Camera (tripod) screw 1/4"-20 UNC

Classic style tripod screw, STL and STEP
291
3932
20
11 k
updated August 2, 2023

Description

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This is a standard camera screw, as included with most tripods. The knurled headplate is a real stress test for FDM printers. ;) 
Due to the tiny dimensions, I recommend printing it using the highest resolution/lowest layer height your printer is capable of. The part in the photo was printed at 0.08 mm using a 0.4 mm nozzle. And no, you don't need any support to print this.
And, by the way: No, when it comes to printing screw threads, a finer nozzle is not beneficial at all - the best layer adhesion in this case is achieved with a 0.6 mm nozzle while a 0.4 mm nozzle provides the best compromise of thread quality and knurling detail. Using a 0.3 mm or finer nozzle produces a weaker thread and should be avoided.

Warning: A plastic screw can not replace a metal screw, not even a s an emergency substitute. Use this part only
a) for lightweight cameras (i.e. drone cams, action cams)
b) for applications in which the screw is the predetermined breaking point (like mounting a camera to drones, RC car or airplane models) or
c) for applications in which the camera is not moved anymore after mounting (like a webcam or printer cam).
If you don't necessarily need the flat head and threaded plate compatibility, have a look at the camera screws I included with my Runcam 2 mounting kit. These have the very same thread, but the non-threaded part is thicker, so they are somewhat sturdier.

If you want to use the screw for your own CAD construction work, use one of the STEP files added. Please note that there are two different files: “Camera screw 1_4 original UNC” features the original thread dimensions as defined for UNC ¼-20 while “Camera screw 1_4 3D printing” has a slight thread surface offset to compensate 3D printing effects (just like the STL).

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