Brand new skater - made from truss parts

[gi-jones]

I work in a place, where I have access to all sorts of aluminium truss parts (the stuff that's used for concert rigs, stages and stuff). Last friday I needed to rent a skater dolly with short notice and our local supplier had none left, so I had to figure out a new solution. This was it.

The wheels and the camera head was about $100. I'm not sure how much the aluparts are worth. Propably more expensive, than building it from scratch, but it was easy, and it can be adjusted in length and width with nothing but a few extra parts and a hammer, and let's face it: Having camera gear that can be adjusted with a hammer is kind of unique

We shot a music video with it, and it worked like magic. I have used the original skater dolly, and haven't yet come up with anything that couldn't be done with my own version.

 

[ryan brown]

Oooh... that looks like a REALLY interesting design. Definitely different from the rest. I'm wondering if it might benefit from placing the camera at the center, instead of the end?

Any footage to post? more pics of the unit??

 

[Kit Hannah]

What brand are the parts? They look like Global Truss or Milos truss pieces...

 

[gi-jones]

It's Global Truss - we're the biggest dealer in Denmark of that brand. The wheels are some noname stuff.

Ryan: I thought about the center-issue quite a bit, but I just can't see why it would make a difference. In the end it's all about lining up the axis of both sets of wheels with the subject, and the doing the same with the camera. You might gain a bit of stability with the camera in the center, but I'm telling you, this thing is rock solid. I had no shakes at all.

My only problem seems to be straight dolly shots. If I try to make it go absolutely straight forward for a couple of meters it goes a little bit off to the side. It's not really a problem when circling, cause the deviation is constant, so if I roll backwards it ends in the original position quite exactly. I think the problem is somewhere else in the construction.

As is, I don't have permission to post the footage we shot, but I'll try and get it, and if I can't, I'll shoot something new. I can take a few more snapshots of the thing tomorrow.

 

[gi-jones]

Here's another picture. This time without the camera. On this one, I've replaced the joint with a straight unit, in an attempt to make it roll it a more straight line.