Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Building a Tripod
Place one of the 4-inch L-brackets into the vise and tighten.
Use the large wrench, sledgehammer and protractor to open up the 90-degree angle of the L-bracket to 110 degrees.
Place one of the 10-foot conduit pieces into the vice and tighten without bending the tube. Use the hack saw to cut the tube in half. Repeat this process with another tube. Use the file to smooth saw filings from the cut edges.
Use the vise and the sledgehammer to compress 4 inches of tubing on one end of the 5-foot length of tube. Repeat with the other two 5-foot-long tubes.
Place the L-bracket on the flattened end of one of the 5-foot tube lengths. Use the marker to mark where two bolt holes will be located on the tube. Use the scratch awl and hammer to make a small depression in marks. Use the drill and a 5/32-inch drill bit to drill bolt holes through the tube at the two marks. If you do not have a 5/32-inch drill bit, use a 3/16-inch drill bit. Attach the L-bracket with two 1 1/2-inch carriage bolts. Use the wrenches to tighten. Repeat the process with the other 5-foot-long tubes. The L-brackets are guy wire connectors.
Use the large adjustable wrench and two compression connectors to attach two 10-foot tubes and one 5-foot tube to make a 25-foot-long tripod leg. Repeat this process to make two more 25-foot-long tripod legs.
Use the measuring tape and the markers to mark a spot 1 1/2 inches from one end of a tripod leg. This spot must be located at a right angle to the L-bracket bolts. Use the hammer and scratch awl to make a depression on the mark. Use the drill and a 3/16-inch drill bit to drill a bolt hole.
Place the 3-inch bolt through one of the 3/16-inch bolt holes. Place the flat washer over the bolt. Run the bolt through the 3/16-inch bolt hole in the other tripod leg. Slip a flat washer and a lock washer over the threads. Apply lock thread adhesive to the protruding threads. Use the wrenches to tighten the bolt. Leave enough play to permit the two tripod legs to open.
Use the measuring tape and the markers to mark a spot 2 inches from one end of the unattached tripod leg. This spot must be located at a right angle to the 3-inch bolt holding the other two legs together. Mark a corresponding spot on one of the two attached tripod legs 2 inches from the leg's end. Make sure the spot clears all previously installed bolts. Use the hammer and scratch awl to make a depression on the mark. Use the drill and a 3/16-inch drill bit to drill both bolt holes.
Attach the third leg in the same manner as described in Step 8. Leave enough play for the third tripod leg to open.
Measure 10 feet 9 inches from the top of each leg and make a mark at a right angle to the plane of the other two legs -- locate the hole in such a way as to allow a piece of wire rope to encircle all three legs. Drill a 1/8-inch hole through both sides of the tripod legs. Use the small rat tail file to round the edges of the holes slightly.
Rigging the Tripod
Use the wire rope cutters to cut a piece of 3/32-inch galvanized wire rope 21 feet 8 inches long. Run the galvanized wire rope through the lower holes of the tripod. Circle each end around a thimble and secure with a wire clip. Tighten the wire clip with the 8-inch wrench. This is the tripod binding brace.
Connect both ends of the tripod binding brace with a U-bolt. Apply lock tight thread adhesive to the threads. Screw shut and use the 8-inch wrench to tighten firmly.
Use the wire rope cutters to cut three pieces of 3/32-inch galvanized wire rope 28 feet 7 inches long. Attach thimbles to both ends as in Step 1 of Section 2. These are the tripod guy wires.
Connect all ends of the tripod guy wires to the guy wire connectors with three U-bolts. Apply lock tight thread adhesive to the threads. Screw the U-bolts shut and use the eight-inch wrench to tighten the bolts firmly.