This about as cheap as you can possibly get for a pretty decent telescoping GoPro/Selfie Stick. I wanted a stick to use with my GoPro for wheeling and filming at national parks, etc. I looked at multiple DIY tutorials online about making these out of PVC, handles from household cleaning things, etc. This one only requires three parts, a monopod and a 1/4x20 nut and bolt.
When I saw this monopod at the store yesterday it looked like it could be used for this purpose. It even comes with a GoPro mount and a cell phone mount. Note, the cell phone mount will not hold a very large phone, including an iPhone "plus".
What you are making
A 21-67 inch telescoping stick that you can mount your GoPro, cell phone or similar small device with a 1/4x20 socket.
What you need.
A Targus monopod TG-TPM67-101 or similar Targus monopod
One 1/4 x 20 - 1" bolt
One 1/4 x 20 nut
A sander, file or some other metal eating tool.
A couple wrenches
A dowl or or think stick
This is the monopod I bought. It was marked $14.99 at Meijer, but rang up at $8.99. From looking online it looks like other Targus monopods will work such as this one (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Targus-Red-TG-MP6710-67-Camera-Camcorder-Monopod/10370963).
The monopod has a rubber foot that you can turn down to reveal a spike. We won't be using this, sop the first step is to pull that out of the bottom of the monopod. I would tighten this up to the point that the metal strips out the plastic a bit and it will pop right out. You may need to enlarge the hole slightly with a drill bit, phillips screw drive, etc.
Next you will want to take off the top piece of the monopod with the threaded camera post off by removing three small screws. Don't lose the screws we will be putting this back on later.
The next step is to remove the plastic piece on the bottom of the monopod that the spike was pressed into. The way I did this was to stick a dowel in and push it out from the inside. I don't have a good photo of the piece in the end of the monopod, but it is obvious. You may be able to get the bolt into the cap from inside of the leg, but the effort isn't worth it.
After that we want to put a bolt through from the inside of this plastic piece so that the threaded end will stick out and we can attach the GoPro to it. There is one problem, the bolt, as is will not fit up into the small leg section of the monopod. The reason is there are two ridges running through the inside of each leg, one opposite the other. You can see this from the outside in the photo below,
The solution is to grind two opposite sides of the bolt head down until it will fit inside the bottom leg section. I used a Harbor Freight hand held belt sander and it only took a minute or so on each side. Note: you only want to do two sides of the bold head and they must be opposite of each other.
When you have the bolt ground down and verified that it will fit inside the lower leg section insert the bolt into the plastic bottom piece you removed earlier. It should be inserted so that the threads come out the large flat disk on the piece. It is important that the edges of the bolt head that you ground down line up with the grooves in the plastic piece, see photo.
Next you will want to attach the nut to the threads of the bolt that you inserted. Make sure that the shaved sides of the bolt stay lined up with the grooves in the plastic piece or it will not go back into the leg. Tighten it so that it is secure, but not so tight that it damages the plastic piece.
You're getting close. Now we need to press the plastic tip back into the bottom leg section. It fits pretty securely, but if you are concerned add some glue. It is very important to keep the piece straight as you push it back in so as to not damage anything. I put a crescent wrench on the nut, flat against the plastic piece and tapped it in by hitting the wrench with a pair of channel locks without hitting the bolt. Anything similar should work.
Finally, attach the top piece with the three small screws that you removed earlier.
Attach the GoPro mount and go.
I may add a 90 degree bracket or something to allow the GoPro to be rotated.
When I saw this monopod at the store yesterday it looked like it could be used for this purpose. It even comes with a GoPro mount and a cell phone mount. Note, the cell phone mount will not hold a very large phone, including an iPhone "plus".
What you are making
A 21-67 inch telescoping stick that you can mount your GoPro, cell phone or similar small device with a 1/4x20 socket.
What you need.
A Targus monopod TG-TPM67-101 or similar Targus monopod
One 1/4 x 20 - 1" bolt
One 1/4 x 20 nut
A sander, file or some other metal eating tool.
A couple wrenches
A dowl or or think stick
This is the monopod I bought. It was marked $14.99 at Meijer, but rang up at $8.99. From looking online it looks like other Targus monopods will work such as this one (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Targus-Red-TG-MP6710-67-Camera-Camcorder-Monopod/10370963).
The monopod has a rubber foot that you can turn down to reveal a spike. We won't be using this, sop the first step is to pull that out of the bottom of the monopod. I would tighten this up to the point that the metal strips out the plastic a bit and it will pop right out. You may need to enlarge the hole slightly with a drill bit, phillips screw drive, etc.
Next you will want to take off the top piece of the monopod with the threaded camera post off by removing three small screws. Don't lose the screws we will be putting this back on later.
The next step is to remove the plastic piece on the bottom of the monopod that the spike was pressed into. The way I did this was to stick a dowel in and push it out from the inside. I don't have a good photo of the piece in the end of the monopod, but it is obvious. You may be able to get the bolt into the cap from inside of the leg, but the effort isn't worth it.
After that we want to put a bolt through from the inside of this plastic piece so that the threaded end will stick out and we can attach the GoPro to it. There is one problem, the bolt, as is will not fit up into the small leg section of the monopod. The reason is there are two ridges running through the inside of each leg, one opposite the other. You can see this from the outside in the photo below,
The solution is to grind two opposite sides of the bolt head down until it will fit inside the bottom leg section. I used a Harbor Freight hand held belt sander and it only took a minute or so on each side. Note: you only want to do two sides of the bold head and they must be opposite of each other.
When you have the bolt ground down and verified that it will fit inside the lower leg section insert the bolt into the plastic bottom piece you removed earlier. It should be inserted so that the threads come out the large flat disk on the piece. It is important that the edges of the bolt head that you ground down line up with the grooves in the plastic piece, see photo.
Next you will want to attach the nut to the threads of the bolt that you inserted. Make sure that the shaved sides of the bolt stay lined up with the grooves in the plastic piece or it will not go back into the leg. Tighten it so that it is secure, but not so tight that it damages the plastic piece.
You're getting close. Now we need to press the plastic tip back into the bottom leg section. It fits pretty securely, but if you are concerned add some glue. It is very important to keep the piece straight as you push it back in so as to not damage anything. I put a crescent wrench on the nut, flat against the plastic piece and tapped it in by hitting the wrench with a pair of channel locks without hitting the bolt. Anything similar should work.
Finally, attach the top piece with the three small screws that you removed earlier.
Attach the GoPro mount and go.
I may add a 90 degree bracket or something to allow the GoPro to be rotated.
