Rubber pad for tripod head

Markus Albertz · Jan 17, 2007

Good day,

I am looking for a ca. 3 mm thick rubber pad to be glued onto a Ries A-250 tripod head. I would like to have a bit more friction between camera and tripod head. Any ideas/suggestions? I presume a self-adhesive product would be best.

Thanks in advance... Best, Markus

David H. Bebbington · Jan 17, 2007

For anything like this, I head for the automobile accessories store and buy a set of cheap black rubber floor mats - one set at $9.99 should cover plenty of tripod heads!

Colin Graham · Jan 17, 2007

Most hardware stores sell rubber gasket material about that thick in roughly 15 cm square sheets. Some auto trim glue would probably get it to stick. For my Ries I used some of that friction anti-slip tape for stair treads. It's very coarse, but I have a metal mounting plate on my camera so I do have to worry about it marring the finish.

wfwhitaker · Jan 17, 2007

I covered the heads of my Ries tripods with thin leather. Using a leather punch, I made a clean 3/8" hole first. Pliobond cement was used to attach. Apply a thin coat with no gaps on both the head and the rough side of the leather. The leather is set in place, stretched slightly with the hole aligned. A piece of 3/4" plywood (1/2" would do) with a 3/8"-16 T-Nut (1/4"-20 if appropriate) is used as a press. Tightening the camera mounting screw provides pressure. Leave overnight, then trim with a sharp razor blade.

I believe Wisner used to cover the heads of the Ries tripods he sold with leather as used in his bellows. That's where I got the idea. It provides slightly more friction than the metal and protects the bottom of the camera. At the same time it's not too springy; the camera support remains solid.

Roger Hicks · Jan 18, 2007

Markus Albertz said:
Good day,

I am looking for a ca. 3 mm thick rubber pad to be glued onto a Ries A-250 tripod head. I would like to have a bit more friction between camera and tripod head. Any ideas/suggestions? I presume a self-adhesive product would be best.

Thanks in advance... Best, Markus

Dear Markus,

In a hardware store, look out for a pad about 4-5 inches square that is sold as a cap remover for stubborn jamjar tops (so your hand doesn't slip when you try to unscrew them). VERY grippy. Stick down with contact cenent.

Cheers,

R.

Steve Roberts · Jan 18, 2007

Markus Albertz said:
Good day,

I am looking for a ca. 3 mm thick rubber pad to be glued onto a Ries A-250 tripod head. I would like to have a bit more friction between camera and tripod head. Any ideas/suggestions? I presume a self-adhesive product would be best.

Thanks in advance... Best, Markus

Not so long ago I used an old tyre inner tube.

Steve

Neal · Jan 18, 2007

Dear Markus,

www.mcmaster.com and www.micro-tools.com both offer adhesive backed rubber sheets. I believe McMaster has a minimum order and the last time I used micro-tools the most expensive shipping option came up first.

Neal Wydra

Markus Albertz · Jan 18, 2007

Thank you all for your suggestions so far. It just occurred to me, though, that an elastic material, such as rubber, may not be the best choice as it might tend to make the camera wobble around on the tripod. Perhaps a solid material with a sticky surface would be better? Those of you with rubber glued onto tripod heads, have you had any stability issues? Thanks, Markus

mgb74 · Jan 18, 2007

I've used 1/16" (1.6mm) thick rubber to cover the hex plates for my Bogen tripod. They come in 6"x6" sheets at the hardware store (plumbing section). I've found them solid enough that they don't result in any wobbling. It's relatively hard rubber, not "foamy" at all. I just used contact cement to glue it down.

May not be thick enough for you. But even if doubled up and glued together, I think it would still be firm enough. You could also use a layer of rubber on top of something more rigid such as plastic or brass.

Roger Hicks · Jan 18, 2007

Markus Albertz said:
It just occurred to me, though, that an elastic material, such as rubber, may not be the best choice as it might tend to make the camera wobble around on the tripod.

Not in my experience, with thin, hard rubber --and I've tried it.

Cheers,

R.

Keith Pitman · Jan 21, 2007

I used the material that is intended to line the bottoms of tool drawers glued on with contact cement. A friend recommends cork.

User Removed · Jan 21, 2007

I used a stick down lino. floor tile, cut down to the size of the top of my Ries-A head. It's very slick and smooth, but its rather soft so it grips onto the camera tight. The main reason I put this on was not for grip, but rather to stop the bottom of my camera from getting all torn up.

Markus Albertz · Jan 22, 2007

Ryan McIntosh said:
I used a stick down lino. floor tile, cut down to the size of the top of my Ries-A head. It's very slick and smooth, but its rather soft so it grips onto the camera tight. The main reason I put this on was not for grip, but rather to stop the bottom of my camera from getting all torn up.

Actually, that is part of the problem and why I want the pad to be at least 3mm or 1/8 inch thick. I found something at www.mcmaster.com and am awaiting shipment: a perfectly sized (6"x6") piece of 1/8" thick hard neoprene, self-adhesive on one side, for ~ $6.

Thanks, Markus

Markus Albertz · Jan 23, 2007

Markus,

Grrrrrr - I guess I have to keep looking....one of the pleasures of living in Canada...

"Thank you for your order. Unfortunately, due to the ever increasing complexity of United States export regulations, McMaster-Carr can only process orders from a few long-established customers in Canada. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this causes you.

Please be assured that your credit card has not been charged."

User Removed · Jan 23, 2007

Just go to your local Home Depot or Loels and wander around abit. You will find something that will work perfect.

epatsellis · Jan 23, 2007

Go to a better auto supply store, or Canadian Tire, they wil have cork or rubber gasket material, while you're there get a tube or bottle of pliobond.

erie

MikeSeb · Jan 23, 2007

Another vote for drawer-lining cork. I use this between my lens-mount foot and a RRS multirail plate, to keep them from marring each other and to decrease their tendency to rotate on each other. No adhesive; the pressure of the mounting screws is enough.

Jim Noel · Jul 3, 2007

I just found this old thread.
I have used anti-slip stair tread for many years. It works well, does not slip, is adhesive backed, and the cameras can not twist on it like they do on rubber. Also, it does not mar the camera base in any way.

Changeling1 · Jul 3, 2007

Markus Albertz said:
Good day,

I am looking for a ca. 3 mm thick rubber pad to be glued onto a Ries A-250 tripod head. I would like to have a bit more friction between camera and tripod head. Any ideas/suggestions? I presume a self-adhesive product would be best.

Thanks in advance... Best, Markus

Go to an auto-parts store and by some cork gaskets. It's the same stuff the tripod makers often use. Cut it to size and replace as needed.

Dan Dozer · Jul 4, 2007

I used some 1/16" thick foam material I found at the local craft store - cost about a dollar for a sheet that was about 12" x 18". It is fairly dense and seems to work very well.

Rubber pad for tripod head

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency