Author Topic: T-nut for Camera mount  (Read 12529 times)

Russel

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T-nut for Camera mount
« on: October 27, 2009, 01:32:14 AM »
Hello everyone!

I have been reading many of the great posts here and have become inspired to start making parts instead of buying them. This past weekend, I made a mount for my point and shoot digital camera. I wanted a mount that I could secure to the T-slots on my Mill or Lathe. That way I could snap a photo or two without having to drag out the tripod and set it up.

Anyway, here is the little machine that I used to make the T-nut today:


One of the nice things about making small parts is that bulk material easy to find. I decided to make the T-nut out of a standard grade 5 hex head cap screw. First I sawed off the threaded part, then a little flycutting to thin it to the needed size.


The first side done:


Then, after flycutting the top and bottom as needed, a little off the sides:


I hope everyone likes lots of photos,


Then I milled the top so that it would fit into the T-slot. The interesting thing that I discovered is that I couldn't get a consistent surface with the end of the millbit.


So I turned it side up, so that I could machine the critical surfaces with the side of the mill bit, instead of the end. I wanted the bearing surfaces to be exert even pressure on the T-slot so as not to damage the table. (Something I learned reading here at Madmodder.) I am, in fact, a complete novice. But I do find machining fascinating!


So far, so good! Turning the part on its side to use the side of the mill bit worked.


 I didn't get any photos while drilling and tapping the new T-nut, but here is the finished part. Next to it is a Sherline T-nut, which works well in sufficent numbers, but the mount that I made uses only one so that it can be oriented in different directions in relation to the table. I won't be seeing any huge loads, but I wanted a secure mount for a nice steady camera, when taking photos.


Here is another photo with the camera mount and a sherline 'holder'. Sorry if I am at a loss with some of the terminology.


And of course, here is how the mount is to be used:

Here with the tripod swivel mount on the mount:

And again, with the Camera:

Here with the tripod telescoping extension:


One mistake, that I know of, is that when I drilled and tapped the base of the mount, I apparently didn't have the Z axis aligned. So, if you look closely at this next photo you can see a slight gap at the base of the vertical threaded part on the side facing the socket head screw.


I ran out of time today, but I figure that I can machine a couple flats on the round center of the vertical threaded part and remove it. I is stuck nicely right now. And loosen up the female threads in the base a little with a tap. Hopefully that will allow enough play for the vertical threaded part to seat straight. In Idea I got from reading one of Bogstandard's fine posts...thanks! (And be sure to advise me if that is a bad idea!)

I hope I didn't get too carried away with all the photos. And, of course, all comments and criticism is not only welcome, but requested! I have learned a great deal just reading the posts here, it's time I started interacting!

Russ

Offline dsquire

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2009, 02:10:43 AM »
Russel

First, welcome to MadModder. great to have you join us. Your post is great with the pictures and the dialogue. Nothing wrong as far as I can see. It is nice to see little projects like this.  :ddb: :ddb:

Be careful when machining that you don't throw metal chips or coolant at the camera. Possibly you could cover it with a plastic bag when not taking pictures!  :) :)

Cheers  :beer:

Don
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Offline CrewCab

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2009, 03:56:47 AM »
Nice little project Russ, and welcome to the board  :thumbup:

CC

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2009, 05:05:16 AM »
Welcome to the collective Russ!   :wave:

Very nicely done, and shown...... You`ll do!  :thumbup:

David D
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Bernd

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2009, 08:39:45 AM »
Russel,

First a big welcome to the collective.  :borg:

That's exactly what we like to see lots of pictures. Very nice clear, focused and well lighted pictures I might add. Did you use a photo program to enhanse those pictures or are they just that well possed?

I also have a Sherline mill/lathe. Actually it's the lathe with milling attachment. That's my small lathe/mill setup. The large is a Logan 10" lathe and Bridgeport.

Keep up the fine work. Forgot to mention the nice job you did making the T-nut using a bolt head. I think I'm going to make some like that for my Sherline.

Regards,
Bernd
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Offline spuddevans

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2009, 09:02:22 AM »
Hi Russ, welcome to the clubhouse :wave:

Good pics  :thumbup: keep 'em coming  :clap:


Tim
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Offline Twinsquirrel

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2009, 02:13:52 PM »
Hi Russ, Great little write up, very interesting and very nicely shot pictures. What are you using for lighting there?

Cheers

Dave TS
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Offline Darren

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2009, 02:18:18 PM »
Electricity ?

 :lol: :lol: :lol:

Some nice work you have there, I had a look at your site, very impressive, makes me want CNC now .....  :doh:
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Offline Bluechip

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2009, 03:09:43 PM »
Darren

Electricity ??  Nah, be photons wunnit ???

Excellent pics. though, I'm jealous ..  :bow:

Dave BC
« Last Edit: October 27, 2009, 03:11:43 PM by Bluechip »
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Offline Twinsquirrel

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2009, 03:56:27 PM »
Quote
Electricity ?

 

Very droll!!!  :D

I only ask because I'm completely under fluorescents at the moment and it's a bit harsh and any photos I take seem very cold. By the look of what Russ has there even my attempts at mashing metal would look good.
So many ideas, so little skill

Offline mklotz

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2009, 04:10:32 PM »
White balance can make a big difference in portraying colors correctly.

Most digital cameras have some facility for adjusting the white balance.  On my Canons you can select fluorescent, incandescent, natural, etc. as well as establish tailored balances by photographing a sheet of white paper in your particular lighting.

