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Super Strength Carbon Fiber Tripod, just $50 US

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Yatin Chachad

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I was recently able to build a carbon fiber tripod with some of the left over raw material I had from a recent customer order. You see I am in the advanced composite business. But unlike all the so called thousand dollar high tech tripods we see on the market which are built from consumer carbon fiber and cheap isophthalic polyester resin, I made this one from military grade, high modulus, structural carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The absolute strongest combination you can achieve, save for maybe kevlar (which does not possess as high a flexural modulus). Another difference is that normal tripods are simply unidirectionally pultruded. I pulwound these 3 tubes sizes, to improve their crush strength and cross fiber properties. The tubes are 1/8-inch (top profile) to (centre and lower profiles) 1/16-inch thick, and my guess is that they are twice as string as a regular carbon fiber tripod of the same thickness material. If someone could lend me their Gitzo or Bogen to test in a destructive flexural strength test, I would be glad to prove my point. I tested these to 300,000 psi. Normal aluminum will go the about 60,000 psi flexural strength. I pulled these on an energy optimized mandrel with a RET (Rapid Energy Transfer) device which conducts heat 1,000 times faster than a regular steel mandrel, which cured the resin from the inside and not just the outside, giving an extremely high 98 percent degree of polymerization (for maximum strength), and to finish it off I post cured the material as it came out of the die. Finally I mounted these on an old Velbon (aluminum jointed) attachments which I salvaged from an old tripod, with a two part heat cured epoxy for the ultimate bond!!! I had to match the outside diameters of the carbon fiber tubes to the Velbon Attachments. Finally, I coated the profiles with a super black body heat and light absorbing paint to eliminate reflections from the structure to the camera lense. And mounted a 360 joint system (for my tripod head) that we sell to the boating and recreational industry. Total cost less than 50 bucks. Stronger than any tripod in the world. BTW I got my Ph.D. in heat transfer and processing of Graphite-Epoxy Pultruded Composites. Don't try this at home. :) Thanks for reading.

--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
 
Yatin Chachad said:
I was recently able to build a carbon fiber tripod with some of the
left over raw material I had from a recent customer order. You see
I am in the advanced composite business. But unlike all the so
called thousand dollar high tech tripods we see on the market which
are built from consumer carbon fiber and cheap isophthalic
polyester resin, I made this one from military grade, high modulus,
structural carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The absolute strongest
combination you can achieve, save for maybe kevlar (which does not
possess as high a flexural modulus). Another difference is that
normal tripods are simply unidirectionally pultruded. I pulwound
these 3 tubes sizes, to improve their crush strength and cross
fiber properties. The tubes are 1/8-inch (top profile) to (centre
and lower profiles) 1/16-inch thick, and my guess is that they are
twice as string as a regular carbon fiber tripod of the same
thickness material. If someone could lend me their Gitzo or Bogen
to test in a destructive flexural strength test, I would be glad to
prove my point. I tested these to 300,000 psi. Normal aluminum
will go the about 60,000 psi flexural strength. I pulled these on
an energy optimized mandrel with a RET (Rapid Energy Transfer)
device which conducts heat 1,000 times faster than a regular steel
mandrel, which cured the resin from the inside and not just the
outside, giving an extremely high 98 percent degree of
polymerization (for maximum strength), and to finish it off I post
cured the material as it came out of the die. Finally I mounted
these on an old Velbon (aluminum jointed) attachments which I
salvaged from an old tripod, with a two part heat cured epoxy for
the ultimate bond!!! I had to match the outside diameters of the
carbon fiber tubes to the Velbon Attachments. Finally, I coated
the profiles with a super black body heat and light absorbing paint
to eliminate reflections from the structure to the camera lense.
And mounted a 360 joint system (for my tripod head) that we sell to
the boating and recreational industry. Total cost less than 50
bucks. Stronger than any tripod in the world. BTW I got my Ph.D.
in heat transfer and processing of Graphite-Epoxy Pultruded
Composites. Don't try this at home. :) Thanks for reading.

