Sinar Pan/Tilt - I think the thread is stripped

[mrpow]

Hi Everyone,

I bought a used Sinar Pan/Tilt last year from KEH. It's been great for the past year but now my tripod is having a hard time staying in, in fact, it won't catch on the threads at all. I've emailed Sinar to see if they can suggest anything and unfortunately, I'm past the warranty with used gear on KEH. Has anyone had a similar problem with a head like this? I love the sinar pan/tilt because I'm using it with a sinar 4x5 (perfect combination) so I would hate to have to find another one. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[rdenney]

Hi Everyone,

I bought a used Sinar Pan/Tilt last year from KEH. It's been great for the past year but now my tripod is having a hard time staying in, in fact, it won't catch on the threads at all. I've emailed Sinar to see if they can suggest anything and unfortunately, I'm past the warranty with used gear on KEH. Has anyone had a similar problem with a head like this? I love the sinar pan/tilt because I'm using it with a sinar 4x5 (perfect combination) so I would hate to have to find another one. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Can you be a little more specific?

Which threads seem to be stripped? The mount to the tripod legs? The pan lock? The tilt lock? The universal screw to the rail clamp? The lock lever for cinching down on the rail clamp?

Rick "lots of threaded connections on one of those puppies" Denney

[Leigh]

Some tripods have a two-part retention screw, with a scalloped nut threaded onto the shaft.
If this nut is too far forward it will prevent the screws from engaging the camera or other device.

If your tripod has such a nut, be sure it's backed off all the way (toward the screw head).

I can't imagine that you stripped the threads in the pan/tilt head unless you're a real gorilla,
or the threads were only marginally engaged from the beginning.

- Leigh

[mrpow]

Can you be a little more specific?

Which threads seem to be stripped? The mount to the tripod legs? The pan lock? The tilt lock? The universal screw to the rail clamp? The lock lever for cinching down on the rail clamp?

Rick "lots of threaded connections on one of those puppies" Denney

The thread in question is on the bottom of the pan/tilt head - the one that connects to the tripod screw. (can be seen here).

It seems that if my tripod screw was just a little longer it could catch on the thread - is there a company that makes some sort of extension? You can see here that the camera mounting screw can catch - (can be seen here)

I'm using a manfrotto 055XB with the Sinar Pan/Tilt head to be more exact.

Thank you again for the help

[Leigh]

Well, you stripped the threads out of the bushing.

The only solution to that is to replace the bushing.

Your tripod screw does have the scalloped nut as I mentioned in post #3.
That needs to be backed all the way out, so it touches the screw head, before you mount the pan/tilt head.
Run the screw all the way in as far as it will go, then tighten the scalloped nut to finish the installation.

You can buy a longer screw at any DIY or hardware store, like Lowe's or Home Depot, for about 50 cents.
The screw should go all the way into the bushing. You might still have enough thread left for it to work.
The thread is 1/4"-20.

- Leigh

[Peter De Smidt]

Contact Precision Camera Works: http://www.precisioncameraworks.com/Pages/services.html

[rdenney]

The proper fix would be to restore the threads in the head where they are stripped. A longer screw to catch one thread will eventually strip it, too.

That center threaded section is part of a larger bushing that is attached to that base plate using the three screws you can see from the bottom in your picture. It is made of steel and I think attempting to repair the threads would be pretty challenging. The number for that part is, I'm nearly certain, 516.41.517. That's for all the versions of the tilt-head starting with 516.41 version 1001-1d, ca. 1992.

I have the similar part from the original 1979 version, but it's not the same part, unfortunately.

If you can't source the part affordably from Sinar, then you might be able to have a replacement machined by someone like S. K. Grimes. They might also be able to restore the threads using an insert (Heli-Coil is one brand), but I'm not sure there's enough material to allow room for an insert.

I don't know how that mounting plate is attached to the tripod. It is certainly primarily held in place by the 3/8-16 bolt, but it may also have a collar that extends down into the column and is held in place using set screws of some sort. I think I have a similar tripod at home--I'll try to remember to look. There is no practical way to extend the bolt, and the impractical ways still require removing it, so you might as well just replace that threaded section with something longer.

Theoretically, you need six threads of insertion for full strength. It looks as though the most you'll get is two. I'd be satisfied with four.

Rick "good luck" Denney

[Dominique Cesari]

You may want to download : http://image2output-support.com/down...ccessories.pdf

[E. von Hoegh]

Also, when you get a new part - or repair the old one - make sure you are engaging threads equal to at least 1 1/2 diameters of the screw. Many of these things strip because ther isn't enough thread engagement.

[mrpow]

Thank you for all of the help.

I contacted Sinar and Manfrotto. Sinar referred me to specialists that could deal with the problem but the specialist looked the most confused.

That center threaded section is part of a larger bushing that is attached to that base plate using the three screws you can see from the bottom in your picture. It is made of steel and I think attempting to repair the threads would be pretty challenging.

Yes, it seems very impracticable to replace this but I will look in to S.K. Grimes - Thank you.

The Second picture was only suppose to be a reference picture of the how the mounting screw was still able to catch the threads. Unfortunately, both the low angle adapter and normal tripod mounts are not tall enough to catch.

It really is the perfect head for 4x5 for me at least. I've found it very practical in situations and to those who have a Sinar know how compact a head must be to be used with the camera. In the meantime I will just mount the camera directly to the tripod until I return to the US in the next couple of months. Can anyone recommend an affordable head to be used with a Sinar F1 and a manfrotto tripod?

Thank you again for all of the help, I really appreciate it.

Mike