DIY Crane

[bilgami]

I have plans on making my own crane the plans are only in my head right now nothing on paper. my plan is to make a crane that would fit on top of the tripod i already have, basically i want to create a arm about 6ft long with a tripod head on one end to hold the cam and on the other end a plate that would snap into my tripod no different than my cam does. my only question is would the tripod head be able to support the wight?

:dankk2:

[mindzeye]

i have a 501 head and it holds my DVX with roughly 20-30 pounds counter weight. not including the crane itself... i think the sticks are probably more of the issue though. Check out my design...

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/26831/1181329890.jpg

[snodart]

So, you are thinking of using a fluid head instead of counter weights to keep the camera from sinking? Right?

At 6' the weight and strain is going to be pretty big at the tripod. If somebody does make a fluid head strong enough... it will probably be pretty expensive. You would also need to put a good amount of sand bags on the tripod, since the weight would not be centered over the top of the tripod.

http://www.homebuiltstabilizers.com/greyjibsncranes.htm

http://hbsboard.com/

http://snodart.com/hbe_jib.php

[snodart]

Yikes... the 501 is only designed to support 13.2 pounds. :huh:

[mindzeye]

i know... im such a cuckoo... the asprin bottle says 1 capsul every four hours... but I always pop 3. :)

[bilgami]

I like your craftsmans ship mind eye my design was not as elaborate but its given me some ideas. "So, you are thinking of using a fluid head instead of counter weights to keep the camera from sinking? Right?" well snodart i was thinking of 6ft only cuz its a nice round number and i figure i could stand in the mid of it and controll it with my out reached arms. does it need to be shorter than 6ft? how long? and yes i did plan on counter wieght.

[bilgami]

i was planing on using the bogen 503 to hold the cam and the bogen 518 on the tripod.

[snodart]

6' is a pretty good length for a jib. So, maybe 1.5 to 2' on the weighted side and 3.5 to 4' on the camera side. That wouldn't give you much of a "crane" shot like mindzeye's set up would, but it would make for a nice and portable jib. My jib is about 7', with the weighted end being 2.5' and the camera side at 4.5'. It is just long enough to get decent crane-like shots, but still small enough that I can fit it in small rooms (office, bedroom, etc). I'm planning on building a smaller one in the future that is more like 4' (2.5' on the cam side and 1.5' on the weighted side). Anyway, I'd say you would be okay with 6'.

I urge you to take your time in building it, and make yourself a nice one. We use the jib more than any other piece of equipment. It is a little more of a pain to move once set up, but we choose it over a tripod every time... even if there isn't any camera movement planned. Having the cam on the Jib allows you to make subtle adjustments to the composition as the actors make slight movements (ie: with an over the shoulder two-shot). Of course it can be done without a jib, but I always opt for the jib.

what is the weight specs for the 518 head? I couldn't find it on B & H.

[bilgami]

im sorry its the 519 and it supports 22lbs. i wasnt planning on making anything to big i was just looking to become more versatile. i shoot weddings and i know a crane maybe to much for a wedding but i thought if i had a crane even a small one it would give me flexability especially on an outdoor wedding. and the only reason i thought i would make a crane is cuz im saving my money for the 519 and then i will end up with a spare tripod head the 503 and i figure i might as well make use it some how.

[siniarch]

hey Mindzeye. any more info on that home made jib. I'm looking to make one, but I'm still on the planning stages. My set up is pretty heavy though. 16lb. so I was going over kill with the amount of aluminum on it. I didn't think about a cable though. but its probably a good idea.
Thanks.

[bilgami]

mindeye do you have more pics? whats does the cable hold? what you use for the mounting plate on the tripod?

[TeamJoeDawn]

OK.. I messed up my last post. Here is my contribution.

For the main body of the crane, has anyone considered a "Bull Float Handle," an aluminum sectional handle that screws into the next ones.. 1.25" diameter, 6ft lengths.

http://www.google.com/products?q=bull+float+handle&btnG=Search+Products

Tell me what you think.