--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
Click to expand...
 
i'll take one!
Yatin Chachad said:
I was recently able to build a carbon fiber tripod with some of the
left over raw material I had from a recent customer order. You see
I am in the advanced composite business. But unlike all the so
called thousand dollar high tech tripods we see on the market which
are built from consumer carbon fiber and cheap isophthalic
polyester resin, I made this one from military grade, high modulus,
structural carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The absolute strongest
combination you can achieve, save for maybe kevlar (which does not
possess as high a flexural modulus). Another difference is that
normal tripods are simply unidirectionally pultruded. I pulwound
these 3 tubes sizes, to improve their crush strength and cross
fiber properties. The tubes are 1/8-inch (top profile) to (centre
and lower profiles) 1/16-inch thick, and my guess is that they are
twice as string as a regular carbon fiber tripod of the same
thickness material. If someone could lend me their Gitzo or Bogen
to test in a destructive flexural strength test, I would be glad to
prove my point. I tested these to 300,000 psi. Normal aluminum
will go the about 60,000 psi flexural strength. I pulled these on
an energy optimized mandrel with a RET (Rapid Energy Transfer)
device which conducts heat 1,000 times faster than a regular steel
mandrel, which cured the resin from the inside and not just the
outside, giving an extremely high 98 percent degree of
polymerization (for maximum strength), and to finish it off I post
cured the material as it came out of the die. Finally I mounted
these on an old Velbon (aluminum jointed) attachments which I
salvaged from an old tripod, with a two part heat cured epoxy for
the ultimate bond!!! I had to match the outside diameters of the
carbon fiber tubes to the Velbon Attachments. Finally, I coated
the profiles with a super black body heat and light absorbing paint
to eliminate reflections from the structure to the camera lense.
And mounted a 360 joint system (for my tripod head) that we sell to
the boating and recreational industry. Total cost less than 50
bucks. Stronger than any tripod in the world. BTW I got my Ph.D.
in heat transfer and processing of Graphite-Epoxy Pultruded
Composites. Don't try this at home. :) Thanks for reading.

--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
Click to expand...
--
Thanks,
Chucks
Canon D60
Canon 28-70L, Sigma 70-200/2.8 EX APO
 
Well, as you see a tripod is really cheap to make. especially one that sells for a thousand bucks. Unfortunately, at this time, as you can read from mu post, I can only make the tubing. The attachments are even cheaper, but I cannot make them cheaply in small quantities. I have to design and machine them on a vertical machining centre like a Haas or Fadal. Will take several weeks. Best thing would be for me to make a mould and cast them out of aluminum. But who's got the money??? a big :(

The tubes I have are round only, and so they will fit old Velbon, and Bogen/Manfrotto attachments. This damn thing is soooooooo strong I extended it all the way and shook it with all my might (but also putting some downward force to stabilize it), and it would not budge even a fraction of a millimeter.

I wish I could send these tubes out to you, but it will not do you much good. I'll post pictures tomorrow or on the weekend.
Doc said:
Want to give it a real test? Check it as baggage with a major
airline!

good job

--
doc

http://www.fotoventure.com
Click to expand...
--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
 
Yatin Chachad said:
I was recently able to build a carbon fiber tripod with some of the
left over raw material I had from a recent customer order. You see
I am in the advanced composite business. But unlike all the so
called thousand dollar high tech tripods we see on the market which
are built from consumer carbon fiber and cheap isophthalic
polyester resin, I made this one from military grade, high modulus,
structural carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The absolute strongest
combination you can achieve, save for maybe kevlar (which does not
possess as high a flexural modulus). Another difference is that
normal tripods are simply unidirectionally pultruded. I pulwound
these 3 tubes sizes, to improve their crush strength and cross
fiber properties. The tubes are 1/8-inch (top profile) to (centre
and lower profiles) 1/16-inch thick, and my guess is that they are
twice as string as a regular carbon fiber tripod of the same
thickness material. If someone could lend me their Gitzo or Bogen
to test in a destructive flexural strength test, I would be glad to
prove my point. I tested these to 300,000 psi. Normal aluminum
will go the about 60,000 psi flexural strength. I pulled these on
an energy optimized mandrel with a RET (Rapid Energy Transfer)
device which conducts heat 1,000 times faster than a regular steel
mandrel, which cured the resin from the inside and not just the
outside, giving an extremely high 98 percent degree of
polymerization (for maximum strength), and to finish it off I post
cured the material as it came out of the die. Finally I mounted
these on an old Velbon (aluminum jointed) attachments which I
salvaged from an old tripod, with a two part heat cured epoxy for
the ultimate bond!!! I had to match the outside diameters of the
carbon fiber tubes to the Velbon Attachments. Finally, I coated
the profiles with a super black body heat and light absorbing paint
to eliminate reflections from the structure to the camera lense.
And mounted a 360 joint system (for my tripod head) that we sell to
the boating and recreational industry. Total cost less than 50
bucks. Stronger than any tripod in the world. BTW I got my Ph.D.
in heat transfer and processing of Graphite-Epoxy Pultruded
Composites. Don't try this at home. :) Thanks for reading.

