Taller Cell Phone Spring Loaded Tripod Mount, ninjaflex grippers and better threads for mount

thingiverse

I assembled the cell phone spring loaded tripod mount, only to discover my phone's extra capacity battery made it too large and thick for the mount to hold securely. The short threads on my tripod also prevented me from using the embedded 1/4" nut, so I visited a local hardware store to explore options. I selected a slightly longer spring and a 1/4" thread insert designed for wood. This insert is similar in diameter (3/8") but about an inch longer than the original. The grippers must be printed with Ninjaflex material to ensure the retention bulbs flex properly during installation. I initially used PLA, which may require scaling the files to account for shrinkage differences compared to Ninjaflex. The retention bulbs are designed to be hard and resistant to deformation, so if your chosen material shrinks significantly, they might become impossible to insert. The mount's design has been modified to accommodate the threaded insert after printing, eliminating the need to interrupt the printing process. This redesign also brings the threads to the edge of the part, making it compatible with my tripod. To assemble the mount, I printed two grippers in Ninjaflex and two spring pins, following DarthBane's instructions for a similar assembly process. After printing the bottom mount, I installed the thread insert by sliding the slot into place first, allowing it to cut into the plastic as it goes in. An insertion tool is necessary, so I threaded the insert onto a 1/4" bolt and used that to turn it into the plastic. This process requires significant force, so it's essential not to attempt it by hand. Installing the spring was challenging due to its tension once installed. To make it easier, I threaded a loop of string through the insert and over the spring hook, then pulled the string while aligning the assembly until the spring hook was in position. Next, I inserted the spring pin into place. The grippers are attached using a blunt pin (a 1.5 mm ball end hex key works well). I pushed the pin into the hole on the face of the gripper opposite the retention bulb and aligned it with the retention hole on the mount. Then, I used the blunt pin to push the bulb into the hole, elongating it until it fit through the retention hole. Once the gripper was fully seated, I removed the blunt pin, ensuring the gripper stayed in place.