Miller tripod

[cyrus]

Ran into a set of Miller wooden "cinema" tripod legs. Any recommendations for heads for a deardorf?

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Can you be a bit more specific? Miller made legs in a variety of sizes, some better than others and at a least one that I know of that would probably not be suitable for the weight of a view camera. Maybe you could post a picture of it if you can't identify.

[cyrus]

Thanks - I don't have the pics yet but basically, it looks identical to a heavy-duty surveyor's tripod - except not orange!

[Eric Woodbury]

And the same for the Deardorff. They've made 4x5 to 11x14, at least.

I have the Deardorff 57 and had the bottom plate modified with 2 more sets of threads and now I use a Gitzo G1570M with 2ea 3/8" screws. I have used this on a Miller, but now use a carbon fiber as it is lighter and folds smaller.

[cyrus]

Ok - the 'dorf is 8x10.

Actually. modification of the bottom plate is interesting - why not have two holes?

I was always curious to know why there's only one screw on tripod heads. Seems to me that two screws would really help in lateral stability, like when you insert or remove a film holder. Unless you tighten the screw A LOT, the camera will always swivel a bit. Over time, all that pressure from the tightening must inevitably strip and loosen the screw.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

The last description you gave of the tripod leads me to believe it will be stable enough to support a V8. The other thing that would be handy to know is what kind of top casting is on the Miller. Is it a bowl? These were common and allowed the fluid heads used to support motion picture cameras to be leveled. You would probably want a flat top casting so you could mount a still photo head. Even if it does have a flat top casting, you may need an additional flat round plate to cover the sometimes rather large hole provided for the tie down assembly. Best to show us what you've got. I may even have some parts to help you adapt this.

[cyrus]

Hello Robert
Attached is the photo of the tripod. Indeed it has the bowl on top. It certainly looks like a well-made item. I would love to be able to use it if I can adapt the top. I think I need some sort of flat piece to place on top, and a new smaller post too.

Also, how to keep the legs opened? Right now they are essentially kept at the open angle by the friction from the bolts on the top of each leg. Perhaps I can change the bold to wing nuts, so I can adjust the friction and set the legs at various angles? Also, perhaps I'll need the chain that keeps the legs from suddenly splaying apart . . .hmmm

I have a Majestic gear head coming from Ebay - don't know what shape it is in but could I somehow attach the two together?

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Cyrus, that's a great looking set of sticks. You appear to have a bowl top casting that is probably 4" (diameter of the ball that fits it). More importantly, you have the tie down screw and the dished plate that slips onto it to capture the bottom of the casting. What you will need is a bit of machine shop work to complete the adaptation. First, a round plate has to be made that will sit on the rim of the bowl. To this plate should be attached a aluminum cylinder that will form the "plug" that fits inside the bottom of the Majestic head. If the machinist is ambitious, he or she could turn this as one piece on a lathe. The bottom of that plate will need to have a helicoil insert to match the thread pitch of the tie down screw, which may need to be shortened to just grab and penetrate by at least three or four threads. The best way to care for the wooden legs is to rub some canner's parafin on the surfaces that contact, wood to wood. This will give them slidability without making them slipery. A slight tightening of the lock down screws will then be all that is needed. Over tightening will cause them to cross thread. As far as a spreader goes, some people have used chains, but on rocky ground, you won't need anything. The spreader is needed for smooth surfaces and years ago Victor Duncan made a product called "Stuff-a-spyder" that was a webbed canvas strap-like thing with big grommets in the ends into which the points of the legs would go. VD is gone, but you might be able to make something like that. Now for the leg hinges: There is a standard way of adjusting these things and it goes like this.... With the tripod collapsed, but vertical, swing up one leg at a time to a horizontal position. Let it go. If it falls back down, the leg is too loose. If it stays horizontal, give it a very gentle push downward. If it then swings down, you are good to go. If it stays or only swings down a little, it needs loosening. Get them adjusted to behave similarly and you are done. Good luck and feel free to email me with any additional questions.

[cyrus]

Much appreciated Robert.
Miller supposedly sells a bowl to flat top adaptor. Any knoweldge of those things? I have no idea where to find a machinist!

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Cyrus, the flat base adapter is really designed more for fluid heads being used for motion picture and video cameras that need to be leveled, that don't have a ball base. Leveling is the purpose of the ball base on such a head. You would still need to adapt the Majestic head to it and that will require some kind of a cylindrical plug to be made that will fit in the bottom of the Majestic. The bowl adapter could be pricey, I would have to believe. A flat piece of 1/4" thick aluminum would be cheap. You might wait until you get the head and make some precise measurements and then contact someone like Paul Scaglione at Visual Products in Wellington Ohio (440) 647-4999 and see if he can turn an adapter for you. If I had a machine shop, I would offer to do it for you, but alas, I retired from that gig a long time ago. Paul's excellent!

[Frank Petronio]

You could always cobble something with C-clamps to make sure you like it before investing... What camera will you be using?

[cyrus]

Thanks much!

I just spoke to Gus at Miller tripod. Yes there is a flat top adaptor and it is $180. And yes I assume there will have to be another adaptor to use a post-type head like the Majestic but I am thinking of building an old fashioned flat head with the hinges instead of the Majestic (which is too heavy anyway)

[cyrus]

Actually, turns out that Majestic makes an adaptor plug to connect a post to the 1.5 inch tube on the head. Costs $19.