J

[tomk358]

I recently built a jib from the "Killer Camera Rigs" book, it was 3/4" steel pipe on the bottom, 1/2" on top. It was cheap and went together fast, but once I got my camera (HVX200) fluid head (Cartoni Focus), Brevis DOF adaptor, Marshal monitor (rented, damnit) on it, it started to flex too much.

I upgraded the lower (weight bearing) pipe to 1" steel, and it works better, but still seems like it could be more rigid. My next jib will be made of aluminum, and built EXTRA stout.

That book is a great learning tool- simple and easy to build projects that don't suck.

[mindzeye]

It's all about leverage... so when using aluminum... because it is somewhat of a softer element AND the only "available, easy to construct metal"... keep in mind that the shorter the jib arm the less bounce you'll get when operating the jib. For example... my jib extends over 13 feet when my tripod legs are fully extended... so i get a pretty good amount of bounce at my start and end positions... so i was forced to shorten my motions and get creative for a much higher jib shot and less motion. Somtimes I set up in a bed of a pickup truck for another 3 feet... or a roof top even... I find it's more the height that I'm trying to achieve rather than the 10ft.+ of motion. DON'T FORGET... SOMETIMES THE BEST JIB SHOTS ARE THE ONES THAT YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE... usually i find myself only utilizing 3 feet of motion for majority of my jib shots and i'm happy with the results... I'll be posting some pictures up in the next day or two to give you guys a better idea of my design.

[dlang]

hey Mindzeye. any more info on that home made jib. I'm looking to make one, but I'm still on the planning stages. My set up is pretty heavy though. 16lb. so I was going over kill with the amount of aluminum on it. I didn't think about a cable though. but its probably a good idea.
Thanks.



here's my crane.....I pretty much based it off of the kessler crane, only their hard ware is much more solid. If you've got questions don't hesitate to ask. follow this link

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7555/1154121815.jpg

[mindzeye]

here are the rest of my jib/crane pics... sorry it took so long but i included captions to all 23 pics... enjoy!! just click the thumbnails on the side of the page.

http://www.rockfordimages.com/jib.htm

[virtualcircus]

Hi,

what is the distance from counter weight to jib neck and from jib neck to camera basket neck?

Is it optional or it has to be to the nicety?

Thanks

[TeamJoeDawn]

here are the rest of my jib/crane pics... sorry it took so long but i included captions to all 23 pics... enjoy!! just click the thumbnail at the lower right hand side of the page.

http://www.whygotofilmschool.com/showcase.htm

Very nice. Any suggestions on where to get the straight, square tube aluminum that doesn't either require a specialty store or the GNP of a small country?

J

[TeamJoeDawn]

For a sturdy tripod base,.. how about using a speaker stand meant for DJs? Seems pretty cheap off of Ebay and they say they can hold a hundred pounds. Just have to figure out a smooth rotation from a vertical post.

J

[mindzeye]

Very nice. Any suggestions on where to get the straight, square tube aluminum that doesn't either require a specialty store or the GNP of a small country?

J

i got mine at home depot... you can probably order it from any relatively big hardware store in your area.

[mindzeye]

Hi,

what is the distance from counter weight to jib neck and from jib neck to camera basket neck?

Is it optional or it has to be to the nicety?

Thanks

to be honest... it was all pretty much guess work... i do the 60/40 method
60-65% length in the front and 35-40% length in the back.

[siniarch]

try www.mcmaster.com (http://www.mcmaster.com) that is a great web site. I'm sure you can find stuff cheaper, but its great to get everything from one store. and they ship pretty fast.

[siniarch]

Ok,

So I'm almost done with my crane. I just have to:

Attach a camera mount on the end of the crane
Make the secondary support arm so as to keep the camera level
And add the rod for the weights on the back of the craneAs you can see, my design allows the crane to be a variable length. Also the mount of the crane arm to the base is also flexible. so I can move the connection forward or backwards.

I have to thank my new friend Paul, for letting me use his tools, and materials. [without which I would still be busy making most of the parts. :) ]

I'll post final pictures when I'm done.

Let me know what you think guys.

