Kern tripod, help!

[LabRat]

This is a motion picture tripod (Kern Pailliard/Bolex)... (Surveyor's tripods have a three point leveling head for the more exact adjustment) The domed part goes into the rounded part of the tripod yoke, that when used with a head that has a long bolt coming out the bottom, it allows a slight leveling action, and a large knob on the bottom of that bolt tightens & grips the lower dome underneath the yoke to secure it...

You will probably find it easy to make metal or wood plates for the top and bottom of the yoke, and have a long bolt that goes through both plates, and threads into your new tripod head, and either a bolt head, on knob on the bottom to hold the head on...

Steve K

[Jockos]

This is a motion picture tripod (Kern Pailliard/Bolex)... (Surveyor's tripods have a three point leveling head for the more exact adjustment) The domed part goes into the rounded part of the tripod yoke, that when used with a head that has a long bolt coming out the bottom, it allows a slight leveling action, and a large knob on the bottom of that bolt tightens & grips the lower dome underneath the yoke to secure it...

You will probably find it easy to make metal or wood plates for the top and bottom of the yoke, and have a long bolt that goes through both plates, and threads into your new tripod head, and either a bolt head, on knob on the bottom to hold the head on...

Steve K

I think you're right. The seller mentioned it was a Kern Kino Tripod!

I'm going to look closer into this in the weekend, most likely I'll skip the dome, and go with a three plate sandwich and a arca style clamp on top.

[Drew Wiley]

Domed connections were also used for certain Nikon survey instruments, though it's an unlikely relation in this particular case. Regardless, this should make a nice
large format photo tripod with a bit of modification.

[Bob Salomon]

This is a motion picture tripod (Kern Pailliard/Bolex)... (Surveyor's tripods have a three point leveling head for the more exact adjustment) The domed part goes into the rounded part of the tripod yoke, that when used with a head that has a long bolt coming out the bottom, it allows a slight leveling action, and a large knob on the bottom of that bolt tightens & grips the lower dome underneath the yoke to secure it...

You will probably find it easy to make metal or wood plates for the top and bottom of the yoke, and have a long bolt that goes through both plates, and threads into your new tripod head, and either a bolt head, on knob on the bottom to hold the head on...

Steve K

At that rate it could also be a typewriter stand since Paillard was also the Hermes distributor for Hermes typewriters in the USA.
Paillard was a trading company in the mid 20th century for, among other items, Kern, Bolex, Hermes and Hasselblad.

[Jac@stafford.net]

At that rate it could also be a typewriter stand since Paillard was also the Hermes distributor for Hermes typewriters in the USA.

And Remington Rand and Singer Sewing Machine made Colt 1911 pistols.

[Bob Salomon]

And Remington Rand and Singer Sewing Machine made Colt 1911 pistols.

Actually the M1 that I qualified with in Basic Training was made by Singer Sewing Machine.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Yep. Air Force. That's how far back we go, Bob. It was our perimeter patrol weapon when I was in.

[Bob Salomon]

Yep. Air Force. That's how far back we go, Bob. It was our perimeter patrol weapon when I was in.

We had to use it because the newer weapons kept jamming!

[Robert Opheim]

I looked up Kern on the web - they make high end tripods for surveying! A wonderful tripod. If it was mine I would buy a washer and bolt and tighten the screw into a 3-way tripod head. My favorite is the Gitzo PL5 - which I use for my 8x10 Calumet and 4x5 my Linhof Technikardan. The wonderful thing is with a tripod like you have - it will not move in the wind!

[Jockos]

The wonderful thing is with a tripod like you have - it will not move in the wind!

If the spikes are pushed all the way down, the darn thing might just stop an earthquake!