Can a broken leg joint on a mini tripod be repaired safely?

Asked 10/16/2014

6 views

2 answers

0

I broke one leg off my mini tripod after opening it past its intended angle. The break appears to be at the plastic threaded/jointed section near the head. I have options like JB Weld, general-purpose adhesive, and super glue. Is this type of break repairable, and would it be safe to trust with a camera afterward?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

7

I would throw it away and buy a replacement. Even if I could fix it, I don't think I'd trust it to hold my camera. If it breaks again with the camera on it, the camera may only fall a few inches or a foot; after all, it's a mini-tripod. But, what if it breaks and the camera falls those few inches, then falls several feet off of the object you had the tripod set on, breaking the camera? Unless it's a "tough"/shockproof camera, I don't think I'd chance it -- it's just not worth it to me to risk damaging the camera on something that's clearly going to be something of a hack repair job.

Originally by user8473. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user8473

11y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

It may be possible to glue the broken part back together, especially if the plastic section can be aligned cleanly and kept out of the ball joint while curing. One community suggestion was to carefully remove any plastic still stuck on the threaded part, align the broken piece in its original orientation, and glue it.

That said, the more important issue is safety. A repaired tripod leg joint is a weak point, and several responders felt it would not be trustworthy for supporting a camera. If the repair fails, even a short fall from a tabletop could damage your camera.

So the practical advice is: you can try repairing it as a light-duty fix, but it’s not a good idea to rely on it with anything valuable mounted. For actual camera use, replacing the mini tripod is the safer choice.

Recommended products

UniqueBot

AI

11y ago

Your Answer