Thanks,

Luis

[Rodney V. Smith]

nice work. I just built my jib and I gotta take a few pics once i get a sturdier tripod. i may have to build my next one using your design siniarch ;). looking solid and steady. can't wait to see your footage

[Simon Höfer]

Hey siniarch, what tripod legs are that?

[Kdawg]

Dude, that looks fantastic. Nice work! and good luck on finishing.

[siniarch]

Nomis,
That is that tripod that people were talking about on this forum that sells on ebay from amvona. Its like this one, but the 9903 head. and Amvona sells them for much less in auctions than what they ask for as retail.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PROFESSIONAL-VIDEO-TRIPOD-KIT-PRO-FLUID-DRAG-HEAD-9905_W0QQitemZ170022825703QQihZ007QQcategoryZ30094 QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

So don't let the $1999 price tag fool you. they will sell this 9905 for $600 at an auction, when they have them available.

Kdawg,
Thanks. I actually had gone to this guys shop with some materials, and I was going to buy some aluminum from him. when I told him what I was doing and what tools I had home, he just offered to let me use his and cut it at his shop. So although I knew what I wanted, it was mostly improvised on the spot. Found what he had on the scrap pile, and started working away (i didn't want him to change his mind). So not too shabby. The main piece that extends is actually a plank that extends between two ladders. I just removed some pieces. (similar to the 16' version here http://www.laddermart.com/pc-8/telescoping-work-planks.html but cheaper at home depot)

[j]

>As you can see, my design allows the crane to be a variable length

Now that's clever! Haven't seen a design like that one before.

[siniarch]

thanks J.
the beauty and benefits of the the design are that:

it allows a variety of sizes. So if you are restricted because of space and you cannot fit a 8' crane, but you want to have the most travel allowed by the space, you can make your crane 7' and that might do it.
It also is very simple to change length. So going from a 5' - 8' crane takes a minute or two.
allows you to change the mounting location of the base to the crane. Let say you need an extra foot of length on your crane for a certain shot and you are fully extended already. Just move the base 1 foot back and add more weight to the other side of the crane and presto.the draw backs are:

its not optimal weight. adding two members on the outside in order to be able to slide the middle one adds weight. so when its a 5' crane, you are still carrying the weight of the 14' crane. But its aluminum, and its 35lb and I don't expect it to go over 42lb.
the other draw back, is that when fully extended, structurally it is at its weakest. I might have to add a post in the middle and a cable system to help with my 20lb camera setup.
Also I used the above mentioned extending plank as a starting point. It is not made of the standard thickness of aluminum. (the sizes are standard 1.5"x2" but the thickness is about 1/16 to 1/8") so the aluminum is not as sturdy as it can be. with the added cable this should not be an issue. it also helps keep the weight down.

[Kdawg]

Siniarch, I hope we are not hijacking this thread. I have most of my crane built as well, but cannot think of a great way to have control of the head. So I saw this (http://kesslercrane.com/) from Kessler. Thought I might wait and see where the price point would be. Anyone heard anything about when this will be available?

[siniarch]

that seems really nice kdawg, but its probably too pricey for me.

[ryan brown]

Siniarch, I hope we are not hijacking this thread. I have most of my crane built as well, but cannot think of a great way to have control of the head. So I saw this (http://kesslercrane.com/) from Kessler. Thought I might wait and see where the price point would be. Anyone heard anything about when this will be available?

That looks b@dass... and expensive.

[mindzeye]

whoa siniarch... finally saw our design... killer!! looks like you can sell your designs!!

[Kholi]

Knowing Kessler, it might not be as expensive as everyone's thinking. Hope they release a price soon!

[siniarch]

Thanks Mindzeye, I'm flattered. (not sure if I could call myself design killer though. hahahah)

Nomis, About that tripod, I tried it with the camera mounted on one side and the weights on the other, and the legs were not holding up well. Luckily, I had done a search a while back on this site and found that a "Quick Set" tripod would be ideal, and I bought one a while back on ebay. so now I just have to mount it to that one and we'll see how it works. :)