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raider · 01-25-2016, 07:29 PM

Hello,

I think this is a long shot but I will ask the question anyway....is there any way to possibly mod a plastic hot shoe to a metal one? I have a Metz 20 C-2.

If you guys have done a mod on other flashes please share your info..

Thanks

vonBaloney · 01-25-2016, 07:45 PM

You're actually referring to the "foot" (on the flash) rather than the shoe on the camera body, right? On some flashes the foot assembly can be unscrewed and fairly easily replaced. But they are plastic and somewhat breakable on purpose -- so if you wrench the thing while attached to the body, the flash breaks rather than ripping the top of the camera off...

raider · 01-25-2016, 08:28 PM

Ahh yes. I was referring to the foot of the flash. My bad for the wrong terminology. I wanted to improve the contact point between the foot of the flash and the camera shoe on the body. And I reckon the plastic foot thingy is the one causing poor connection. It is just too flimpsy.

vonBaloney · 01-25-2016, 08:37 PM

Have you tried other flashes? Sometimes the hotshoe rails get pulled up (from a foot that should have broke!) or the little springy things under the rail which help hold it tight are not springy anymore. You might be able to make the foot an eensey bit thicker with some tape or a thin coat of glue or something, but I'd make sure it is really at fault first. (Or maybe the contacts just need some cleaning or de-oxidizing.)

raider · 01-25-2016, 08:49 PM

Yes. I have tried my AF360 and Metz flashes on the hot shoe. they are both tight and secured. it is the Metz 20 C-2 that has the issue. It is a fairly inexpensive flash and yes I could replace it with another flash but compact flashes these days are AAA powered. I would prefer these to be AA powered...would really like to see if I can mod the shoe on the Metz...I just don't know how and where to start....looking for inspirations.

**UncleVanya** · 01-25-2016, 09:41 PM

The idea hot shoe would have a metal foot and a break away method of attaching that foot to the flash with a tether to keep it from falling too far and to keep them together.

Not a Number · 01-25-2016, 09:46 PM

You can perhaps find a third party replacement metal foot. I know you can find them for the Vivitar 283/285.

**Quartermaster James** · 01-25-2016, 10:13 PM

Or, possibly, affix a shim?

raider · 01-25-2016, 10:25 PM

This is how the flash is attached to the camera.

The connection seems okay from the picture but somehow the flash will tend to wiggle from side to side and in the process, it will disconnect from the camera from time to time..

The shim method seems interesting...how may I get on with this method?

**Quartermaster James** · 01-26-2016, 07:25 AM

Is there no locking mechanism?

awaldram · 01-26-2016, 08:01 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Quartermaster James

Is there no locking mechanism?

I'd guess the switch with 'LOCK' written above could conceivably be the lock switch !

bigdavephoto · 01-26-2016, 09:01 AM - **1 Like**

Now don't laugh at this suggestion but take your camera and flash into a hobby shop that deals in plastic models, trains and rc cars and airplanes. Explain and show them what is going on and what you would like to do as in make a shim so the flash sits tighter. I will just about bet they will have plastic and epoxy that will do what you need to do plus the knowledge to show you how to do what you want to do.

If it is not much of a wiggle, you might be able to get by with just a hard epoxy like JB Weld.

vonBaloney · 01-26-2016, 09:16 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by bigdavephoto

Now don't laugh at this suggestion but take your camera and flash into a hobby shop that deals in plastic models, trains and rc cars and airplanes. Explain and show them what is going on and what you would like to do as in make a shim so the flash sits tighter. I will just about bet they will have plastic and epoxy that will do what you need to do plus the knowledge to show you how to do what you want to do.

If it is not much of a wiggle, you might be able to get by with just a hard epoxy like JB Weld.

I would just try a bit of scotch tape on it first. Some sort of epoxy would probably work, but you'd have to get it just right and my fear would be that since you have to slide the foot in and out of the shoe that you'd end up with little shavings of the glue being scraped off and getting into places...

**Quartermaster James** · 01-26-2016, 10:04 AM

I thought that was for the battery compartment cover. If that activates a locking mechanism, how does it work? Clearly it's not a threaded clamp as used to be common. Nor does it look to be cam actuated, but I can't really tell.

Anyway, the idea of a shim is just to tighten up the tolerance, take up the slack. You might try a horseshoe shape piece of thin plastic between whatever lock mechanism there is and whatever it mounts against, as proof of concept before attempting any more permanent solutions.

Originally posted by awaldram

I'd guess the switch with 'LOCK' written above could conceivably be the lock switch !

---------- Post added Jan 26th, 2016 at 08:06 AM ----------

Also, if that slide is for the locking mechanism, it does not look fully engaged.

**UncleVanya** · 01-26-2016, 10:07 AM - **1 Like**

Epoxy doesn't stick to plastic well at all. At best it is typically a friction fit. The way to "glue" to plastic is with a plastic welder like Tenax 7R. A simple shim of some material like plastic, toothpicks, etc. may help. I'd have to see it in person to know or at least see a video of how it behaves.

