iPhone 4 Tripod Mount

Over the weekend I stumbled upon this awesome Instructable by jtsubota "iPhone 4 Tripod Mount".
http://www.instructables.com/id/iPhone-4-Tripod-Mount-1/

The parts list was short and I decided to try to pick up all the required parts after work Monday night. Unfortunately for me, my local hardware store was missing a handful of the (already short) parts list. I almost gave up and was prepared to head home empty handed when I realized I could easily modify the project using my Makerbot and make this work with what I was able to find.

Here is the parts list:
1/4 inch hex nuts
30mm suction cups

Rather than secure all the parts in place using screws like jtsubota did I modeled everything to press fit in place. The nut fits in very snuggly and the suction cups snap into place with a firm push. Once everything is attached it feels really solid. So much so that I can shake my phone by the tripod mount without fear of it disconnecting.

If my calculations are correct, I believe the cost of this project breaks down like this:

1x 1/4" nut $0.40
2x 30mm suction cups $0.59 each
~$0.50 woth of Makerbot plastic.
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Right around $2 for a really solid tripod mount ready to be printed on demand. Not bad at all!

If you'd like to see more pictures of the project I've included a few more in my blog post here:
http://www.thenewhobbyist.com/2011/09/printable-iphone-4-tripod-mount/

Instructions

1. Print tripod mount
2. Press 1/4" nut and 30mm suction cups in place
3. Attach to tripod shoe
4. Record awesome Makerbot videos!

Category: Camera