod.

Is it possible to use spare parts and put the tripod to some kind of use? Probably. Is it worth it? Probably not, if it's the kind of budget item in most of those results. I understand your reluctance to discard a device that formed part of your father's photographic journey. I have some obsolete equipment that meant a great deal during its useful life, and I'm always reluctant to just throw away anything that's mostly intact in case I can fix it or break it for spares, but the clutter soon builds up if you don't make some ruthless choices.

By the way, this isn't relevant to the tripod's future, and I certainly don't know every SLR, but are you sure F150 was the model name? There's a lot I've tried to forget from the 80s but I was acutely conscious of all the nice cameras I couldn't afford.

Also, don't get me started on the pseudoscientific bollocks in MacGyver.

 

[snowbear]

Light stand, or make a floor / table lamp out of it.

 

[Designer]

I have a tripod that belongs to my dad, it fell the other day and now the head/plate is broken.

I would probably just get another (new, used, same, or different) head for it.

 

[SquarePeg]

Assuming you don’t need it as a tripod...Can you rig it to hold a reflector or a diffuser so you can bring your own “assistant” when you’re out shooting?

These are great to use as “arms” as they’re strong yet totally bendable:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GV1432S

I’ve seen some DIY set ups online where they used zip ties to attach a clamp to each end of these strips then clamp on to the reflector or diffuser on one end and something else on the other. A lightweight tripod could be the something else...

 

[pendennis]

A lot of the Focal brand items were really too cheap to salvage. But.... - they did sell some fairly decent equipment under their brand.

If the head is broken, there's a chance that it's held to the tripod base with a 3/8 or 1/4 stud. If it is, and the tripod seems sturdy enough, there are a number of tripod heads sold separately which might make a good replacement.

A lot of the older equipment came with pan, but no tilt heads. I ran across an original Slik 67, which is amazingly sturdy with center braces. I dismantled the head, cut down and epoxied a Bogen studio plate to it, and it will now accept a number of heads.

A photo of the tripod would give us some idea of its repairability.

 

[petrochemist]

As others have suggested with a replacement head it might work as a tripod, failing that a stand for your flash/screens etc should be quite simple.
I have seen some antiques shops selling similar kit with a modified classic camera on the top where the cameras lens has been replaced with a light bulb, making photo themed house lighting. Something similar should be simple if you can find a suitable (non functional) camera.

 

[smoke665]

I'm interested in the ideas out forward as I rescued a heavy telescope tripod from a trash bin. With its tilt, pan hand wheel screw adjustment and heavy adjustable counter weight I see reflector or light stand in it's future.

1/2-3/4" steel conduit works well as a boom arm (doesn't bend like PVC). You can find the cheap plastic spring clamps that will work well clamping foam board to the conduit.

 

[BananaRepublic]

are you sure F150 was the model name? . .

It was something like that