Fix Worn Camera Ball Joint?

[(PeteCresswell)]

Got an el-cheapo IP cam where the aiming is by friction on a ball joint.

viz:

But this one has been aimed one too many times with tension on the joint and the cross-hatching on the ball and/or the inside of the receptacle has/have worn and now there is not enough friction to hold the cam up when pressure is applied:

The workaround is to just mount it upside-down and have the cam point 90 degrees horizontal....

But I'd really like to get it adjustable again.

The space between ball and housing is pretty tight:

Can anybody suggest something? Some sort of coating?

[philoÂÂ]

Put a hose clamp around the base and tighten it just enough to hold the camera in place.

A one dollar, two minute fix.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per (PeteCresswell):

Upon further disassembly.... here's the part that's worn:

Some sort of el-cheapo pot metal..

So the binding pressure isn't a squeeaing motion...

Instead it's jamming that part vertically up against the ball.

You tighten the screw and the whole assembly gets scoonched together.

No I am thinking that something could be adhered to those two faces and the job's done.

Question then becomes what's the best stuff to adhere with and to be adhered.

Right off the top of my head, I think some sort of double-sided tape.... but I don't think foam tape would last through the first adjustment.

[TimR]

Looks like a job for JBWeld.

[dadiOH]

I don't thhink any coating would work (unless it was metal and welded on). I can think of two possible fixes...

1. Deforming the part

1. Drilling a couple of holes, tapping them and inserting machine screws so the heads barely protrude.

FWIW, if you ever have the opportunity to get a Leitz ballhead and you do so, it will be the last one you ever buy. It was really meant for small cameras but I used mine with an RB Mamiya for years.

[KLayton888]

Friction tape?