You ever get a new tool or piece of gear and think, “This thing is almost perfect, but it’s just missing that one little thing?” That’s exactly how I felt about this camera. It’s small, the footage looks amazing, and it has a built-in gimbal. However, it was missing one key feature that I needed. Luckily, I love solving problems. And making stuff.
The camera is the DJI Osmo 3 Pocket (not sponsored) and it’s incredibly powerful for its size. The gimbal is fantastic for stabilizing shots, and it even has a selfie mode, which is great for vlogging. And it’s SUPER tiny. It has a USB-C port at the bottom for attaching accessories, like a battery pack, which also has a quarter 20 bolt for mounting on various gear. The included tripod is handy, but it still leaves much to be desired for more versatile use.
What I really wanted was a way to attach this camera quickly to a tripod and have it be easily detachable so I can use it more often when filming the Karmann Ghia. I currently use a simple connector system for all my cameras and tripods that allows for quick swaps and secure mounting. I needed something similar for this camera, but I also wanted it to be able to attach to other surfaces, especially metallic ones, while maintaining its small size and flexibility. I didn’t want something expensive, and I didn’t want to just use duct tape (this time).
To start solving the problem, I needed to design a custom mount. I decided to create a basic cylinder that could securely hold the camera and attach to my existing tripod system. The plan was to 3D print this cylinder, ensuring it had a snug fit and a way to integrate a threaded insert. Since I hadn’t used heat inserts before, I took measurements from an Amazon listing and built the model in Autodesk Fusion (which we have an online course for) using known parameters that could be dynamically adjusted in case the inserts were slightly different when they arrived.
When the simple cylinder was printed, it fit great. I wasn’t sure about the size of the quarter-twenty threaded inserts that I got for the mount, so I made a tester with different hole sizes to find the best fit. Once the right size was determined, I melted the insert into the hole with a soldering iron. This solution effectively solved the tripod attachment issue, but I still needed a way to attach the camera to metallic surfaces for more dynamic shooting angles.
To tackle the second problem, I needed a material that was flexible and could hold magnets. TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) seemed perfect for the job. I designed a mount with flexible TPU to embed the magnets, and then used the slicing software to create a pause in the printing process to insert the magnets. This way, the printer would cover the magnets with a final layer of plastic, securing them in place. I also created a dovetail joint to connect the flexible part to the rigid cylinder mount.
The flexible TPU with embedded magnets worked REALLY well, though there were some minor issues like lifting on the ends. The dovetail joint allowed the camera mount to easily attach to either the tripod or any metallic surface. Testing the setup on various surfaces, it was clear the concept worked, but there were improvements to be made. The camera mount was a bit too loose, and the flexible joint needed more rigidity to prevent excessive movement.
I headed out to the farm to test the mount on my Karman Ghia. The camera was able to capture some interesting angles, but the flexibility of the TPU caused the camera to bounce around too much during certain activities. To fix this, I needed to adjust the interior diameter for a tighter fit and thicken the flexible joint for more stability (*parameters are pretty awesome* by the way). Using the weight of the battery pack as a counterbalance could also help with that, eventually.
The new mount made the camera much more versatile, allowing it to be used in places where my larger cameras couldn’t go. I was pretty happy with the results, but there’s always room for improvement. If you have any suggestions or thoughts on this project, leave them in the comments. Thanks for following along, and stay tuned for more projects! Now go make awesome stuff!