Alan Christensen
December 26th, 2004, 02:36 PM
I have a Bogen 3046 tripod. I ordered some extension legs from B&H. However, I can't figure out how to install them. The legs come without clips, so you have to use the clips from the legs that came with the 3046. However, there is no way to get them off the existing legs because:
a) there is a plastic locking cover that prevents you from loosening the leg locking clip. I could probably get the plastic cover off with an ice pick or other such sharp instrument, but it would get destroyed in the process.
b) even if I got off the little plastic cover that hides the clip nut, I still can't get the orginal legs out of the clip because the original legs have a raised section at the top that prevents them from going through the clip when you extend them. You would have to pry open the clip a very long way to get the orginal legs out. I would be afraid that the clips would snap before expanding this much, as they are made of a very stiff plastic. I think Bogen originally slipped the clips onto the leg from the other end before they put the rubber spike foot in place, and then mangled the threads so you can't get the rubber foot off. The rubber foot is too large to go through the clip, so you now can't slide the clip off this end either.
The net result is that I don't think I can get the clips off without actually cutting the existing legs with a hack saw. This seems like a terrible thing to do as it would make the original legs unusable if I ever wanted to switch out the extension legs. The alternative would be to buy 3 new clips, which seems ridiculously expensive just to extend my tripod by 18".
Has anyone ever done this? Will the legs come out of the clips by bending them open? Will the clips break? Is there any tricky way to get the plastic cap off the locking screw without destroying it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
a) there is a plastic locking cover that prevents you from loosening the leg locking clip. I could probably get the plastic cover off with an ice pick or other such sharp instrument, but it would get destroyed in the process.
b) even if I got off the little plastic cover that hides the clip nut, I still can't get the orginal legs out of the clip because the original legs have a raised section at the top that prevents them from going through the clip when you extend them. You would have to pry open the clip a very long way to get the orginal legs out. I would be afraid that the clips would snap before expanding this much, as they are made of a very stiff plastic. I think Bogen originally slipped the clips onto the leg from the other end before they put the rubber spike foot in place, and then mangled the threads so you can't get the rubber foot off. The rubber foot is too large to go through the clip, so you now can't slide the clip off this end either.
The net result is that I don't think I can get the clips off without actually cutting the existing legs with a hack saw. This seems like a terrible thing to do as it would make the original legs unusable if I ever wanted to switch out the extension legs. The alternative would be to buy 3 new clips, which seems ridiculously expensive just to extend my tripod by 18".
Has anyone ever done this? Will the legs come out of the clips by bending them open? Will the clips break? Is there any tricky way to get the plastic cap off the locking screw without destroying it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.