DIY IndieSlider...

[Chris Light]

I don't think anyone has joined two pieces of track together yet. I don't know if that would work & still allow a smooth slide.

....guys? Ideas, thoughts...comments???

man, i don't know...the thought crossed my mind. but to illustrate the downside of that idea....when i received my rail, there was the slightest flaw on the very end where the factory cut was made, and i didn't notice it until i slid the carriage on for the first time. all was well, but then i slid the carriage off the affected end to make adjustments, and it nicked the drylin a bit...kind of shaved off a sliver of it. it doesn't affect performance whatsoever afterwards, but it freaked me out when it happened. so unless the rail's cuts are 100% perfect, and you join them with absolute precision, then it shouldn't be an issue. but the drylin material is soft and rather easy to cut into if things arent perfect. i guess that's my 2 cents...

but it could be done i suppose.

Chris

[Zephyrnoid]

Ah! Yes. You must champfer the rail ends. I use a Dremel grinder followed by polishing.
There's not much point in extending the rail in the same axis as the point of the 'short' Igus solution is portability and in any case, what use would a straight 6' rail be anyway to a shot?

[Chris Light]

beats lugging 10' of pvc and a dolly?....not sure...

[ZazaCast]

Ah! Yes. You must champfer the rail ends. I use a Dremel grinder followed by polishing.
There's not much point in extending the rail in the same axis as the point of the 'short' Igus solution is portability and in any case, what use would a straight 6' rail be anyway to a shot?

Yes, looking at the ends of my rail, you would have to make it fit together perfectly. With the 16mm rail, because the ends are hollow, you could join it together just like you would PVC with a 7mm piece of rod or something. I would still question how smooth the Drylin would float over it though...

beats lugging 10' of pvc and a dolly?....not sure...

True.... but then you'd have to lug around the support.....

[kittty]

Thanks all of you.
I think i order 1m in two half pieces (50-50%) factory cutted, and when i cannot connect it perfectly, with smooth motion, i sell the one half... As i see the 10mm version isn't hollowed at the ends.

WHKA-10 manual clamp? anybody work with it? maybe i order one.

[Zephyrnoid]

I have an idea. can you please cite the exact Igus catalog number for your rail or upload a CU Pic of the end? I think I have a way to help you if the ends are hollow and you want to butt-join sections.

Yes, looking at the ends of my rail, you would have to make it fit together perfectly. With the 16mm rail, because the ends are hollow, you could join it together just like you would PVC with a 7mm piece of rod or something. I would still question how smooth the Drylin would float over it though...



True.... but then you'd have to lug around the support.....

[kittty]

http://www.igus.ie/wpck/default.aspx?PageNr=2003

you can see here the rail.
but hurry sharing your idea, because i want to order quickly, and dont know what to order
the WS-16-60 hollowed version or the WS-10-40 without hollow?

thx

[peter12345]

Hey Zaza,
If I intend on only using mine for a HF-S100(HV20 sized cam) and possibly a 5Dmk2 do you think I could get away with the 10mm x 40mm ? I don't want to waste money and buy an over kill rig since I would be using a bare cam at about 3-4lbs max.

Hi Lucasberg, did you have any luck with the 10mm? Anyone else tried this combo? I am thinking of getting this for my HF100 (like the HV20) and mounting the rail on the head of my Velbon 607 tripod (with no extra head on the carriage/sliding part). I may also add a 6 inch block of wood under the camcorder to get some extra height (so I can slide forward/backward without getting the rail in view of the camera). Will this be light and stable enough? Thanks.

[kevin gallagher]

One thing I have found is that under significant weight (18lb camera and 8lb head) the carriage can bind when tilting up or down perpendicular to the track. I ordered the largest drylin w-20 bearings with the 80mm wide rail and mounted it up with a gitzo head and an ancient betacam. When the weight is centered over the rail is moves smoothly with little effort but when the camera tilts and the weight shifts the bearings "bind" and the dolly move requires much more effort. I talked with the folks at igus and they recommended 3-in1 oil to lube the rail which helped. I'm not too worried since I'm waiting for my JVC Gy-Hm700 to arrive which will shed many pounds from the overall load. Has anyone else experienced this?
BTW- mega props to ZaZa! great find. I think Igus should send you a commission. They told me they have had a lot of small orders directly from this thread!

[Tommy K]

One thing I have found is that under significant weight (18lb camera and 8lb head) the carriage can bind when tilting up or down perpendicular to the track.

I just got the slider all connected together today, and took it for test spin. I have A 9 lb JVC HD110 and 3 lb head mounted. I screwed my tripod legs right onto the track. I also have a little binding with this weight, and an unsteady track as the camera goes to one end of the track or the other. Over center it works fine. I will have to add a couple of cheap monpods to each end for better stability. The give is coming from the center post on the tripod. Either I invest in a sturdier more expensive tripod or just go with 2 monopods.

I used a big industrial size rubber band to pull the head, and it works great. It keeps a constant tension and speed on the carriage. Really works well for very long and slow slides. Give it a try.

Thanks ZaZa!