Fitting Guide for Repro BREN AA Handle Storage Clips

DS Solutions repro BREN AA Handle Storage Clips are precision made reproductions and just like the originals will only fit in position on the tripod if correctly installed.

These clips are designed to be fitted as a pair onto the BREN Mk1 Tripod. Other marks of BREN Tripod may not accept these clips without modification to either the tripod or the clips.

The clips fit onto the inside of the left hand side tube of the Mk1 Tripod (see picture below). On the outside of the tube you will find 2 machined ‘dimples’, these dimples are the locating points for the studs found on the inside of the clips.
To fit the clips please follow this procedure;

1.    Locate the dimples in the outside of the left side tube and ensure that they are free from paint build up, debris or burrs.

2.    Unscrew both side screws from each clip ensuring that both the screws and the lock washers are retained in a safe place. Lift clear the spacer tube from each clip and retain them with the screws & washers.

3.    Gently ease the clips over the left hand side tube of the tripod and ensure that the studs locate correctly in the dimples.

4.    Place a spacer tube back in position in the clip ensuring that the dished part of the spacer is flush with the tripod side tube. Ensuring that the screws line up with the threads in the spacer tube and the lock washers are in place under the head of the screws, insert each screw in turn and do up by no more than 1 turn.

5.    Once both screws are located do up each screw one turn at a time keeping them even on both sides until each is fully done up. Repeat with the second clip.

Notes;

If the screws are not done up evenly and together, the spacer will not pull in evenly and you will either not be able to get the second screw in at all or it will exert enough pull to strip the first thread from the screw and damage the spacer tube.

If you have followed all instructions but are still not able to get both screws lined up with their holes then mark the position of both sides of the clip with a soft pencil all round the tube, remove the clip from the tube and strip back some of the 60 or so years of accumulated paint between the pencil lines on the tripod tube to reduce it to it’s original size and then try again.

If you are tempted to fit these clips to any other mark of BREN Tripod it is probable that the locating dimples for the studs will not be machined into the tubing. The best solution to this is to fit the clips to a handle (as shown in the picture) and measure the distance between the studs as exactly as possible. Once you have this measurement mark it out in position on the outside of the tripod tube. Ensure the marks are in line and using a centre punch and hammer ‘pop’ mark each stud location as accurately as possible. Using a drill of the correct diameter for the stud, carefully drill 2 holes through the outside wall of the tripod tube (using the pop marks to keep the drill bit from wandering as the holes are started), and once the holes are deburred use these in place of the dimples to locate the clips. These holes will not weaken the tubing to any extent and will not be seen with the clips in place. The alternative of filing off the studs flush will leave 2 holes in the clips, may weaken them and will mean that the clips will eventually rotate on the tubing – and is NOT recommended.