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Ball Clamp for Holding a Camera


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A BALL clamp for holding a camera to any suitable support may be made very simply as follows: Two clamp plates should be fashioned out of a 17.i-inch by 5/16-inch stick of wood, one being 4%, inches long and the other 47.i inches. A %, -inch hole is drilled at one end and countersunk on the inside, the other end of the short one being cut away as shown to give the clamp a good grip on angles. Very often a wooden ball can be found on the end of broom handles or a discarded child's ten-pin set, knobs, etc. The !-'iud in the ball is %-inch-24 thread, for standard cameras, and is pressed tight into a hole drilled for it. The cup-head bolt is also 7.i -inc'l-24 and the inside of the head should be filed a very obtuse V as shown to prevent turning and to form a rocking fu'crum when on an angle. The spring on it keeps the clamps apart.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 105 Issue 19This article was originally published with the title “Ball Clamp for Holding a Camera” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 105 No. 19 (), p. 412
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11041911-412a