Help removing a tripod head

[jimban]

Hi-

I have a gitzo G1227 mk2 tripod with center column and a cube on top. I am completely unable to seperate the head from the column. So far I've tried WD 40 and brute force.

Does any one know any tricks or have suggestions to remove the head?

thanks for any and all help...

jim

 

[Shashin]

Try putting it in your freezer. If you have a hot environment, you may be fighting the expansion of the metal.

 

[Stefan Steib]

and if this alone doesn´t help, take a hairdryer set it to hot and then just warm up the head. Then finally it will go.

regards
Stefan

 

[stephengilbert]

Or try to direct the heat toward the center column top. If you can make it warmer than the head, it may expand more than the head. A friend of mine who restores vintage race cars puts cylinder heads in an oven to heat them before installing valve seats. When the heads cool, they grip the seats more tightly.

 

[GrahamWelland]

I've successfully used a rubber strap/Pipe/filter clamp (not sure what they're really called) around the Cube and locked the base adjuster very firmly. That was enough to remove mine by getting the leverage I needed and not mark the head.

This lock up happened to me on a trip preventing me from removing the head from the tripod for a flight. I have to check my big gitzo in a padded tripod bag. Anyway net result was that I couldn't remove the head, it stayed on the tripod and got damaged by the baggage handling gorillas. After paying for that repair I resorted to using a RRS long lever clamp on the tripod and the RRS circular base on the head. Voila, you can then easily remove and refit the head as needed and swap heads between tripods too. Super easy to remove the head for handling like a delicate part and packing appropriately for travel inside my luggage.

 

[Shashin]

Or send it to me and, as soon as I get them apart,* I will send them back

* timeframe to be decided.

 

[GrahamWelland]

Or send it to me and, as soon as I get them apart,* I will send them back

* timeframe to be decided.

Damn, the Cube got lost in the return mail? Aw shucks. :ROTFL:

 

[jimban]

Hi-

Thanks Stefan, Stephen and Graham... I'll give heat a try.. combined with a strap clamp... If it still won't budge I'll put it in the freezer... with a nanny cam in case Shashin is in the neighborhood.


jim

 

[BANKER1]

I think they are called strap wrenches. They are generally used to remove oil filters from autos and lawn tractors. They come in smaller sizes that may work for the small diameter of a tripod. The heat and cold are good ways to get them apart. You can cool the whole thing and then pour hot water on the part that should expand for removal.

Greg

 

[etrump]

After fighting this several times I got one of these:

RRS Head Clamp

 

[Shashin]

Hi-

Thanks Stefan, Stephen and Graham... I'll give heat a try.. combined with a strap clamp... If it still won't budge I'll put it in the freezer... with a nanny cam in case Shashin is in the neighborhood.


jim

I am finding this lack of trust shocking. :bugeyes: I would take care of your Cube as well as if I was caring for your million dollar bank account. You can trust that I would take care of it... :angel:

 

[jimban]

I am finding this lack of trust shocking. :bugeyes: I would take care of your Cube as well as if I was caring for your million dollar bank account. You can trust that I would take care of it... :angel:

Hi Will...

I think the cube engenders trust issues even obsession…

“ I’m not only a member of Gear Lust …”

jim

 

[jimban]

An hour in the freezer did the the trick.

jim

 

[craigosh]

Copper Slip works great to prevent things like this. Always use when threads are mixed metals.