I needed a ground-pod to push around the sand to get eye-to-eye with sanderlings and other shorebirds. When I looked for one, I found out they wanted $100 - and it's plastic! Well, what did I expect? It's camera gear; the price is not going to make sense.
So here is my solution - a 10-in dia frying pan, a 2-in dia PVC slip plug. and a 2" - 3/8-16 flathead bolt. The frying pan came from Big Lots for $8. The plug from Lowes for less than $2. You may even have the bolt in your shop.
I cut most of the handle off of the frying pan. My pan had an opening at the handle's base to make a perfect loop to use with a snaphook for hanging off my gear bag. Then I found the center of the pan and drilled a 3/8 hole and countersunk it.
The PVC plug is used as a pedestal to raise my gimbal above the edge of the pan. I cut about a 1/4" off of mine. I might not have if I had a longer flathead bolt. But I find the height is good. Then I drilled a 5/16" hole in the plug and tapped it for the 3/8-16 bolt.
Slide the bolt through the bottom of the pan and attach it with a washer and nut. Then screw the plug on the bolt and you're done! The paint is extra. I probably would not have painted it except the PVC plug was white.
My only problem now is trying to figure out how an old man is going to get up off his belly once he gets down in the sand. That will truly be the difficult part.
(edited to replace photos)
Last edited by AggieDad; 02-24-2016 at 05:40 PM.