Check the documentation that came with your camera for whatever it has to say about white balance.
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Offline Darren

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2009, 04:44:04 PM »
As Marv says, but if your camera can't do that, I'd be surprised if it couldn't, you can alter the colour balance in Windows, a photo editing package or PhotoBucket  :thumbup:

I sometimes use Windows even though my camera can do it, sometimes you can improve on it further.

Always best to start with the original picture with the camera settings  :thumbup:
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Russel

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2009, 05:52:49 PM »
Thank you everyone, for the warm welcome!  :mmr:

Bernd, I have resized the photos, and adjusted white balance and brightness with Nikon Capture 4 software. The photos were taken with a Nikon D200 digital SLR with a 60mm Macro lens on a tripod.

Twinsquirl, all of the photos are using fluorescent light. I either calibrate the white balance with a 15% gray card, or adjust it later with the Nikon software.

Darren, It's funny that you should ask "electricity?" I power my Lathe and Mill both with solar power. I also use solar for the fluorescent lights. The only thing I run on the mains is the DRO, connected to a small computer uninterruptible power supply. I don't trust the DRO to my little 200 watt square wave inverter. That, and it is a real pain to lose the DRO setting when the power drops out in the middle of a machining operation that I spent a half hour indicating in. (Yeh, I know that's slow, but I'm getting faster.) I have two 50 watt solar panels each independently feeding a car battery through a charge controler. Then I use a little inverter to power the machine tools and lights. Just to give you an idea of the massive power my mill uses, if I stall it, it instantly blows the 10A fuse on the 12V leads to the inverter! Here is a photo of my "power station." If you noticed the vertical white power strip in one of the earlier photos, that is the one coming from the inverter.

I'm not trying to single handedly save the planet by running my stuff from the solar power system. It's more like, I have the solar power system, I should use it for something!

Anyway, back to my little project. Today, I will be using my "micro" lathe:

(Notice the Mill stored in the background.) How many of you store your Lathe on a shelf?


If you look closely at the next photo you can see the misalighnment of the threaded part.


So, In order to remove it, I machine some flats for a wrench:

I am aware that because the part is not threaded into the base perfectly straight, the bottom of the flats won't be perfectly straight. But, it is not critical, and  I doubt the error could be seen by eye. The flats after all are just for a wrench.

I should have cut flats to begin with, but sometimes we all get impatient
Here is another photo ilustrating the problem:


First off, I have carefully indicated the Z axis of the mill by using the flat surfaces of the base near the dove tail for the Y axis. That seemed to give me a much more repeatable and consistent indecation with the DTI. The table isn't very wide and I was having trouble with the slots, so I moved it all the way back on the Y axis and used the surfaces on the base.

Anyway, what I decided to do, using an idea I got from Bogstandard, is to loosen the threads a little, allowing for enough wobble to allow the part to seat against the base. I figure the best way to do this is with a speed wrench on the end of the tap, with a slight pressure in the corrective direction while threading the tap in and out.


Well, that seems to have done the trick, but I ran into another small problem. When I thread the end that is suppost to face up in, the part seats into the base perfectly. But, when I thread the end that is suppost to face down, it has some resistance just before seating. So, I took a closer look at the threads:

Sure enough, there is a nice bur sticking out. My plan was to cut a relief at the base of the threads, so that this wouldn't happen. I had cut the threads with a die, then flipped the die over to complete the threads. I obviously miscalculated how much to relieve the part at the base of the thread. So, I chucked the part back into the lathe with a 4 jaw chuck, indicated it in, and cut the bur off.

A test fit, while still chucked into the lathe, confermed that fixed the problem.

Then part seats straight, with no resistance just before seating. So, my mount is a little straighter, and I learned a little about how I might do this next time. I guess the easy way to relieve the threads at the base would have been after, not before threading it, while it is still in the lathe chuck.
Anyway here is it is after the "adjustments."


I'm thinking the next thing that I need to fabricate is a device to keep the tap aligned while threading in the mill. When I cut the threads, I drilled the appropriate size hole with the mill. Then used the mill to start the tap and after it is in a few threads, I release the tap from the mill chuck and finish by hand. When I discovered that the threaded hole was misaligned, I checked the mill and improved the alignment of the Z axis. But, I think part of the error was from finishing the threads by hand. I've seen some good ideas here at Madmodders, for tap guides to use with a mill. I just have to decide what I want to make.

Russ

Offline SPiN Racing

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2009, 06:00:41 PM »
Very nicely done.. and very cool setup with the solar!

I wish I had the panels to power my garage. :(

I think I might have too many items in there. 50.00 USD a month.  :scratch:
SPiN Racing

Offline Twinsquirrel

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2009, 06:21:26 PM »
Marv, Darren,

Yup the white balance was the first thing I checked/calibrated (loosley) but I guess my ageing camera is just not up to the job.  :scratch:

Russ,

Nice save and some really nice work. Your first post and you taught me a little already  :nrocks:
So many ideas, so little skill

Offline chuck foster

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Re: T-nut for Camera mount
« Reply #15 on: October 27, 2009, 07:59:48 PM »
russel:  very nice write up and photo's, i really like the whole solar set up  :thumbup:

now you have a camera mount we will expect more pictures of you projects  :ddb: :ddb: :ddb:

chuck  :wave:
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