Loose tripod bushing on a B&J

[archphoto]

If it is a mushroom bushing bonded between layers of wood, you could dril a hole through the bushing and the wood at the same time and insert a pin.

Please provide us with some pic's ! Then we might be coming up with the REAL solution !

Peter

[Fotoguy20d]

Ken,

It might work. Supposedly the B&J cameras are made of a very respectable maple (or such hardwood). Still, I worry about the wood splintering when you try to pull it out. And, as I said, if it doesn't come out, you won't be able to get the bushing off the screw. Another thought/question - if the bushing is turning inside the wood now, will you even be able to get a screw in there enough to use it as a handle? How loose is the bushing?

Dan

[MattKing]

Do you know a dentist with an x-ray machine?

Matt

[richard ide]

One way to remove the bushing might be to screw in a bolt with a nut on it. then tighten the nut against the bushing. You can then unscrew the bolt and the bushing will come out with it (providing that it is screwed into the wood).

[Fotoguy20d]

One way to remove the bushing might be to screw in a bolt with a nut on it. then tighten the nut against the bushing. You can then unscrew the bolt and the bushing will come out with it (providing that it is screwed into the wood).

That'll work only as long as the bushing is protruding past the wood or the nut is no bigger than the outside diameter of the bushing. Once the nut locks down on the wood instead of only the bushing, it won't work.

Dan

[Anscojohn]

Dan and John,

I was thinking of something like Loctite to secure a 1/4 inch bolt in the bushing, using a wrench and some
'pulltwist' to remove the bushing from the wood. If there's a problem with the inside surface of the remaining
'hole' a Forstner drill bit might be utilised to make the new hole a little wider, and if required a maple 'plug'
inserted, cut off and sanded flush after which pilot a new hole drilled.... hopefully the bushing might
then be screwed back in with a small amount of epoxy glue on the thread to make sure it will be secured in
place.

Ken

*****
You do not, methinks, want to go pulling that bushing out until you see what it is that's holding it in--if you splinter the wood, you are in a bad prediciment. It seems to me that if it will not just come out; and it is rotating; then there is something that is keeping it in place under the veneer (if there is some on your camera)--my mushroom analogy.
Once you get it out without damaging the wood, then you have options; and easy ones, I should think.
I used one of those quarter inch whatever they are called to mount a homemade wooden platform to hold my Ansco View Camera on a tripod at the center of gravity. It simply required countersinking the 1/4 inch hole wide enough to encompass the flange part; and just deep enough so that it does not impinge upon the tripod head. Epoxy did the rest.

[Bruce Osgood]

My experience with removing a bushing is to use what a Plumber calls a Star Wrench. You will probably lose the bushing but the idea is to tap the pointy Star Wrench into the bushing and buggering up the threads, then turn it out counter clockwise with a wrench. This assumes the bushing was initially screwed into the platform.

[Anscojohn]

That'll work only as long as the bushing is protruding past the wood or the nut is no bigger than the outside diameter of the bushing. Once the nut locks down on the wood instead of only the bushing, it won't work.

Dan

*******
There's a way to do it. We do it with gun stock repairs on occasion. But, the problem is knowing WHAT IS HOLDING IT IN If it's loose enough to turn, and not practically falling out, there is more to this than meets the eye. Literally. As mentioned above, if it is a "mushroom" bushing, all bets are off. Now, about that dentist with the x-ray machine......

[Anscojohn]

My experience with removing a bushing is to use what a Plumber calls a Star Wrench. You will probably lose the bushing but the idea is to tap the pointy Star Wrench into the bushing and buggering up the threads, then turn it out counter clockwise with a wrench. This assumes the bushing was initially screwed into the platform.

******
Well, Bruce. If I understand Ken's predicament, it is not screwed in; otherwise, since it is turning, it should screw out. Right?

[Fotoguy20d]

FWIW, I took a look at my own 5x7 B&J just now. There's a counterbore, just slightly larger than the bushing (maybe 3/8 or a bit more), from the top side of the baseplate. I'm guessing the bushing is installed through there - makes sense - if it has a small flange (maybe knurled) it would be impossible to pull out through over tightening the tripod. The bottom of the c'bore is metal, which supports my guess. You might try gingerly tapping at it from the bottom and see if it pushes out (hopefully without too much splintering of wood). I take no responsibility for what happens if you do that though.

Dan