In rec.photo.digital bugbear wrote:
I just lucked into a Benbo 1 tripod at a car boot
sale, for a delightful price.

When I got it home, I discovered that the
tightening heads for the column and legs
didn't move smoothly; however since I also
enjoy tuning and restoring handtools,
I simply removed the knobs, which have a
simple 1/4" thread, ran a bottoming tap up
and down the hole, and ran a cleaning die
down the bolt, which removed some loose plastic
"flash" in 2 of the knobs. The tightening knobs now
run beautifully; 1/2 a turn from slack to solid.

I have found that other people have complained
of this stickiness, so I guess Benbo's QA could
do with improvement. Not a big task for me
and my workshop though :-)

The tripod has a ball head. This has a simple rectangular plate,
with a hole, partially threaded 3/8". There is no bolt
or tightener.

So - can anyone with a similar head give me details
or source for the camera holding bolt?

The spare bolts for many kinds of plate are interchangeable. It'll be
much easier to find one that will do rather than the very specific one
that's missing. Take the plate to a good camera shop.

--
Chris Malcolm DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]