--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
Click to expand...
--
D60
20/1.8 50/1.8 135/2
28-70/2.8 70-200/4 420EX
http://www.URphoto.com
 
Whats the deal with salt water and carbon fiber?

My Carbon One instructions say that salt water is the devil ..

whats up with that?
Yatin Chachad said:
I was recently able to build a carbon fiber tripod with some of the
left over raw material I had from a recent customer order. You see
I am in the advanced composite business. But unlike all the so
called thousand dollar high tech tripods we see on the market which
are built from consumer carbon fiber and cheap isophthalic
polyester resin, I made this one from military grade, high modulus,
structural carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The absolute strongest
combination you can achieve, save for maybe kevlar (which does not
possess as high a flexural modulus). Another difference is that
normal tripods are simply unidirectionally pultruded. I pulwound
these 3 tubes sizes, to improve their crush strength and cross
fiber properties. The tubes are 1/8-inch (top profile) to (centre
and lower profiles) 1/16-inch thick, and my guess is that they are
twice as string as a regular carbon fiber tripod of the same
thickness material. If someone could lend me their Gitzo or Bogen
to test in a destructive flexural strength test, I would be glad to
prove my point. I tested these to 300,000 psi. Normal aluminum
will go the about 60,000 psi flexural strength. I pulled these on
an energy optimized mandrel with a RET (Rapid Energy Transfer)
device which conducts heat 1,000 times faster than a regular steel
mandrel, which cured the resin from the inside and not just the
outside, giving an extremely high 98 percent degree of
polymerization (for maximum strength), and to finish it off I post
cured the material as it came out of the die. Finally I mounted
these on an old Velbon (aluminum jointed) attachments which I
salvaged from an old tripod, with a two part heat cured epoxy for
the ultimate bond!!! I had to match the outside diameters of the
carbon fiber tubes to the Velbon Attachments. Finally, I coated
the profiles with a super black body heat and light absorbing paint
to eliminate reflections from the structure to the camera lense.
And mounted a 360 joint system (for my tripod head) that we sell to
the boating and recreational industry. Total cost less than 50
bucks. Stronger than any tripod in the world. BTW I got my Ph.D.
in heat transfer and processing of Graphite-Epoxy Pultruded
Composites. Don't try this at home. :) Thanks for reading.

--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
Click to expand...
--
Patrick Hayden

IN THE FUTURE, THE REAL WILL BE ANALOG AND THE IDEAL DIGITAL
 
I was looking to buy one of these...

How about making one that folds to 10"-16"?

Super strong and portable! You would make a fortune :)

-Dave
 
I don't get it. A tripod is supposed to be heavy, not light. Just goes to show - a Ph.D is no guarantee of a good engineer...

zidar
Alaska

--
It's not about stuff.
 
Tripods are supposed to be heavy? Do a lot of backpacking and climb a few thousand feet in a day and then let me know if you think tripods are still supposed to be heavy.

Like most things, everyones needs are different and sturdy doesn't have to mean heavy.
zidar said:
I don't get it. A tripod is supposed to be heavy, not light. Just
goes to show - a Ph.D is no guarantee of a good engineer...

zidar
Alaska

--
It's not about stuff.
Click to expand...
--
Kurt Slater
http://www.kurtslater.com
 
Correct, but with a pinch of salt. A tripod needs to be sturdy, inflexible, and has to have good vibrational dampening characteristics. That's why CF is better than Al. But its true that weight adds much needed stability to it in high velocity winds, but making it a pain to carry.

Aluminum has the highest weight, lowest properties, and can be permanently damaged, but has lowest cost.

The Composite tripods absorb vibrations and ampacts without permanent deformation, unless of course the impact is so great that the material cracks.

So all current tripods are a compromise.

My idea is to add ballast weight to the bottom of the center column by means of a hook attachment when the situation calls for it. The weight will be the camera bag and whatever is in it, so I don't carry extra Ballast around just for that purpose.

If I designed another tripod, it would certainly have an inner fiberglass mat lining to add some weight and improve crush strength, and reduce cost even further. Fiberglass is 70 cents per pound, Carbon Fiber is 15 dollars per pound. And FG has more vibrational dampening characteristics than both CF and Al.

Al is easier to extrude than FG or CF is to pultrude, so there is another cost advantage for Al. An Al extrusion die is 500 bucks, whereas a pultrusion die is about 3 to 5 times that amount.

