Introducing the PopSci 5-Minute Project Videos: Bottle Cap Tripod

Hello and welcome to our new recurring video feature--the PopSci 5-Minute Project. In every issue of the magazine, we highlight a quick and easy project that anyone could tackle in the time it takes to, well, read this blog post. We'll be expanding our favorites here into handy instructional video form here on the How 2.0 blog, showing you first-hand how to build some seriously useful stuff—and it's so easy, even the clumsiest of the clumsy can succeed. To prove that point, the PopSci 5 team is made up of editors from all walks of the DIY circle—from How 2.0 editor Mike Haney (who definitely knows his way around a soldering iron) all the way down the spectrum to folks rating fairly low on the handiness spectrum (like yours truly). If we can do it, so can you! And you don't even need a custom PopSci jumpsuit (although it definitely helps). Yes, we wear them around the office all the time.

First up is PopSci's deputy editor Jake Ward and the bottle cap tripod. When we first spotted this over on Jake Ludington's MediaBlab blog, we were hooked—such an easy and inexpensive way to utilize the often-overlooked tripod mount on the bottom of your digital point-and-shoot to take beautiful, rock-solid shots in low light (thanks Jake!). So check out our video how-to above, and stay tuned right here for more 5-Minute Project videos rolling out in the coming days. —John Mahoney

Comments

[will]

I love the new 5 minute project section! It was great! Keep them coming!

[jim bob]

most excellent, let see many more.

[Paul]

You MUST specify a "1/4x20 bolt" (1/4 inch basic diameter, 20 threads per inch). Virtually any dealer who has 1/4 inch bolts has BOTH 1/4x20 and 1/4x28. Using a 1/4x28 will damage or destroy the camera's tripod socket threads.

Works much better if the flat side of the wing nut (not the wings) faces the washer on the bottom of the camera. An alternative to the bottle that does not require a bolt is to fill a zip-lock sandwich bag with sand, slip it inside a sock and nestle the camera into the sand. Much more stable, and the camera's aim can be easily adjusted.

[John]

Fantastic videos, if you did one per How 2.0 article you could add the link to the video to the print article.

I built the LED candle project that was in a previous print article and found it very enjoyable, may I suggest that project as the next video. :)

Keep up the great work!

John K.

[John]

Fantastic videos, if you did one per How 2.0 article you could add the link to the video to the print article.

I built the LED candle project that was in a previous print article and found it very enjoyable, may I suggest that project as the next video. :)

Keep up the great work!

John K.

[John]

Fantastic videos, if you did one per How 2.0 article you could add the link to the video to the print article.

I built the LED candle project that was in a previous print article and found it very enjoyable, may I suggest that project as the next video. :)

Keep up the great work!

John K.

[Alan]

Great videos, in print the how 2.0 section is one of my favorite. :)

[Dennis Reiley]

Nice try but I'd rather keep my small light duty tripod in my glovebox, it's only slightly larger than your assembled bottlecap and a lot more stable.

[Carol]

Sorry, dumb question: What is that hand tool that Jake uses to make the hole in the bottle cap? It looks like the same tool that Mike uses to make the hole in the coffee can for the cell-phone antenna, but I have no idea what it's called. Thanks.
PS--I love these 5-minute project videos which demo techniques I always wanted to know, like how to make holes in plastic and thin metal. Keep 'em coming!

[Vic Compton]

I've enjoyed PopSci for many years now. As an individual who is old enough to remember Heath Kits and other projects that I built in Jr. High and High School. I find your 5minute projects extremely lame and uninteresting. Well below the educational abilities of your Mag. Lets see more interesting and educational projects.

Refrig magnet from an old hard drive? Give me a break. This is not educational or interesting it qualifies as "dumbing down". This is not what most of us have come to expect from PopSci.

Thanks for listening.

[Vic Compton]

I've enjoyed PopSci for many years now. As an individual who is old enough to remember Heath Kits and other projects that I built in Jr. High and High School. I find your 5minute projects extremely lame and uninteresting. Well below the educational abilities of your Mag. Lets see more interesting and educational projects.

Refrig magnet from an old hard drive? Give me a break. This is not educational or interesting it qualifies as "dumbing down". This is not what most of us have come to expect from PopSci.

Thanks for listening.

[mike mehary]

another easy tripod is a lamp. most old lamps that have lamp shades on them have a screw at the top (for keeping the shade on - or removing it) which fits into the tri-pod screw hole on the camera. simply remove the wing nut or whatever else holds the shade on and screw the camera on and - voila' - instant tri-pod.