Help with building rails

thef0x

thef0x

Active member
Hello everyone.

I'm in some serious need of help building a rail system for my diy35mm adapter.

I want it to be able to attach to my tripod as well as my shoulder-mount.

I have ordered 15mm rails.

I have no clue what to buy now.

Anyone with some advice. I can't find anything on b&h photo because I am stupid.
 
Out of curiosity, is there any reason solid aluminum or steel rods that you can purchase at hardware stores WOULDN'T work for this purpose?

Do the rods have to be 15mm (.59 inches)? Perhaps they do if you are attaching some standard accessories to them, but otherwise....
 
sek910 if you can find the right size I'm all about the go for it. trouble is I've been to every home depote and lowes in the bay area, as well as a few other hardware stores here and nothing that comes close to 15mm, way to small or just a little to big,
 
Jason Miller said:
sek910 if you can find the right size I'm all about the go for it. trouble is I've been to every home depote and lowes in the bay area, as well as a few other hardware stores here and nothing that comes close to 15mm, way to small or just a little to big,
Click to expand...

Understand, by why do the rods have to be 15mm ?
 
sek0910 said:
Understand, by why do the rods have to be 15mm ?
Click to expand...

I think they only HAVE to be 15mm if your thinking about buying prefabricated accessories. If your going to be making all the accessories yourself, you can theoretically make the rails whatever diameter you want.
 
because eventually you'll need 15mm when you do end up needing a prefab lens support, or mattebox, plus the best way I've found to make your own is the ta-250s in the link above, they are 15mm
 
really?
the TA250s accomodate a bolt diameter of 5/16" which is .3125 inches or 7.9375mm

15 mm = .59055 inches (or almost twice the diameter of the opening of the TA250).

Am I missing something?

The TA800s (with a 5/8"=.625 =15.875mm opening) might work
 
sek0910 said:
really?
the TA250s accomodate a bolt diameter of 5/16" which is .3125 inches or 7.9375mm

15 mm = .59055 inches (or almost twice the diameter of the opening of the TA250).

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

I believe that the 5/16ths measurement is the hex bolt size, not the size of the hole. These appear to be wiring blocks like you might find in electrical distribution. There are holes where wires go in and then they're locked down with the hex bolts that you can see in the pictures.

It sounds like Jason has tested these out and found that the hole size is close to 15mm.
 
The 250s are right at 15mm. Homedepot/Lowes rods will not work, they will be too big.

Search for metric metal, you might find a thread that will help.
 
It looks like the right size, but it also looks very heavy. I bought some 15mm steel rods that were hollow but with a very thick wall size and I wasted my money as they are way too heavy.

I've built my own base and rod set and in the end probably spent more money on aluminum, screws, bolts, drill bits etc, than if I had just bought a commercially produced unit. I think even the cheap $99 indian rod and baseplate set would be better quality. I just got the cavision RS15IIM rod support in the mail and couldn't be happier. While it was fun to build mine, it was after all, a waste of time and money.
 
j said:
It looks like the right size, but it also looks very heavy. I bought some 15mm steel rods that were hollow but with a very thick wall size and I wasted my money as they are way too heavy.

I've built my own base and rod set and in the end probably spent more money on aluminum, screws, bolts, drill bits etc, than if I had just bought a commercially produced unit. I think even the cheap $99 indian rod and baseplate set would be better quality. I just got the cavision RS15IIM rod support in the mail and couldn't be happier. While it was fun to build mine, it was after all, a waste of time and money.
Click to expand...


Same here. I built my design off of J's and just made the purchase of the Proteus rails system from cinevate as well as 24" rods. I now look back at my old rail block and wonder if it was worth it at all... It did get me to the point where i could buy my own, but still...
 
I agree with J, building the base with these ta 250s does not make a lot of since, however using them to mount handles, diy matte boxes, diy lens supports or what have you, that is where they shine, as long as you have a good drill and a bit set which I think you should have even if your not a diyselfer basic tools around the house/apartment is a must for me.

Jason
 
man, that reminds me of the set of handles i;d made out of those things... they;re in New York somewhere.. gotta get them back now cuz they were solid. Maybe I could convert my old Rail block into a Shoulder Pad and then mount the old rails and handles to this.. kinda liek what RedRock Micro is doing with their system...

Damn dude, you just gave me an idea... THANKS!
 
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