Restoring Wooden Tripod Legs

i restored a set. somewhat old; had the 5/8 11tps, but also had a sliding plate on top that i have never seen before.

anyway, i took it apart and stripped the many colors of paint. the underlying wood was beautiful, so i changed gears and used a stain and Tung oil topcoat, Watco brand, i think. will send photos down the line. they are not here

Whatever you are most experienced using.

I would brush on Awlgrip. It's what I put on my boat. Spraying is even better if you have the rig and the knowledge.

I haven't seen much that was successful by DIY's. Unless you have a real unique or special tripod I would just replace it when the time came, they will last a long time if you probably care for them, two Leica tripods are original 1995 issue in my truck and one dates from 2001, only because I had to replace a stolen tripod, all are still in pretty good shape.

At a former place of employment we tried to fix some old tripods by tearing down, sanding and painting with a marine grade epoxy paint, didn't really work that good, they tended to stick after that, my opinion is that you would need to spray with the OEM paint AFTER a good surface prep, for the effort it isn't cost effective when a tripod probably costs less than $20/year over the life of the tripod.

SHG

I would sand the legs down to bare wood and just use some rub on polyurethane and 3 coats.

I have several that I repaint every 2 or 3 years. They do stick afterwords for a month or so, not much of a problem. Those tripods are not high quality but are a good design
that work well under my Locus receivers, they are not used under the total station. I use a high gloss oil enamel on them. Have 3 composition tripods that are used under the gun but also get used under my 6 receivers. 5 tripods with 2 Bi-pods in the rig is standard. Painting the wood keeps them easy to see, being now painted a bright yellow, they used to be a soft, flat and off color of blue.
jud

> If one were to properly restore a set of tripod legs, what kind of paint would one use? Would one brush or spray it on? What are your thoughts?

What type of Wood Tripod legs?

Current usable?

Old for display?

krylon, desert tan. Not exactly restored but way more inconspicuous.

Next set I will dis-assemble first rather than mask the top surface and blast away. Looking for as close a match to Leica green as I can kind for the next set.

Any idea what kind of wood is under the paint on some 2005 era Leica tripods?

From Leica web site's tripod information

"The stability of the original Leica Geosystems tripods are manufactured solely from wood or aluminium. Wood, especially the beech and pine used by Leica Geosystems, offers the best stability values, measured on vertical movement and horizontal drift over time. Wood also exhibits optimal vibration characteristics and therefore delivers substantial benefits, especially in the use of motorised TPS. The surfaces of the wooden tripods are sealed several times to prevent moisture absorption and to maximum longevity."

Wood used for tripods made or partially made in the U.S. can be hard or soft maple, oak has been tried.

Ramin or ramen wood has also been used. No it's not the noodles.

Wikipedia reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonystylus

Tripod finishes can be a two part catalytic varnish.

Standard Leica/Wild tripods.

Ask This Old House! did a segment on restoring old stuff which might be helpful.

They used various types of spray paint.

OK it was sort of a thinly veiled Krylon advertisement but still pretty cool.

FYI, if the legs stick after painting drub down the contact surfaces with Sex Wax, can be found at any surf shop or ordered online. I originally was taught to use Ivory soap, but it tends to rinse off in the rain. Sex Wax is specifically designed for use in water and also somewhat waterproofs.

Uh Oh, you're going to be in trouble for that one!

Seriously though, I googled it and there are different types of "Sex Wax". Surfers use what I guess would be sort of tacky or non-skid for better grip on the top of their boards. Snow boarders use a different type on the bottom for slickness. I wouldn't get the tacky type for tripods.

The names of the different waxes are "interesting".

> I would sand the legs down to bare wood ...
I would not ever do that unless I was making them into a lampstand. And not even then, but for different reasons.

I would not try to repaint them either. Possibly a light coat of krylon (after a scuffing with 320 grit sandpaper, but only a scuffing)if I really felt a need. Probably I would rub them with some Linseed oil (I like that used but not abused look) and be done.

Followed by a regular application of paste wax or turtle wax. Turtle Wax (automotive) will have water resistance and be easier to come by than surfboard wax.

If I were doing it for usability/durability I would use a heavy acrylic base but for other, Look or antique, I would leave it as is. More value an a better story. I have two old sets, The one is till original laquer, the other is exposed wood but they are both for display but I would not hesitate to take either to the field for use. They both support nice instruments, a 19__ (something)Gurley and a 1911 K&E.