Upper left: The tripod legs are simply broomsticks, at bottom bolted together, at top attached to a base of scrap aluminium (thick plywood will do too) with hinges made of flat steel. The spread of the legs is limited by a piece of steel chain. Very simple, very cheap and very stable.
Upper right: A close up of the head of the broomstick tripod. In this setup I have a Scotch mount with a DC motor, but anything can be attached to the tripod.
Lower left: All the wooden parts are plywood laths from a discarded bed. The hinges are made of steel "nail plates", and the legs are attached to a piece of scrap aluminum. The spread of the legs is limited by a multifilament steel wire. On top of the tripod is a swiveling arm holding my 12x80 binocular. Stable enough for a binocular, but not for higher magnification.
Lower right: A close up of the bed tripod. All mechanical pieces are readily available in a hardware store.