DIY Ikan F3 follow focus parts

LOL... I've got wheels and waiting on the gearbox... couldn't find it anywhere near the $18 price that the OP quoted. I'm guessing it will be closer to $40 but won't know for sure until I get it and see the freight charge.

I'll post about it when I get it together... I'm guessing the part won't get here until late this week so it might be next week.

I got 2 small wheels and one big one... figured I could play with the ratio that way.
 
Surprisingly it came today. I've got it assembled but figuring out how to attach it to the camera is going to be tricky. It's got 2 small holes so I'm going to have to make some kind of bracket.
 
noworries said:
LOL... I've got wheels and waiting on the gearbox... couldn't find it anywhere near the $18 price that the OP quoted. I'm guessing it will be closer to $40 but won't know for sure until I get it and see the freight charge.

I'll post about it when I get it together... I'm guessing the part won't get here until late this week so it might be next week.

I got 2 small wheels and one big one... figured I could play with the ratio that way.
Click to expand...
Where did you get the wheels?
 
noworries said:
Surprisingly it came today. I've got it assembled but figuring out how to attach it to the camera is going to be tricky. It's got 2 small holes so I'm going to have to make some kind of bracket.
Click to expand...

Are these holes sturdy enough and of an ok material that they could have a thread cut into them? Any way we could get a measurement of the hole size? My plan was to thread this hole and use it as a mounting point if possible.
 
treynolds said:
I keep seeing references to a measurement of backlash but i dont understand what that means?

Is it the amount of play in the gear or distance the outside gear must be turned before the inside gear responds?

Thanks for the info
Click to expand...

Backlash is the amount one gear rotates before engaging the other gear. 2 degrees may not seem like much, but it is. I have experimented with the Huco gearbox a great deal and have come to the conclusion that 2 degrees is just too much backlash for a reliable, useable follow focus unit. Redrock Micro, Indisystem and Ikan are all using this gearbox (as well as some other companies) but they are modifying to remove the backlash [at least Redrock is as their V2 follow focus has almost zero backlash. I haven't had a chance to play with the others.] I'm not sure how they are doing this, although I'm sure if I had a unit to take apart the answer would be obvious.

Building gearboxes that are smooth without backlash is difficult. There is a reason follow focuses are expensive...
 
I bought the wheels and hubs from the robotmarketplace site listed in this thread.
Hard to tell how you could service this unit without cutting it apart.

I thought about cutting threads into the holes... but as you can see from the diagram on their website--the outside hole doesn't have much material on the outside of it... and the inside hole might be too close to the wheels.

This is from the huco site... I could post a pic but this should give you an idea.

L-BOX.gif
 
Thanks for that diagram. I had seen it before but forgot about it. It might be possible to mount to that inside hole if you had a flat arm that stuck to the body of the gear and then once it was far enough out to not hinder the wheels using that to mount to.
 
Does anyone know where to buy these wheels in the UK? The shipping from the site linked to in the first post is extortionate. Many times the value of the wheels themselves.
 
Well, thanks to this thread I finally made my DIY follow focus. I didn't use the BaneBots wheels but a simple one I bought in a hardware store for € 1,00 and to improve the grip I applied a tape used on the handle of the tennis racquets. It's working very good even if there is a little backlash, anyway I saved some money!

IMG_0431.jpg
 
For those in the UK here's a good alternative for some parts:

Gearbox: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=43541
Knob: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1816
Wheels: http://www.robotbits.co.uk/wheels-casters/60mm-x-8-mm-wheel-black/prod_70.html

I know this are not the "IKAN F3 look a like" parts, but they look like a nice alternative for those in the UK

There is also another alternative for the HUCO:
http://www.ondrives.com/gearboxes-reducers-right-angle-bevel-gearbox-b332-4mm-shafts-0-68nm.html
 
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noflux said:
For those in the UK here's a good alternative for some parts:

There is also another alternative for the HUCO:
http://www.ondrives.com/gearboxes-reducers-right-angle-bevel-gearbox-b332-4mm-shafts-0-68nm.html
Click to expand...


I really like the fact that this comes with the tapped hole, while in an awkward place it could be very very useful I imagine.

Edit:

I just saw that the other model you found on the UK store has even better mounting options. Hmmm and having it shipped state side is only a couple of bucks. Only $30USD which seems way too cheap to be true. That may be the best bet out there, unless i can find a US dealer with the same part.
 
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treynolds said:
Any chance we could get a shot of how you mounted it?

It looks great
Click to expand...

It was very simple. First I used a mouldable paste to glue a 4mm bushing on each shaft of the gear box, then I screwed the wheel and a cap to it. I built the base with pieces of ABS plastic which is very strong and easy to shape like wood. Yesterday I went to shot some footages for a client and the follow focus worked perfectly. I also built the rig and mattebox by myself, this is how my equipment looks:

7D.jpg
 
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noflux said:
For those in the UK here's a good alternative for some parts:

Gearbox: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=43541
Knob: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1816
Wheels: http://www.robotbits.co.uk/wheels-casters/60mm-x-8-mm-wheel-black/prod_70.html

I know this are not the "IKAN F3 look a like" parts, but they look like a nice alternative for those in the UK

There is also another alternative for the HUCO:
http://www.ondrives.com/gearboxes-reducers-right-angle-bevel-gearbox-b332-4mm-shafts-0-68nm.html
Click to expand...


Good find!
But I think the wheels won't fit the shaft of the gearboxe(s).
 
Lett61 said:
Well, thanks to this thread I finally made my DIY follow focus. I didn't use the BaneBots wheels but a simple one I bought in a hardware store for € 1,00 and to improve the grip I applied a tape used on the handle of the tennis racquets. It's working very good even if there is a little backlash, anyway I saved some money!

View attachment 25992
Click to expand...

What did you use to mount the gear box to the rail block?
That small piece of metal.

Did you have to make it or did you find something stock that worked?

Also, I am assuming you didn't mount it with the "rotating" gear box like the Ikan?
 
hey guys, I just found a site that has a few different options for gear boxes. It has the ones that have been linked to so far, except have metal gears. They also have one that is open and the gears are exposed, and plastic, but still has good mounting options. It also has a gearbox with three shafts (T shape) so you could put gears on both shafts, this way you could mount it on either the left or right side... I emailed them to get prices on all of them plus shipping. I also asked for shaft diameters. I'll let you know what they tell me, and if the prices aren't too ridiculous, Ill post a link. If the prices are outrageous, then I wont bother.
 
yrpfilms said:
What did you use to mount the gear box to the rail block?
That small piece of metal.

Did you have to make it or did you find something stock that worked?

Also, I am assuming you didn't mount it with the "rotating" gear box like the Ikan?
Click to expand...

I made the rail support from a PVC bar which is very easy to work and hard enough to stay firm.
 
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