"Monkey Arm" Redux

This, of course, is the re-posting of a project I had on munkeyfilm.com over a year ago.

I hate carrying around a tripod. It’s a little too cumbersome when it comes to wandering around aimlessly with my camera. I wanted something versatile and cheap. So, I made the monkey arm. Stability on the go!

The monkey arm functions in two ways.

1. Clamp it on something.
2. Coil the end and set it on a table or sedentary object.

The most important component of the project is loc-line. I first saw Loc-line in my fathers salt water aquarium years ago. It’s a rigid, modular hose system comprised of interlocking links. Perfect for circulating water in an aquarium. Lucky us! It’s also perfect for projects that require an adjustable, semi rigid “arm” or “neck”. Wanna make your own? You’ll need the following:

• loc line (your best bet is aquarium shops)
• clamp
• epoxy
• 1/4 20 bolts and nuts. Something between 1 1/2″ to 2″ long.

Assembly is not all that difficult. You can figure it out from the pictures. One important detail is to make sure you reinforce the connections between the loc line and the clamp, and the loc line and the head (where the camera mounts). The most efficient way to do this is to stuff both ends of your length of Loc line with two part epoxy and sink a quarter twenty bolt in it so the bolt juts outward.

p.s. The piece that the camera sits on is something I cast in plastic. A vitamin bottle lid with that 1/4 20 bolt sticking through should work fine.