There is a certain knack to getting the threaded rod in. If everything's
lined up correctly, it should go in with very little force. It's really
worth taking the time to get it right - if it's hard to screw in, you're
probably not properly aligned.

First, you need to make sure the head is level and that all the legs are
evenly spread. The hinges often have quite a bit of sideways play in
them, so you may need to wiggle them a bit to get the feet into a nice
equalateral triangle. Alternatively, you can try picking the whole lot
up by the top of the threaded rod and giving it a good shake, which will
usually get things in the right position. This is however not such a
pleasant experience, so you may want to support it by holding the knob
at the bottom.

When you're in the right position, the spreader bar should be level and
contact all three legs when pushed up against them. If you've got this
far, screwing the rod into the base should be a piece of cake.

OTOH, it's very easy to cross the threads and too many folk have the
tendancy to force it, which can cause damage. If this is the case, the
thread in the base is pretty soft, so you should be able to get it back
into a reasonable shape by removing the rod from the tripod and screwing
it in straight a couple of times.

Best of luck,

Steve


Steve,

Before taking more drastic steps I'll try you're suggestions. Got a
feeling damage has been done though.

Jay