The anti-rotation pin that keeps a Gitzo center column from rotating...

[David R Munson]

I've got this Gitzo tripod, and where the top of the center column sits down onto the top of the tripod legs, there's a pin that sticks out and fits into a recess on the bottom of the platform to keep it from rotating when down all the way.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? Because mine snapped off. What I'm trying to figure out is if the pin was originally press fit or screwed into place, so I can go about trying to remove what's left of it and replace it.

Thoughts?

[Jerry Bodine]

David, there is no such pin on either of my old Series 4 or 5 Gitzos, but I do have a much smaller Gitzo that does have the pin. I'm pretty certain it's a press fit as there'd be no way to grip it in order to screw it in place without damaging it. Hopefully without insulting your intelligence, you may have to drill it out carefully, using small bit for starter after filing it flat and center-punching, and then incrementally larger bits until it's cleaned out. The tip of the original pin probably had a chamfer around its perimeter to guide it into the hole on the underside of the platform, so any replacement pin should also have a chamfer. The pin is likely a hardened steel, which will make it more difficult to drill it out. And all dimensions are probably metric. If the pin is pressed into aluminum, it may be possible to locally apply moderate heat to the area around the pin to expand the hole for the pin enough to pull it out, but that approach can be plagued with problems so I'd not recommend it. A pin replacement could simply be a standard "roll pin" which already has a chamfer on it, and just tap it into the hole. You may find an appropriate size roll pin at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Here's a link to roll pins:

http://www.engineersedge.com/roll_pin.htm

[Peter Gomena]

I had the same problem about 25 years back. I drilled out the old pin and found a little bolt that fit, screwed it in as far as it would go and sawed off the bolt head, leaving a post of the right height. It's still working to this day, and it's my most-used tripod.

Peter Gomena

[David R Munson]

I'm thinking now that, rather than try and try and remove the original pin remnant (which broke off below the level of the plate, I'll probably just precisely drill another hole at the same distance from center and put in a new pin of about the same diameter. It should do the trick, and would keep me from having to try to extract the original part.

[Mark Barendt]

I think your idea of drilling fresh and skipping the removal, is technically sound.

The question I might ask myself if mine broke is, why bother?

Personally I have yet to figure out what advantage that pin gives me.

[David R Munson]

The main advantage I have found is that it makes it a hell of a lot easier to remove the head from the tripod when I want to switch heads. It's also the sort of thing that bothers me just knowing that some stupid little thing broke off. I am of the mind to want to fix such things.

[Peter Gomena]

It helps to keep the head from rotating the plate it sits on when the head is tightened down.

Peter Gomena