Make a Useful Rotating Mount for Any Camera

Hi everyone!

In this quick instructable I'll show you how to make a cool Rotating Mount for any camera. It's a very quick project and it's cheap too.

Basically we will hack a kitchen timer reducing its shrill sound and inserting a 1/4" nut in the bottom so we will be able to mount it on a tripod.

The most "expensive" needed material is the kitchen timer which is easy to find in dollar stores for a couple of bucks. Personally I bought mine from IKEA for 6$ because I liked how it looks, but obviously If you already have a rotating kitchen timer that you never use, you can custom that one.

MATERIALS:

- rotating kitchen timer (6 $)

- tripod mount adapter (1,4 $)

- 1/4" screw and nut (2 $)

If you don't have a GoPro:

- Universal 1/4" Mini Tripod Mount Adapter (1,8 $)

TOOLS:

- center punch

- hammer

- 1/4" drill bit

- drill

- small round file

- epoxy glue

Since its sound is too shrill for my ears I decided to reduce it a little.

In order to get inside the timer's mechanism, you have to remove the top metal cover simply by lifting it up

Then you can easily found the "ring metal plate" by tilting the mechanism. When you find it, use a marking pen to make a little mark where that little metal piece touches the metal external side of the mechanism. (picture #3)

Finally attach a small adhesive felt pad over the mark and you have done.

With this little hack you will be able to notice when your time-lapse will be finished, but the sound will be less shrill and annoying.

In order to remove the bottom metal cover you have to rotate the kitchen timer upside down.

Use a small screwdriver to unscrew the 3 little screws that are hidden under the black adhesive circle and then lift up the bottom cover.

Now you can hammer a center punch to mark its center. Before doing this, be sure to put it over something like a piece of wood or you could bend it inward.

At the end, once you drilled the hole, sand the edges of the holes with sand paper or a round file.

The bottom of the black timer mechanism already has a hole, but we need to make a hexagonal hole for the 1/4" nut.

I didn't want to wait buying it online, so I broke the plastic of a round nut (the one that is sold with the 1/4" screw) obtaining the metal nut inside.

In order to make the hexagonal hole I screwed the nut onto the 1/4" screw, and I heated it up with a butane lighter. Since the screw is very hot, pay attention and use a pair of pliers to manage it and to press in the pre-existing hole creating a perfect hexagon burning the plastic with the hot nut.

Then you can use a small amount of epoxy glue to set the nut in place.

Finally put and tighten the 3 little screws to keep the bottom metal case in place.

If your holes are perfectly centered, they should coincide like mine in photo #2.

In order to make it universal (for point and shoot cameras, action cameras, compact ones ecc) you will need two things: a Tripod mount adapter, and if you don't own a GoPro, you will also need a Universal 1/4" tripod mount adapter for cameras.

Remove the label from the adhesive "tripod mount adapter", and be sure to press it well in the center of the top metal cover of the kitchen timer. If you do not have a GoPro, insert the "universal 1/4" tripod mount adapter for cameras" and set in it place tightening its screw.

As last thing screw your customized kitchen timer onto a tripod, and screw your camera in its mount.

Since it's a kitchen timer it goes from 0 to 60 mins.

0min - 15min means 90° of rotation

0min - 30min means 180° of rotation

0min - 45min means 270° of rotation

0min - 60min means 360° of rotation

The cool thing is that since its mounted to a tripod, if you attach the tripod to a vertical tube, you will be able to shoot videos and time-lapses shooting from down to up (or from up to down).

As I promised, in less that 10 minutes we have finished it!
With this cool mount you will be able to make awesome shots like rotating videos at parties or amazing rotating time-lapses.

I hope that you liked this quick, cheap and very easy project!

Thank you for watching and reading my Instructable. ;)
Feel free to comment and ask if you need to know something!

manuelmasc