Dolly Wheels... Hard or Soft Tires?

B

Bryan_Lawler

Well-known member
I am looking at revamping my homebuilt dolly. Right now I am using skateboard wheel but I was coonsidering whiching to either hard or soft (aired) tires. What are some of your thoughts. One reason for doing this is that I wouldn't have to take tracks with me when I am doing an inside shot.

Thanks!
 
You'd get some smoother shots with tracks, but they are a hassle and some shots are hard to keep them out of. If you switch to tires I'd go to a soft air filled tire, the bigger the better (to a point). I saw a dolly the other day (i think on here) that had both tires and skatewheel on it. When it was on a track the tires didnt touch the ground and when it was on just the tires the skate wheels didnt touch. Very clever. Reminded me of those trucks they use to check the railroad tracks with.
 
One thing I have been thinking is making a sled that they tires would fit on to convert it to a track based dolly using skateboard wheels. I would to see the one you are talking about.
 
You want to use pneumatic tires. (air filled) They are the best non-track wheels for the inexpensive dolly because the air pressure can be adjusted.

I built a large doorway dolly earlier in the year. Over hard floors the tires filled tight with air were VERY nice. But when I was shooting on thin carpet, or soft floors like such, the hard filled air tires would "bounce" on me. Over those type of conditions you must deflate the air from the tires and make them soft so they are less bouncy.

This is what I found:

Smooth hard surfaces= Very High PSI
Smooth soft surface (carpet and such)= Lower PSI to stop bounce
Rough hard surfaces= Lower PSI so the wheel helps conform to the terrain
Rough soft surface= Goodluck
 
i made a print of it way back when it was first posted. ill scan it in a few and post it here if it has not already been done.
 
here we go. i silled water on it a while ago i guess. little smudgy.

sickdollyev9.jpg
 
Thanks guys. This is very useful info. Very nice PaPa. Do you have any plans that you would share with us? It looks like your wheels are hard?

Thanks again.
 
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