Some months ago, I started looking for a desktop tripod to support an LED panel to be used as primary light on conference calls. Although there are many options on Amazon, none of them was exactly what I was looking for. My favorite tripod (Peak Design Travel Tripod) can be configured as a Desktop tripod, but its footprint is just to wide to be used on a regular desk.
I decided to give it a try and design and print my own desktop tripod. I went through a couple of iterations, and decided to go with a hybrid tripod, made of aluminum (strong and lightweight) and PETG (sturdy, lightweight and not susceptible to relative high temperatures).
It has a long extending column which allows for a smaller footprint. Aluminum legs can be easily exchanged to provide more stability or make it taller. It also has some slots where optional magnets can be installed to keep the tripod tightly closed.
Parts
- PETG filament.
- Extruded aluminum legs (short and long).
- T-Slot nuts for aluminum legs.
- Small shielded ball bearings.
- Legs screws and nuts: Phillips M5-0.80x25 screws and hex nuts.
- Center column screws and nuts: hex cap screws (Class 8.8 M6-1.00 x 16) and 6mm hex nut.
- 1/4 in tripod adapter screw.
3D Printing
Here are the STL files for all 3D printed parts. As indicated above, I would recommend printing in PETG, but PLA can also be used.
Removing PETG supports is not fun at all, so I designed most parts to be printed without them. The exception would be the tripod Apex. See below how I arranged the supports to be easily removable.
Assembly
The tripod is comprised of several parts, so putting it together may not be that intuitive. Here is a quick video of the assembly process to use as reference.
In the video, the 1/4-in tripod converter which allows the connection to a ball head, is already inserted in the section that goes on top of the center column. This was accomplished by heating up the converter (I used this Dremel portable torch) and twisting/inserting it in.
Feel free to ask any questions below.