Mounting Adapter for Manfrotto 504PLONG sliding plate

thingiverse

Human: Lets you attach a Manfrotto 504PLONG sliding plate to other camera supports without removing the plate. Instructions This Project comes with four printed components. The main body of the unit, where the plate will slide in is called The mount. A small button controls the safety detent that holds the camera plate into place until released. A clamp allows you to immobilize the plate at its proper balance point. The base keeps all moving parts secure after assembly. Other non-printed parts include A mounting nut and turn clamp. You can use a #10-32 hex nut with a 3/4" clamping knob. Small tripod screws and nuts in 1/4" 20 sizes, varying lengths as needed. Make sure they match the elongated hex pattern on the mount. Large tripod screws in 3/8" 16 sizes, varying lengths as needed. The bolts should match the hex pattern on the mount. A spring from any standard ballpoint pen. A Manfrotto 504PLONG sliding plate or aftermarket equivalent. Make sure to measure the thing file exactly to scale. If you're sizing individual .stl files, let the program re-scale them first then hit the inches to millimeter conversion button and finally scale them up at 158.75%. Assembly Instructions: When all components are printed, carefully clean excess plastic from the mount, particularly where the button will be inserted. Insert the button into the mount from underneath with its side notch fitting into the slot. Place a pen spring on the peg and press it into the appropriate hole in the mount to provide tension. Do this when everything fits together smoothly and slides freely. When the spring is in place, the button should pop out of the way when not pressed. The hump should extend above the floor of the mount and catch the plate as it slides in. The plate shouldn't be able to slide back out without pressing the button, nor slide forward out of the mount. Before installing the clamp, screw in the turn bolt to remove excess plastic from inside the hole first. Then loosen the bolt until the slot for the hex nut is clear. Hold the hex nut in place and tighten the bolt. The nut should be close to flush with the side of the mount leaving plenty of room for the clamp. Slide the clamp down over the peg so that the slanted edge matches the side of the mount. When properly installed, the plate should slide easily into the mount when the turnbolt is loose but be immoveable when snug. Clean all excess plastic off the base piece before lining it up with the underside of the mount. The large rectangular area should fit into the clamp area on the mount. When installed, the hex nut and clamp should stay in their positions. When the base is snapped into place with all fittings, the button and spring should move freely but be kept in place. No glue should be necessary to hold the unit together but you can add it to the mounting pegs if desired. Don't apply glue where moving parts may be affected. When mounting the unit to teleprompters, cranes, or other accessories, use substantial bolts that fit the guides. Both positions are recommended for stability. Use PLA material or other strong plastic. The structure should provide enough strength to hold a typical video camera under normal circumstances and normal use but beware of heavy cameras, unbalanced loads, or situations where there's undue torque. Remember that PLA can bend over time under pressure or shrink if subjected to heat. For this reason I don't recommend mounting a camera upside-down, especially for long periods of time unattended. You may choose to print the moving parts in different colors from the base and mount for easy visibility of the mounting direction.