Lubricating bowl head

[bashful]

My current tripod setup is a Feisol tripod with a bowl head supporting a simple one-way tilt head with A-S clamp. The bowl head is my levelling solution once I have the legs roughly in place.

Does anyone have experience with lubricating the bowl? I appreciate that the Feisol isn't a high-end video setup, but I'd like it to move a little more smoothly when making small final adjustments before locking it off.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Michael Jones]

Does anyone have experience with lubricating the bowl? I appreciate that the Feisol isn't a high-end video setup, but I'd like it to move a little more smoothly when making small final adjustments before locking it off.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Try DuPont Teflon Silicone Lubricant in liquid form. I’ve used it on my Burlebach Mulda’s bowl successfully. Doesn’t attract dust. Also works on wood. I started using it after a conversation with Dick Phillips regarding “lubing” my Explorer. Used it for about 30 years now and still have the original bottle.

[bashful]

Thanks!

[Paul Ron]

are you talking about a "ball" head mount? from my experiance with a few, they have a tension adjust screw or a way to adjust how tight the main spring or mechanism is. lubing it may cause it to have no tension and when mounting a heavy camera, it may flop around or slip under load. if it did require any grease or lube, it would more likely be a dampening grease. but you will have to disassemble the joint.

https://www.amazon.com/Synthetic-Damping-Lubricant-EDC-Plus/dp/B084H9CDLJ

[bashful]

Paul,

Thanks, but no - it's a hemispherical levelling base like this: https://www.feisol.net/heads/leveling-base/feisol-leveling-base-lb-7567.html

[Drew Wiley]

I'd just use a non-greasy instantly drying lithium lube spray. It might look a little white against your black plastic, but that's all. In terms of a clear spray, I prefer LPS 2. WD40 is cheap junk. Avoid silicone if you can, especially around wood or leather - bad for those (breaks down cellular walls). Obviously, nothing greasy which could trap sand or grit.

[bashful]

Thank you, Drew. I have to say that reading your posts on this board over the years has driven my quest to reduce the distance and number of interfaces between the tripod and camera in search of rigidity.

[Paul Ron]

i dont understand what this head is/or does. it looks like it preforms like a ball head. i read the product description that says "Instantly generates a level platform for any Ballhead or Panning Base." from this, it sounds like it self levels automatically... is this a self leveling device or gimble?

but then it says its "for any ballhead or panning base"... so this hemispherical device mounts on those other leveling heads or does it replace those heads?... but why will you need another leveling head on those other leveling heads unless this is an automatic leveler.

looking at the picture in the add you linked me to, its a hand held device? how is it installed on the tripod heads?

[cowanw]

This might give you an idea about how this works, specially the third and fourth picture from the left in the slider.
https://flmcanada.com/product/flm-atlas-42-l2-kit/
I wonder if scribbling on the half ball or the bowl with a graphite pencil might do the job for bashful.

[cowanw]

257121
here is a better picture from an older model
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flm-the-berlin-38-4-tripod#/

[Paul Ron]

oh i see... its a low profile type ball limited to 15° tilts adapted to this particular tripod. looks nice. i see the tilt adjustment allows you to adjust the amount of friction....

https://flmcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BallHead-scaled.jpg

is that adjustment the same for the bowl head? if so, maybe its set to tight at its min friction setting. contact the manufacturer to see if that can be changed before lubing it, which may not be recomended for this part. is it plastic or metal? plastics dont do well with regular grease or oils.

[Ari]

Check to see that the parts are compatible, it may be a fit issue. Or one of the mating surfaces may not be perfectly round.
If your Feisol tripod bowl and half-ball are made of metal (aluminum, most likely), I second Michael Jones' suggestion of a Teflon lubricant.
Clean all surfaces first, and use a small amount to start.

[Ari]

oh i see... its a low profile type ball limited to 15° tilts adapted to this particular tripod. looks nice. i see the tilt adjustment allows you to adjust the amount of friction....

https://flmcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BallHead-scaled.jpg

is that adjustment the same for the bowl head? if so, maybe its set to tight at its min friction setting. contact the manufacturer to see if that can be changed before lubing it, which may not be recomended for this part. is it plastic or metal? plastics dont do well with regular grease or oils.

The ball heads offer more precise friction control, but generally, a half-ball used for leveling is a simpler mechanism with less friction control.
I don;t know about other brands, but with FLM, once the half-ball is locked, it's not moving at all, in part because of its cruder friction and the two metal pieces mating properly.

[Drew Wiley]

These are going to provide a more solid support with less risk of vibration than a stemmed ball head, with a lower center of gravity, but don't offer the same degree of movement. They might call them "leveling" devices, yet they obviously aren't restricted to that kind of application.