If you find yourself iteratively leveling and aligning to get your tribrach setup over a point, the top of your tripod is probably no longer flat.?ÿ Use an auto body file to shave it flat, the large circular cutting grooves shave aluminum from the tripod head without clogging, check the result using a straight edge & 0.002" feeler gauge.?ÿ Next time your out in field, level your tribrach, move it over your point, check your level, it will still be level and won't require further adjustment.
You could do that, or you could shoot the lock off your wallet and buy a new tripod once in 20 years.
I can see doing this to repair a ding in the head of a newish tripod, but by the time one is old enough to have worn a dish into it probably a lot of other parts are past their prime also.?ÿ
One more thing to worry about.?ÿ Geez!?ÿ I'm so stressed out now I can hardly function.
Or just look after your gear in the first place.
And of course that is hard with greenhorn crews, but someone has to train them right.
Warped heads on tripod usually come from the white knuckling of tightening the tribrach down to hard. I had to get channel locks to get a tribrach off once from a rookie who over tightened the darn thing. Brand new tripod paid for by yours truly the tax payers. The head never was right after that. I ended up buying a new head. He stood extra duty I promise. He also since he couldn??t get tribrach off left it on for the rest of the day so it was being slung around in the humvee all day. ?ÿ I wish I would have known your trick for sure.?ÿ
I just beat em back flat with a hammer.
?ÿ
@olemanriver They've definitely had some rough treatment, these were hire tripods from a dealer, the legs and heads were also loose, we had to tighten them up too.?ÿ I always like to return things better than I find them.?ÿ The tripods weren't that old, the first thing that goes missing is the protective cover on the head.?ÿ?ÿ With the tripods sorted, the job went well.
We had 11 tripods in total on the job. ?ÿ Could have purchased them, but then they'd just sit around not being used, so decided to hire on this occasion.
these were hire tripods from a dealer, the legs and heads were also loose, we had to tighten them up too.?ÿ
so... don't ever rent from that dealer again.