Skimmer Ground Pod "tripod" for Wildlife Photography

This is a Skimmer "monopod" "tripod" "pod" thingy to get really low to the ground wildlife photography. It can be 3D printed, per the instructions I posted on thingiverse. Take a look!
STL files:
www.thingivers...

[@clanelliott0305]

Great Video straight to the point. Fantastic idea and many thanks for including the files, i will get my son to print it for me. Thanks for the education

[@MichaelQPowell]

Great job. I really like the way you took us through the entire process. The final product is really cool-looking--I like the two-tone look.

[@tenminutetech]

Thanks for the comment! It was hard to squeeze it into just a 10-minute video but we got there. The swap in color was purely coincidental! I had to change the filament part of the way through when the white ran out, but you're right it does look cool. I might use that as a 3d printing technique in the future.

[@andrewbrummett3856]

Great idea, I too have looked at them in the past but couldn't justify the cost for the little bit that I do. I saved this design as I'm looking to get my first 3D printer. Thanks for the informative video!

[@tenminutetech]

Thank you for the comment! Same, I think they were about $100usd, which seemed a bit steep for what it is. I know other photographers who have used an old frying pan and drilled a hole for a bolt, so that's an option if you don't have a printer yet. I've also made them for a couple friends and the parts list is on thingiverse/makerworld if you want to have it made locally!

[@gordonburr9168]

What a brilliant idea and well executed

[@tenminutetech]

Thanks! I hope other photographers find this useful!

[@MarcMol]

Nicely done, Are you selling these?

[@tenminutetech]

Hi there. I have sold a couple on request and could ship one out to you. I don't have a formal store (those cost money!), but we can arrange something if you'd like. Shoot me an email, and you can find my email address in my bio. It's more secure for you to 'reveal' it there than to post it here in the comments. I'd be happy to make and ship one to you if you tell me what what size and color, and verify the gimbal head size you're using (most are 3/8"-16 but check to make sure)

[@Valentin_Valkov]

This is very cool. Thank you for sharing. Since it is tailored for bird photography, it might look even better if the colors are like camouflage.

[@tenminutetech]

That's a good idea, I made one in black but maybe something dark green would be better for grass. Thanks!

[@ricki-bobby]

Great project. If I were to print this on a Bambu X1C with ASA what would I need to change from the PLA settings?

[@tenminutetech]

Thanks for the comment! I am a fan of the bambu printers and have an X1C and P1P myself! This shouldn't have any issues printing with the default ASA profile that you would normally use. The STL is just a geometry, so you can adjust number of walls and infill to your preference. I like 50% infill but you can probably get away with a little less with ASA, gyroid seems to work well in most cases. My only suggestion is maybe print a few layers first and pause it to check that your bolt will fit in the hole. Sometimes printer dimensional accuracy can be slightly off, because different materials (even different brands) expand slightly differently. If it doesn't fit scale the whole thing by a small amount so the bolt fits. The head of the bolt should be tight so it doesn't fall out without the gimbal head installed.

[@glasshousekinesiology9337]

Thank you. Great video. Do you still have the plans for your first version????

[@tenminutetech]

Hello, sorry for the delay responding to your comment. I uploaded the STL files for the models I made on a website called thingiverse, and it's listed in the description of the video. Is that what you mean? there's both a large and small version listed there. Hope this finds you well and helps answer your question.

[@plinkyplanky9651]

Hi, thanks for the video. Do you find the PLA strong enough with this or should i use ABS? I'm using a 600mm f4 lens. Many thanks

[@tenminutetech]

I haven't had any issues one printed out of PLA, although I think it might get a little soft if you're in direct sunlight in a desert. I've also been using this mostly with my RF100-500 which is a bit lighter than your 600/f4. I would definitely consider using the larger skimmer if you can, with weight in mind, but outside of that I'd wager on PLA, ABS, PETG, all working equally well. Hope this answers your question!

[@plinkyplanky9651]

@@tenminutetech Perfect, i much appreciate the reply.....i'm new to 3D printing...expecting it to be delivered any day now. :)

[@tenminutetech]

@@plinkyplanky9651 Great! Enjoy the printing and feel free to comment with any suggestions you might have for other 3d printed photography gear

[@PabloJaSi]

Hi, thanks for the video.

[@ber5599]

That's Savage how did it work out in the field ?

[@tenminutetech]

Hey thanks for the comment! It works about as well as the original one that can be found online for about $100. So I'll take it. I had some thoughts of modifying it to float so you could wade into the water but haven't worked on that yet... let me know if that's something that's of interest!

[@Mark-ks9jj]

Great build - just bought a long telephoto & was looking at these, 3D printer time methinks.. as $109 US is way too much $$$ for some plastic..

[@tenminutetech]

I thought so too. Some folks have also used an old frying pan with a hole drilled in it for the bolt, as another inexpensive option. But I agree, it's a weirdly overpriced item for what it is.