Gitzo tripod maintenance

I've been using my Gitzo 1348 MkII tripod legs for many years now and I realized recently that they are in need

of refurbishment. They require way too much tightening to ensure they do not slip. I first noticed how bad they

were when I used a friends newer tripod (same model) -- it was a pleasure to use compared to mine.

 

So I ordered a set of Gitzo replacement bushings, took the tripod apart, degreased the screw thread on each leg

section using isopropyl alcohol, installed the new bushings (and also the plastic washer things), put a small

amount of silicon grease on each screw thread, and reassembled the tripod. I also cleaned the inside of each leg

with fresh alcohol as far up as I could reach, and degreased the slots where the bushings and the plastic washers

sit. The maintenance improved things somewhat, but it was still not as good as I had hoped.

 

I was wondering if anyone could advise me how to improve things further. I'm wondering whether I chose the wrong

degreaser -- perhaps there is something better than isopropyl alcohol. Or whether there is something I failed to

do when refurbishing it.

I doubt you did any harm but I've never had to use any degreaser other than a clean rag tightly pressed into the

threads and turned. I clean the inside and outside of the legs with a clean rag and warm water and let

everything dry thoroughly. I go thru this routine several times a year - at least whenever the legs have been

submerged in water for any but the briefest of times. I also use lithium grease on the threads but I that is

not a significant difference.

 

All that said, even when it is cleanest and smoothest, it can be temperamental if a lower collar is tightened

more than an upper one. If I do that then the upper will slip when I try to loosen the lower until I

over-tighten the upper so I can loosen the lower - sort of a dog chasing its tail scenario. This is my only real

complaint with the 1228.

 

I wonder if part of the difference between your and your friend's tripods is an improvement in the actual design

of the mechanism. I've never taken a new one apart to compare.

Isopropyl alcohol is not an effective solvent for grease. Use mineral spirits instead, which make an inexpensive, effective de-greaser. I use a shotgun cleaning rod for the inside of the tubes. Don't soak the bushings in any solvent - they will swell and possibly bind - wipe them with a cloth dampened in solvent or soapy water.

 

Never use any lubricant on the legs. It's tempting to use WD-40 of something similar as a universal solution to any sticking problem - just don't do it, it spreads like cancer.

Thank you, Edwin and Edward. I'll give it another try, using mineral spirits this time. The grease I used was, in fact lithium-based (but my fingers typed 'silicon' for some reason). And I'll be careful not to soak the bushings.

<p>

Here's a quick update in case someone finds this thread in the archives.

</p>

<p>

I disassembled the tripod again and cleaned the threads and the inside of the joints with mineral spirits. I did

this by pouring mineral spirits into a plastic container, dipping the ends of the tripod sections into the

mineral spirits, and then scrubbing them with a small plastic bottle brush. After cleaning with mineral spirits,

I cleaned them again using a strong solution of household detergent, then rinsed and left everything to dry.

</p>

<p>

When I reassembled the tripod, it was better, but still not great. So I tried cleaning the old, original bushings

that came with the tripod when it was new, which luckily I had kept (you will remember from further up the thread

that I was using a replacement set from Gitzo). This made an enormous difference. The tripod is now quite

literally as good as new. So, here are instructions for cleaning a Gitzo tripod.

</p>

<p>

You will need:

<ul>

<li/>One quart (about a litre) of mineral spirit.

<li/>Empty jars or old can for temporarily storing used mineral spirit.

<li/>Medium-sized plastic container. Must be small enough to provide enough depth of mineral spirit to immerse

the ends of the leg sections.

<li/>Bottle brush for cleaning up inside each leg section.

<li/>Household detergent (the type you'd use for washing dishes).

<li/>Bucket (for cleaning the leg sections in detergent).

<li/>Rags.

</ul>

</p>

<p>

You will NOT need a tripod refurbishing kit from Gitzo. Try to use the old bushings if at all possible. This

worked better for me than using new bushings.

</p>

<p>

Here is the procedure:

<ol>

<li/>Unscrew and remove the tightening ring from one of the bottom leg sections.

<li/>Remove the leg section and remove the two plastic washers, then the bushing.

<li/>Repeat for the other leg sections.

<li/>As you remove each leg section, label it so that you can later reassemble the tripod as it was before. In

theory this step might not matter. But my experience of reassembling worn mechanical objects is that it's better

to put things back as they were.

<li/>Pour one third of the mineral spirit into the plastic container.

<li/>For each leg section, immerse one end in the mineral spirit and clean the inside and outside of the tube

using the bottle brush. Repeat for the other end. When cleaning the end with the screw threads, make sure you

have removed all the old grease.

<li/>About halfway through the process of cleaning leg sections, pour the used mineral spirit into an empty jar

or can and refill your plastic container with mineral spirit. At this point, one third of the mineral spirit

remains in the can.

<li/>When you have finished cleaning leg sections, clean the ends of the three fixed sections at the top of the

tripod.

<li/>Put the tripod sections to one side... it's time to clean the bushings and washers.

<li/>Replenish the plastic container with the final third of the mineral spirit.

<li/>Dunk all the bushings and washers into the mineral spirit. This contradicts my advice to label everything

and reassemble in the original order. I actually only kept the leg sections (not bushings and washers) together

in their original sets out of respect for their metal screw threads. Bushings and washers got reassembled

randomly and things worked out fine.

