From the Loftsmith Workshop

Tripod pipe clamp for 10-60 mm poles, 1/4-20 or 3/8-16

Lets you hang a camera, light or gadget off a pole you already have, then tuck it away on a tripod. Two halves close around the pipe, and the orange knobs tighten it with your fingers. Change the pole diameter to match your own pipe.

4 parts · 25 g · 73 × 28 × 52 mm

by Loftsmith Workshop

Grey two-piece pole clamp with two orange knobs on top and a round black base underneath
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No adjustable sizes

Ask for the sizes you want to tweak, e.g. “make the width adjustable”.

Change it in the Studio

Parts

  • base · PETG (slate) · Lying on one end face, so the clamp profile is flat on the bed and the nut slots open upward. Layers run around the ring.

    73.3 x 25.1 x 28 mm at the defaults, about 13 g, 23 min. Holds the captive tripod nut behind a 2.4 mm floor and two M5 nuts in the ears. PETG for water, sun and outdoor use.

  • cap · PETG (slate) · Lying on one end face, profile flat on the bed.

    About 9 g, 18 min. The crown thickness is calculated from the pole size and clamp width (10.2 mm at the defaults).

  • knob left · PETG (orange) · Hex pocket facing down on the bed, rounded top up.

    18 mm fluted knob, about 2 g, 7 min. Press an M5 hex bolt head into the pocket.

  • knob right · PETG (orange) · Hex pocket facing down on the bed, rounded top up.

    Same as the left knob.

Print settings

Layer height
0.2 mm
Walls
3 walls recommended (the page's stats line uses 2)
Infill
20% recommended (the page's stats line uses 15%)
Supports
None. Every hole that lies across the layers has a teardrop top, and the nut slots open upward.
Notes
At the defaults (2 walls, 15% infill) the whole set is about 26 g and 58 min in PETG. At the recommended 3 walls and 20% infill it is about 36 g and 1 h 20 min. The extra walls go around the nut seats and the tripod-screw floor. All four parts fit on one plate, including a 180 mm A1 mini bed.

Hardware

  • 2 × M5 hex-head bolt, 8 mm across flats (DIN 933 / ISO 4017) · M5 x 25 at the default grip range. The length follows the Grip range slider: M5 x 20 at 2 mm, M5 x 25 up to 7 mm, M5 x 30 above that. The 'M5 bolts reach and clear' check names the length for your set
  • 2 × M5 hex nut, 8 mm across flats · Slides into the slots in the base ears.
  • 1/4-20 UNC hex nut, 7/16 in across flats · Default tripod thread. For the 3/8-16 option use a 3/8-16 UNC hex nut, 9/16 in across flats.

Assembly

  1. Measure your pole and set Pole diameter. With the default 4 mm Grip range, the clamp holds anything from 2 mm under to 2 mm over that size.
  2. Enter the held item's weight and where it sits relative to the pole. Check that 'Pole will not twist' and 'Pole will not lever out' pass for your settings.
  3. Press the tripod nut (1/4-20 or 3/8-16) into the centre slot in the base, and an M5 nut into each ear slot. All the slots open on the same end face.
  4. Press an M5 hex bolt head into the pocket under each knob. A drop of glue keeps the bolt in the knob if it is loose.
  5. Screw the base onto the tripod or light-stand screw and tighten it firmly so the pad cannot twist on the head.
  6. Lay the pole in the base, close to the balance point of what it carries, set the cap on top and screw both knobs down evenly. That is about 3 turns each at the defaults, until the pole is held. The split gap should still be open.
  7. To take it off, loosen the knobs and slide the pole out along its length, or unscrew the knobs fully and lift the cap off.

Good to know

  • The holding figures are engineering estimates, not test results. They assume a 0.25 N m finger twist on each knob (about 250 N of bolt force) and a friction coefficient of 0.3. The first time you set a loaded pole in the clamp, keep a hand on it and nudge it to see that it stays put before you let g
  • Thin poles hold less twist, because friction torque grows with pole radius. On a 10 mm setting the clamp holds about 1.2 N m, so heavy items sitting well off the pole's axis can fail the twist check. The page shows whether your settings pass.
  • Not for cameras or other items over 2 kg. Clamp the pole within 150 mm of the item's balance point. The tip check assumes a 1 kg tripod; a light table-top stand tips sooner.
  • A single tripod screw holds the clamp, so a hard knock can turn it on the head. Tighten the tripod screw firmly.
  • The tripod screw needs to stick out at least 4.9 mm (1/4-20) or 5.6 mm (3/8-16) to catch two threads of the nut through the 2.4 mm floor.
  • On the smallest pole in the range the cap touches along a line, not an arc. A turn of rubber or electrical tape protects painted or soft poles and adds grip.
  • Plastic clamps can loosen slightly over the first hours. Give the knobs another snug after first use. Print in PETG for outdoor and wet use; PLA softens at about 55 C.
I printed this Remix

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