Ball joint problem

You need a tension adjustment device. You will have to have some type of hemispherical cup that accepts the ball. I see one side split with a thumb screw attached for adjusting the tension. The simplest thing to try is a hose clamp around the cup with a slit in the side. Hope this makes sense.

A nylon cup bushing would help reduce wear, too.

Or use one of Mother Natures friction materials like cork, they used it on motor bike clutches for many years.
Spring loaded with a cork friction suface, bish bash bosh, job's a good un (Cheques or Tuna to Dell the Cat c/o KrisDel^TM enterprises, Etherville England.)
Del

Thanks for your answers!

I think I'll try the cork solution first as this is the easiest to try out.

However, does anyone know any books or written material on different solutions for this?

Or,

Copy something like this.

So, cheat. Look at the swivel on a cheap camera tripod. Copy it.

If you have seen a ball valve the ball is trapped between two concave nylon discs, copy that but load one side with a spring which can be adjusted with a screw to vary the clamping friction, and of course leave the spindle hole large enough for your angle of tilt. No tuna thanks.

Thanks for your interest in my problem. It has now led me to some more questions.. My current prototype is using a clamp mechanic (a cap which is turned onto a threaded hemisphere shape in which the ball lays) and the friction pressure can be adjusted and tightened by hand, in a similar way to what most of you have suggested. Except both my parts are steel.

Will it wear out slower and be tighter if it has a washer of nylon or cork with a spring rather than using steel against steel?

As most (or all?) solutions involve some kind of wearing, and are based on something that is adjusted as it wears out, I am wondering if it would be possible to use a ball joint with magnets inside both the hemisphere shape and the ball to give the ball only a limited amount of positions (where the magnets are), but positions where it would stay for sure without moving because of the magnetism and dont slide out of because of loss of friction pressure due to wearing? has anyone heard of a such kind of ball joint?