Everyone agree?
Kurt Slater said:
Like most things, everyones needs are different and sturdy doesn't
have to mean heavy.
zidar said:
I don't get it. A tripod is supposed to be heavy, not light. Just
goes to show - a Ph.D is no guarantee of a good engineer...

zidar
Alaska

--
It's not about stuff.
Click to expand...
--
Kurt Slater
http://www.kurtslater.com
Click to expand...
--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
 
As far as I know and I have checked with the manufacturers of both the resin and the fibers, there is no effect of the material. That's why we sell these in medical, and corrosion resitant applications. Maybe the paint or stickers deteriorate, maybe some steel pins, although an expensive tripod should have stainless in there??? I don't know. One thing could be that the tripod uses cheap Aluminum pins, and since those are definitely not anodized, the can be oxidized in saltwater, making movements of clamps more restrictive and rough.
Patrick Hayden said:
Whats the deal with salt water and carbon fiber?

My Carbon One instructions say that salt water is the devil ..

whats up with that?
Click to expand...
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
 
Patrick Hayden said:
Whats the deal with salt water and carbon fiber?

My Carbon One instructions say that salt water is the devil ..

whats up with that?
Click to expand...
I have been using carbon fiber flyrods in salt water for probably 30 years. They are much more delicate than any tripod, and I've never had any problems, despite the fact that I never so much as rinse one off except for winter storage. If Caron One tripods have salt water problems, I doubt the problem is with the carbon fiber.

aj hand
 
Post some pictures and I will buy one from you.
Yatin Chachad said:
I was recently able to build a carbon fiber tripod with some of the
left over raw material I had from a recent customer order. You see
I am in the advanced composite business. But unlike all the so
called thousand dollar high tech tripods we see on the market which
are built from consumer carbon fiber and cheap isophthalic
polyester resin, I made this one from military grade, high modulus,
structural carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The absolute strongest
combination you can achieve, save for maybe kevlar (which does not
possess as high a flexural modulus). Another difference is that
normal tripods are simply unidirectionally pultruded. I pulwound
these 3 tubes sizes, to improve their crush strength and cross
fiber properties. The tubes are 1/8-inch (top profile) to (centre
and lower profiles) 1/16-inch thick, and my guess is that they are
twice as string as a regular carbon fiber tripod of the same
thickness material. If someone could lend me their Gitzo or Bogen
to test in a destructive flexural strength test, I would be glad to
prove my point. I tested these to 300,000 psi. Normal aluminum
will go the about 60,000 psi flexural strength. I pulled these on
an energy optimized mandrel with a RET (Rapid Energy Transfer)
device which conducts heat 1,000 times faster than a regular steel
mandrel, which cured the resin from the inside and not just the
outside, giving an extremely high 98 percent degree of
polymerization (for maximum strength), and to finish it off I post
cured the material as it came out of the die. Finally I mounted
these on an old Velbon (aluminum jointed) attachments which I
salvaged from an old tripod, with a two part heat cured epoxy for
the ultimate bond!!! I had to match the outside diameters of the
carbon fiber tubes to the Velbon Attachments. Finally, I coated
the profiles with a super black body heat and light absorbing paint
to eliminate reflections from the structure to the camera lense.
And mounted a 360 joint system (for my tripod head) that we sell to
the boating and recreational industry. Total cost less than 50
bucks. Stronger than any tripod in the world. BTW I got my Ph.D.
in heat transfer and processing of Graphite-Epoxy Pultruded
Composites. Don't try this at home. :) Thanks for reading.

--
Sincerely,
Y. Chachad
Shoot The World
http://www.pbase.com/eastrace
Click to expand...
 
The problem with carbon fiber is it is too hard to make it shiny. And any marketing man can tell you that shiny is what sells.

Zidar
Alaska

By the way, I happen to know something about carrying tripods.

--
It's not about stuff.
 
Yatin Chachad said:
Well, as you see a tripod is really cheap to make. especially one
that sells for a thousand bucks. Unfortunately, at this time, as
you can read from mu post, I can only make the tubing. The
attachments are even cheaper, but I cannot make them cheaply in
small quantities. I have to design and machine them on a vertical
machining centre like a Haas or Fadal. Will take several weeks.
Best thing would be for me to make a mould and cast them out of
aluminum. But who's got the money??? a big :(
Click to expand...
Who's got the money? Gitzo, Bogen, that's who. And that's why they charge so much for the tripods - it's not just about the cost of materials, but also research and development costs, plus setting up factories to produce these tripods in mass quantities. Let's see you sell your tripod for $50 each once you're done investing in a production plant. :)

--
jason: http://www.jcwphoto.net
 
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