Taller Cell Phone Spring Loaded Tripod Mount, ninjaflex grippers and better threads for mount by Biffington716

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

I printed the cell phone spring loaded tripod mount, and found my phone is larger and thicker (extra capacity battery) than what it could hold. On top of that, my tripod has rather short threads, so I couldn't use the embedded 1/4" nut. So, I visited my local hardware store to look for options. I selected a little longer spring and a 1/4" thread insert (for wood). (spring is the same 3/8" OD, length is more like 2 3/4") Keep the spring under 2 3/4" so the spring keeps the whole assembly tight.
The grippers must be printed in Ninjaflex, otherwise the retention bulbs will not flex for installation. I printed in PLA, if you print in other materials you may need to scale the files to account for shrinkage different than PLA. The retention bulbs are necessarily hard to insert so they stay in place, so if your material shrinks a lot they could be impossible to insert.
The mount is re-designed to take the threaded insert after printing so I wouldn't need to interrupt printing and it brings the threads to the edge of the part so my tripod would work. You need to print 2 grippers in ninjaflex, and of course 2 spring pins. (read DarthBane's instructions too, this one goes together pretty much the same way)
After printing the bottom mount, install the thread insert with the slot going in first so it cuts into plastic as it goes in. You will need an insertion tool, so fully thread the insert onto a 1/4" bolt and use that to turn the insert into the plastic. This process takes a lot of force, don't try to do it by hand. Turn it down until the threaded insert is flush with the bottom of the mount and remove the installation tool (the 1/4" bolt). Installing the spring is tricky because it is under tension once installed. Thread a loop of string, as pictured, through the insert and over the spring hook. Pull the string, aligning the assembly as the parts come together, until the spring hook is in position and insert the spring pin.
The grippers are installed with a blunt pin. (a 1.5 mm ball end hex key works well) Push the pin into the hole on the face of the gripper (opposite the retention bulb). Align the bulb with the retention hole on the mount and push the bulb into the hole using the blunt pin. The pin elongates the bulb allowing it to be forced through the retention hole. Once the gripper is fully seated, remove the blunt pin and the gripper will stay where it is.