Frottos Half Ball leveler is Golem?

[Marty Welk]

I just got in a Manafrotto bogen Half ball flat head leveler , and i need to know if i got a bad one, or if they are all like this. Purchaced NEW (from a new york photo store starting with b) this one looks like it has already been rejected by another user as it has some minor testing wear.
I knew from the reviews and all that it might need to be smoothed a bit and lubed, but this one acts as if it is Bulged, umm, bent, un round.
not only does it move like the cast metal it is, but when slightly loosened it moves in some places and locks up in others.
i really cant believe that it would be that offset round as manufactured ??

[Don Bloom]

Send it back. Get an RA and return it have them send you another one.

[Marty Welk]

thanks Don that is what i needed to know.

[Marty Welk]

Followup.
took this long to get from here to there, and a saterday, and back again.
and the other one SUCKS worse then the first one (does not look any newer or less tested either). It gives me the FEELING that they were rejects gathering dust, or it was tested and returned.

is Golem, no precious for me.
i am glad B&H tried to do something, but if it was going to be like that before they sent it, i wish they had called and said "if you think that sucks you should see this"

I give up, i am going to do it myself, Mod another cheezy video thing so it works the way i want it to. got some valve grinding paste , see what i can do with that.

I had not dissasembled the other one, as that wouldnt be good for returning it, this time I tore it apart , and it is the BASE piece that is all off. it seems the ball "shelves" on the rim way to early , as opposed to mating ball to bowl deeper, for one thing. the top piece seems ok.
the base piece also seems to be "out of round" , how that is even possible when cutting a bowl in a machine is beyond me, but mabey it comes from the 3x pressure points when tightened up.

(actually half ball to half bowl, but you get the idea)

[Don Bloom]

Marty,
I'm not really following what you're getting at.

Which 1/2 ball do you have by number?

What exactly do you feel is wrong with it?

What legs are you using it on?

With that information we might be able to figure out what's going on.

I've had a lot of Bogen (Manfrotto) stuff over the years and frankly while not considered to be "top of the line" by some (of course not top price either), have 2 of their ball heads and honestly haven't had any problems with either of them.
Maybe we're talking about 2 different things.

[Marty Welk]

uhh your right, there are many, i should have mentioned it was the FLAT head TO flat head one.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554093-REG/Manfrotto_438_438_Compact_Levelling_Head.html
the sticks it is on now are 3046 , the light weight alum things with adjustable column. flat top, with 503 head. but also i was planning on using it on the old stuff with the beast tripod too. they all have columns and flat plates for heads mounting.

I got it usable now finnaly. I ground, and ground, and fine ground, and polished, and tested, and was getting only slightly closer.
then i got an idea, the probem was it slopping in some places, and locking up in others. I needed "drag", so i tried this really heavy brake greace, when that worked, i cleaned off everything, and put (none other than) Frottos Own friction fluid stuff on it. Ahhhhh.
it still grabs and pinches in places, but i can now float it the few degrees for an adjustment and lock it back down.

[Don Bloom]

Ahh, OK now that I see the head I understand what you were talking about. I've never used that head or one like it, just the 1/2 ball heads 75 and 100mm, but they're totally different.
Sounds like you got it going pretty much the way you want it. Sometimes a little 'elbow grease' is whats needed to make things work. Glad it's working for you.