OT: Velbon Tripod - Need Help

JohnMartin · Dec 9, 2019

I have an old Velbon tripod, a VS-3. It is missing the clamping mechanism that locks the tilt of the camera mount. From the pictures that I see, it is a large wing nut - but how it works internally I am not sure.

Inside, there are fingers at both ends, with very slightly tapered bores. I thought that maybe there were tapered plugs that expanded the fingers, but wedging a rod into them they don’t seem to expand enough to lock the swivel.

I can play with it some more, but if anyone has one of these tripods that they could take a look at and tell me what the mechanism and materials appear to be, I’d be very grateful. Velbon has been no help - it’s a very old tripod.

Thanks,
John

Conrad Hoffman · Dec 9, 2019

You might get lucky here, but maybe try a post over at photo.net

eKretz · Dec 9, 2019

I think this is your mechanism. Patents are useful since they often describe the workings of the mechanism:

US5365293A - Panhead of improved operability
- Google Patents

If this isn't yours, look and see if you have a patent number on the tripod.

JohnMartin · Dec 10, 2019

Thanks, eKretz. Looks like mine on the outside, but the internal mechanism is totally different. No patent numbers on mine. Tried to find some other pertinent Velbon patents, but no luck so far. The patent search was a great idea, though - and one I’d never thought of.

Ian W Slade · Dec 10, 2019

I have a Velbon VS3 Tripod. I bought it new in New Zealand 1972.
It is in good condition and I can post a photo or strip down and
photograph the parts that you are missing.

donie · Dec 10, 2019

I have a very early "Super Velbon" it has several patent dates. The column not only has a gear rack for elevation, the entire column tilts, its a small 35mm size.
One of the most interesting features is the weird little locks all over the tripod, some are little levers, others are like buttons. These incredible complications, result in a tremendous savings in film, because you have to fiddle with the tripod so much the sun will go down.
Also, another benefit of the complicated and numerous locks and levers, its likely something will let loose, and the whole works falls over.
I found the Velbon tripod a while back at a junk store, bought it to display an early Nikon F. If you think yours is similar, I can take a photo of it. I had a later one from the 70s but it was totally different, it actually was useable. The old one is fancy chrome and black 1940s-50s,

JohnMartin · Dec 11, 2019

Ian W Slade said:
I have a Velbon VS3 Tripod. I bought it new in New Zealand 1972.
It is in good condition and I can post a photo or strip down and
photograph the parts that you are missing.

Ian, that would be great. What I need to see are the parts I have to make - the wing nut and it’s associated parts.

Looking inside mine, what I see are four broad fingers at each end. Sort of like looking at the inside of a collet. The bore of those fingers is very slightly tapered. Guessing that the joint is locked by something expanding those fingers slightly. Could be tapered plugs, balls, even a soft rubber plug. Knowing the basic design and the materials will really help.

Thanks very much.

JohnMartin · Dec 11, 2019

donie said:
I have a very early "Super Velbon" it has several patent dates. The column not only has a gear rack for elevation, the entire column tilts, its a small 35mm size.
One of the most interesting features is the weird little locks all over the tripod, some are little levers, others are like buttons. These incredible complications, result in a tremendous savings in film, because you have to fiddle with the tripod so much the sun will go down.
Also, another benefit of the complicated and numerous locks and levers, its likely something will let loose, and the whole works falls over.
I found the Velbon tripod a while back at a junk store, bought it to display an early Nikon F. If you think yours is similar, I can take a photo of it. I had a later one from the 70s but it was totally different, it actually was useable. The old one is fancy chrome and black 1940s-50s,

Donie:

I think this one is later than 1940’s or 1950’s, and it’s silver painted castings with extruded aluminum legs. But the locking system might be the same.

The missing clamping mechanism is the one that locks the topmost piece of the tripod - the baseplate that mounts the camera, and which tilts from horizontal to vertical. Pictures online show that it is locked by a large wing nut or thumbscrew. If yours is the same, knowing how that wing nut or thumbscrew acts on the internal parts would be a great help.

Thanks very much.

WizardOfBoz · Dec 11, 2019

But is this the uniit you have?

JohnMartin · Dec 11, 2019

bosleyjr said:
But is this the uniit you have?

Not exactly the same, but that’s a very close match.

Mine has an L shaped camera base mount, rather than the rectangular one. My camera base mounts are cork faced, not rubber. The knobs on mine are black plastic, not metal.

On mine, the long handle that provides the tilting adjustment is reversed from the one you pictured. The handle is to the rear when the adjustment is on the right side of the elevating column.

The part that I need help with - the hinge allowing the camera mount to go from horizontal to vertical - looks very much the same, although the two outside trunnions look to be a bit thicker on mine.

If this is yours and you could tell me what the thumbscrew acts on, it would be a great help.

Thanks.

Ian W Slade · Dec 12, 2019

John, My Velbon VS3 is identical to the photos posted by bosleyjr which may not be identical to what
you have going by your description. However I'm still quite happy to photograph and provide dimensions
of the items in question on my VS3.

donie · Dec 12, 2019

I now present "The Super Velbon" it is, because it says so right on it.
This tripod has the old and faulty twist lock legs, and the general old style of the lower part. The top part is similar to the modern examples with the tilting geared column, but has more locks and ways to dump you camera on the ground,or pinch your fingers and the tilt column can only be used if the legs are tied down because its too light.
The old one is a study of poor designed quality product.

I had a Velbon in the 1970s, it worked fine for 35mm and had the feature on the legs splaying out for low angle, but a little light for medium format, so I went with another brand.

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