YATMo - Yet Another Tripod Mount

thingiverse

I designed this tripod plate when I lost my original unbranded tripod quick release plate, which I eventually found after it was already printed. I needed not only a tripod plate but also a screw that would stay mounted in the plate without falling off. The main features of this design are the recessed shape of the plate, allowing for a high-density foam pad to prevent camera slipping, and a threaded hole to screw in the screw. The screw is a standard 1/4" / 20 threeads per inch screw. I added a chamfered top for easier insertion and tweaked it slightly to make its diameter 1/100mm thinner than 6mm (1/4") to avoid excessive friction when screwing the screw into the camera. This idea came to me after I printed a similar design, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2808184, which jammed in an old camera. The screw screws in smoothly and with minimal friction yet is not loose. It features a top 4mm threaded part and a lower smooth shaft. Once screwed into the plate hole, it cannot fall back unless unscrewed. Although I am confident that this screw is strong and precise enough to screw into a camera body without problems, print it and use it at your own risk. If not printed correctly, the screw could break in the camera, leaving the threaded shaft caught in the camera hole. Try it with an old camera if you have any doubts. In the unlikely event that you break the screw in the camera, don't panic. With a little patience and a thin Dremel milling bit, you should be able to clean the camera thread with minimal damage.