The Spyder-Pod - Your DSLR's New Friend!

Meet the Spider-pod. A flexible table-top pod for your DSLR under 7$. (Seven Bucks! )

Ditch the tripod, guys! Well not really.

But tripods can be a real trouble when you are traveling lightweight and at the same time, you are mad about photography as I am. Lugging them around when not necessary, and Not having them when needed are the basic reason I HATE tripods. They are heavy equipment.

Wrap it around a tree or place it on a surface. Now with the Spider Pod, take stable shots anywhere! Its completely dismantlable, (is that the correct word? ), light in weight and easy to carry around. What else one desires?

Convinced that you need one? Let's get the hands dirty!

Why the name Spider pod? Well, why Not? it is a small and effective DIY POD with one more leg for more stability than any DIY gorilla pod!

Snapchat and Instagram: @chitlangesahas

I'd love to connect with you guys on Snapchat and Instagram, I document the experience, learning lessons and also answer questions on those platforms. Looking forward to connect! Here is my username for both: @chitlangesahas

Step 1: Watch the Build Video.

The build video is uploading, please wait...

Step 2: Materials Needed

The following is the list of materials you will need to make the project.

1) 9 inch Coolant Pipe x 4

2)4 Way Junction Brass fitting. << This should have same threads as the coolant pipe x 1

3) 1/4-20 UNC Screw x 1

4) Some time and passion for sticking with the build! << You don't get this online :P x 1 Million

5) Basic building stuff.

That's it. Let's move on.

Step 3: Get the Screw and ...

... gently check if it matches the threads of the DSLR.

GENTLY! , unless you have a lot of money and don't care to damage the tripod mount of the DSLR hence half ruining the camera.

Sarcasm aside, BE very careful turning the screw into the camera, stop even if it is somewhat refusing to get in. Then try a new screw.

Also, remove all the dust and grease caught up on the screw, this damages the threads with use.

My recommendation is to get a Stainless steel screw if possible. They are also used on the commercial tripods.

The height of the screw should be long enough to go through all the component while not sticking an extra length of head below.

Step 4: Bore a Hole Into the 4 Way Junction.

Holy ****. What

Umm... Take a drill bit of the correct diameter as the screw and bore a hole exactly in the center of the 4 way Brass junction. That's what you call it, right? A four-way junction? Never Mind.

1) Use some liquid lubricant to facilitate the drilling.

2) Also don't be silly as I was, have some waste wood below the job piece, otherwise you end with a crater in your work table. Which is, well, not so pretty...

Step 5: Make the Camera Base Disk

Now, this is pretty much important.

you have a 400$ DSLR and you are making a DIY-pod. You don't want it to get some scars by the heavy-duty brass fittings, right?

Follow the steps:

1) Use a compass to mark out ✏ an [your brass junction diameter] mm Circle onto a piece of thin wood. MDF will do.

2) Drill a hole for the camera screw to pass and cut out the circle.

3) Sand it down smooth so that you are pretty much comfortable in placing your DSLR on the wood and it leaves no marks. MARKS ⚠ ?? ...

I used a 10mm thick pine wood and then did a laborious task to shave it down to 3 mm. All this hard work was to get the aesthetics right, I ❤️️ the look of Pine wood. Else, a five min time with MDF wood of the 3 mm thickness will do the job. ?

Step 6: Attach the Legs to the Junction

Add all the Coolant pipe, legs of "our-pod" to the brass junction.

The coolant pipes have two ends, one has threads and one has a coolant opening. The threads go into the junction while the opening mouths serve as aesthetic toes of the gorilla pod.

Oh yeah, things start to come alive!