Shoe Lever (thumb lever) for Velbon Tripods

thingiverse

This is my current approximation of the "shoe lever" for a Velbon Sherpa camera tripod. It's designed to hold a camera mounted on a Sherpa shoe onto the tripod. The design is based on my measurements of approximately one-third of the remains of a broken original and some online pictures, so it may not be exact. Fortunately, it worked well for me, and I strongly encourage modifications. Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer Model: MakerBot Replicator 2 Rafts: Not Necessary Supports: Yes Resolution: High Infill: At Least 50% Notes: High resolution is crucial because the part needs to slide smoothly against other components. An infill of 100% might be even better, considering this small piece holds an expensive camera securely on a tripod. Using MakerBot's software, my first print failed to produce the walls of the thumb-rest, causing it to break off prematurely. However, the second attempt was successful - I'm not sure what caused the difference. Interestingly, the part works fine without the thumb-rest, but I included it since the original had one. Post-Printing I've attached a photo showing how the spring fits into place (this is from my first print, which didn't produce the walls of the thumb-rest for some reason). With careful adjustments and lubrication (I used wax-based dry bike chain lube), this design works well with the auto-lock on the Sherpa 200R, albeit requiring fine tuning. How I Designed This Best Guess To be honest, I didn't really design this - it was more of a guess at replacing a part from a manufacturer that's no longer in business. I had about one-third of the original piece and a pdf of the users' manual containing a small drawing of the object as part of an assembly diagram. Additionally, I used a good electronic caliper for precise measurements, simple algebra, and the patience to refine the design with small adjustments to make it look roughly right.