<li/>Scrub them clean with the bottle brush. This step goes against Edward's advice (above) not to soak

the bushings. However, I took his advice to heart and worked on all the bushings first, so that they were out of

the mineral spirits and drying on a clean rag within 2-3 minutes. Only then did I start work on the black plastic

washers.

<li/>Use hot water to make a strong solution of detergent in the bucket.

<li/>Dunk the bushings and plastic washers in the detergent and clean them with the bottle brush, again working

on the bushings first. I used neat detergent on each bushing to be sure that it was really clean. And, again, I

did not leave the bushings in the water for more than 2-3 minutes.

<li/>As each bushing or washer is clean, rinse in clean water and then put aside to dry.

<li/>Using the bottle brush and water/detergent solution, clean the mineral spirit from the leg sections and the

ends of the top (fixed) sections of the tripod. Make sure that the inside of each joint is "squeaky" clean, so

that you can be sure that no grease remains.

<li/>Rinse leg sections and leave to dry. Here in the dry air or Arizona, overnight drying was enough.

<li/>Put the bushings and washers back on each leg. The screw ring has to go on the leg first, of course!

<li/>Dab a <b>small</b> amount of lithium grease on each screw thread and reassemble. It's better to put too

little on and then to have to unscrew the section to add more, rather than to put too much on to start with.

Screw and unscrew the section a few times before concluding that you need to add more grease.

<li/>Your tripod should now be restored to its former glory!

<li/>Pour all the used mineral spirit back into the can and dispose of it in an environmentally-friendly way.

</ol>

</p>

<p>

I had started to curse my tripod every time I used it because the leg sections required too much tightening in

order for them to grip. After this maintenance, the tripod is a joy to use once again. Finally, I compared my

tripod to my friend's identical, but newer model (that I mentioned further up the thread). Mine now performs

equally well.

</p>

 

<p>

I meant to add that there's a good photo of a disassembled Gitzo leg <b><a

href="http://www.naturescapes.net/082004/gd0804.htm">here</a></b>. That's also the site where I bought the

replacement bushings. As I mentioned above, reusing the old ones worked better for me, but for someone who truly

needs to repair or refurbish their Gitzo carbon fiber — or carbon fibre for those in Europe :) — tripod due to

wear, the replacement bushing kit that Naturescapes sells might be just the ticket (I have no connection with

Naturescapes, by the way).

</p>

<p>

If you refer to the Naturescapes photo, what I refer to here as 'plastic washers' is referred to there as

'plastic bushings'. And what I refer to as 'bushings' are called 'composite bushings'. Their terminology might

well be correct — mine was invented by me.

</p>

For those who are interested, there's another Gitzo tripod maintenance page <b><a href="http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/gitzo-maintenance.html")>here</a></b>. It covers not just Gitzo carbon fibre tripods, but also shows photos of the older-style, metal tripods.

<p>Here's a quick update for the archives. The repair was short-lived. For the past few months, I've been cursing my tripod again. Today, I took it apart and realized that the inside of each of the bushings was glassy-smooth. So I used 150 grade sandpaper (glass paper) to abrade the inside of each one. The tripod now works well again. I'll update this thread again in a few weeks to report whether this repair is more durable. Actually, I don't regret all the degreasing because it really helped. But my theory is that I should have done this too. We shall see...</p>

<p>Here's another update, in case this is of any use to anyone. Abrading the bushings (see previous post) also proved to be a short-lived solution. But last weekend, I accidentally found a way to prevent the legs from slipping.</p>

<p>I was photographing small waterfalls along a stream. One of the waterfalls had some beautifully coloured leaves in the background. I wanted to get close to the tiny waterfall to put it in the foreground, but that would involve wading in the stream. Worse still, it would involve getting the camera low, close to the water, and I would therefore need to almost completely submerge the tripod, keeping only the top (and the ballhead) above the water. Because my tripod is so annoying and because I am now so relaxed about disassembling it (as I knew I would need to do in order to properly dry it), I had no hesitation about submerging it in order to get the shot. Every leg section was completely submerged.</p>

<p>When I got home, I took the tripod apart and dried each component thoroughly. I left it disassembled for a full day so that everything could become properly dry. To my surprise, when I put it back together again, the leg sections now work beautifully. With only the minimum of tightening, the legs lock perfectly.</p>

<p>I will post again in a few weeks to report whether this is a long-term solution or not. Tune in again soon for the latest installment of the Gitzo tripod maintenance saga.</p>

 

<p>It has now been six months since my tripod legs got submerged in the stream. They are still much, much better than they were before they went swimming. However, I'm starting to see mild symptoms of the earlier problem: I have to tighten some of the legs a little more than I would like to in order to stop them from slipping. If it becomes bad enough to cause problems I'll immerse them in water again (legs only, of course, NOT the tripod head, in case anyone else plans on trying this).</p>

<p>Here's a quick follow-up a couple of years on. I no longer resort to dunking my tripod in water. Instead, approximately every three months, I wipe down the exposed parts of the tripod legs using isopropyl alcohol. There's no need to disassemble the tripod. It makes a big difference. My formerly frustrating Gitzo 1348 Mk2 is now completely reliable.<br>

<br />I realize that mineral spirits is a better solvent for grease (see Edward's point above) but isopropyl does the job and I find it more pleasant to work with. Perhaps the problem is not lithium grease from inside the tripod but greasy grime from everyday use.</p>