01-25-2016, 07:29 PM	#1
raider Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,989	Any possible way to modify a plastic hotshoe to metal? Hello, I think this is a long shot but I will ask the question anyway....is there any way to possibly mod a plastic hot shoe to a metal one? I have a Metz 20 C-2. If you guys have done a mod on other flashes please share your info.. Thanks

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01-25-2016, 07:45 PM	#2
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	You're actually referring to the "foot" (on the flash) rather than the shoe on the camera body, right? On some flashes the foot assembly can be unscrewed and fairly easily replaced. But they are plastic and somewhat breakable on purpose -- so if you wrench the thing while attached to the body, the flash breaks rather than ripping the top of the camera off...

01-25-2016, 08:28 PM	#3
raider Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,989 Original Poster	Ahh yes. I was referring to the foot of the flash. My bad for the wrong terminology. I wanted to improve the contact point between the foot of the flash and the camera shoe on the body. And I reckon the plastic foot thingy is the one causing poor connection. It is just too flimpsy.

01-25-2016, 08:37 PM	#4
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Have you tried other flashes? Sometimes the hotshoe rails get pulled up (from a foot that should have broke!) or the little springy things under the rail which help hold it tight are not springy anymore. You might be able to make the foot an eensey bit thicker with some tape or a thin coat of glue or something, but I'd make sure it is really at fault first. (Or maybe the contacts just need some cleaning or de-oxidizing.)

01-25-2016, 08:49 PM	#5
raider Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,989 Original Poster	Yes. I have tried my AF360 and Metz flashes on the hot shoe. they are both tight and secured. it is the Metz 20 C-2 that has the issue. It is a fairly inexpensive flash and yes I could replace it with another flash but compact flashes these days are AAA powered. I would prefer these to be AA powered...would really like to see if I can mod the shoe on the Metz...I just don't know how and where to start....looking for inspirations.

01-25-2016, 09:41 PM	#6
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,468	The idea hot shoe would have a metal foot and a break away method of attaching that foot to the flash with a tether to keep it from falling too far and to keep them together.

01-25-2016, 09:46 PM	#7
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	You can perhaps find a third party replacement metal foot. I know you can find them for the Vivitar 283/285.

01-25-2016, 10:13 PM	#8
Quartermaster James Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 653	Or, possibly, affix a shim?

01-25-2016, 10:25 PM	#9
raider Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,989 Original Poster	This is how the flash is attached to the camera. The connection seems okay from the picture but somehow the flash will tend to wiggle from side to side and in the process, it will disconnect from the camera from time to time.. The shim method seems interesting...how may I get on with this method?

01-26-2016, 07:25 AM	#10
Quartermaster James Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 653	Is there no locking mechanism?

01-26-2016, 08:01 AM - 1 Like	#11
awaldram Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 732	Originally posted by Quartermaster James Is there no locking mechanism? I'd guess the switch with 'LOCK' written above could conceivably be the lock switch !

01-26-2016, 09:01 AM - 1 Like	#12
bigdavephoto Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: East central Indiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 893	Now don't laugh at this suggestion but take your camera and flash into a hobby shop that deals in plastic models, trains and rc cars and airplanes. Explain and show them what is going on and what you would like to do as in make a shim so the flash sits tighter. I will just about bet they will have plastic and epoxy that will do what you need to do plus the knowledge to show you how to do what you want to do. If it is not much of a wiggle, you might be able to get by with just a hard epoxy like JB Weld.

01-26-2016, 09:16 AM - 1 Like	#13
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by bigdavephoto Now don't laugh at this suggestion but take your camera and flash into a hobby shop that deals in plastic models, trains and rc cars and airplanes. Explain and show them what is going on and what you would like to do as in make a shim so the flash sits tighter. I will just about bet they will have plastic and epoxy that will do what you need to do plus the knowledge to show you how to do what you want to do. If it is not much of a wiggle, you might be able to get by with just a hard epoxy like JB Weld. I would just try a bit of scotch tape on it first. Some sort of epoxy would probably work, but you'd have to get it just right and my fear would be that since you have to slide the foot in and out of the shoe that you'd end up with little shavings of the glue being scraped off and getting into places...

01-26-2016, 10:04 AM	#14
Quartermaster James Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 653	I thought that was for the battery compartment cover. If that activates a locking mechanism, how does it work? Clearly it's not a threaded clamp as used to be common. Nor does it look to be cam actuated, but I can't really tell. Anyway, the idea of a shim is just to tighten up the tolerance, take up the slack. You might try a horseshoe shape piece of thin plastic between whatever lock mechanism there is and whatever it mounts against, as proof of concept before attempting any more permanent solutions. Originally posted by awaldram I'd guess the switch with 'LOCK' written above could conceivably be the lock switch ! ---------- Post added Jan 26th, 2016 at 08:06 AM ---------- Also, if that slide is for the locking mechanism, it does not look fully engaged.

01-26-2016, 10:07 AM - 1 Like	#15
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,468	Epoxy doesn't stick to plastic well at all. At best it is typically a friction fit. The way to "glue" to plastic is with a plastic welder like Tenax 7R. A simple shim of some material like plastic, toothpicks, etc. may help. I'd have to see it in person to know or at least see a video of how it behaves.

Any possible way to modify a plastic hotshoe to metal?

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