OT: Glueing carbon fibre to alloy

Is the thread directly into the CF/epoxy or is there a metal insert?

Hi Dougal.

It looks to me as though the thread is into the CF. That's to say looking inside the leg I cannot see any transition from an insert to CF. To be honest I was expecting there to be an insert. I can put pictures on Fotopic if that would help.

Rgds

Richard

Every little helps - as they say ...

It'll also help to see the relative proportions of the thread in relation to the rest of the leg.

As if by magic:

Sorry if they aren't terribly good. I didn't have a spare tripod to use when taking macro photos of my tripod ;-)

R

OK - I take it that the screw-in leg is not intended to be unscrewed frequently (if ever) as a collapsibility feature and that it is just an assembly feature. If permanently fixed into the socket, therefore, no problems would occur.

There seems to be an insert in the top of the leg - comparing photos _003 and _006 or are they the collapsed lower portions of the leg? If an insert, is there a step to stop that disappearing down into the leg? Was it just a loose fit or has some bond broken there, too?

I think a good clean up with brake cleaner/iso-propyl alcohol or similar and an old toothbrush will be the preparatory work. You should not need any additional roughing other than, perhaps, the parallel section: the nicks in the threads should provide quite a good key.

Either epoxy (ordinary Araldite) or an appropriate Loctite should work for this but don't expect to be able to dismantle it afterwards. Don't just apply the goo to the thread - include the parallel portion, too. Be careful not to have too much excess edhesive at the top of the leg section or you'll impede the movement of the other leg sections. Try to 'wet' the female portion with as thin a coating of adhesive as you can especially at the inner end, then apply the bulk of the adhesive to the male portion before you insert it, rotating as you go.

If you're really worried about relative rotation you could drill a radial hole and insert a screw/pin through the leg and socket .... but unless you're very heavy handed I don't think that should be necessary. It's quite a large diameter and the adhesive should should be capable of withstanding considerable torque. You'd need to be very careful not to impede the movement of the other leg sections.

Warranty claim? Gitzo currently offer a 5 year warranty but used to offer a lifetime one. If you can dig out the original paperwork I'd just throw it back as a warranty issue.

I doubt that the screw-in legs are intended to come out of the platform as the reduction in overall size would not be great. Also to guarantee that the extended legs do not slowly collapse, the two compression clamps on the extended legs are tightened with quite some force.

006 shows that the inner legs reach the top of the outer leg when collapsed, preventing the desirable use of a pin. There is, as far as I can see, no insert. This surprises me as I didn't know that CF can hold a thread - although the evidence suggests that it can't!

Agreed.

Various contributors to the UK-D.I.Y NG (I posted the same question to them) were very dismissive about Araldite and tried to persuade me to buy epoxy from model making shops. Why?

I've no desire to dismantle it, ever.

Don't

That's pretty much what I was planning, although I was going to err on the side of caution where coating the inside of the socket is concerned and trust to transfer from the male section. Do you think I really need to coat the socket before inserting the leg? I suppose I could wipe the inside of the socket with a cloth dipped in adhesive, leaving the merest hint on the entire surface.

As above I think a pin would foul the inner legs.

Thanks Dougal, confirmation of my baseless musings is always encouraging.

Cheers

Richard

Hello EMB

Sorry I didn't reply earlier: Gitzo are unlikely to entertain any warranty enquiries as the tripod came from my father who found it in some long grass at the edge of a field when out walking one day. I imagine that it would serve quite well as a standby heat source ;-)

Richard

I now have some West Systems epoxy and fillers courtesy a boating friend. I'm trying to persuade him to post a few questions here as he has just become the proud(?) owner of a 3 door N reg Disco TDi auto and is remembering what it's like to spend a weekend under a vehicle ;-)

Cheers to all.

Richard

Tripod now glue with West Systems stuff. Seems to have worked a treat.

Thanks to all who replied.

Cheers

Richard