ZazaCast
Major Contributor
Jason is right...it is easiest to just call. Here's the number: 1-800-521-2747
Best of luck!:thumbup:
...Thanks Jason, good info to know... I guess that's why I enjoy a good horror flick.:zombie_smiley:
DIY IndieSlider...
- Thread starter ZazaCast
- Start date
Jason is right...it is easiest to just call. Here's the number: 1-800-521-2747
Best of luck!:thumbup:
...Thanks Jason, good info to know... I guess that's why I enjoy a good horror flick.:zombie_smiley:
nickybee
Well-known member
just wanted to chime in.
just wanted to chime in.
ordered the parts from Igus - regional sales rep from Igus contacted me after the order (by email) and I pointed him to the thread...so if they weren't aware enough already - they are now.
I ordered the parts exactly as per Zaza's instruction...except for the end caps.
I decided to do a couple of things
1. Thread middle hole and two end holes.
2. Buy some cheap monopods for support while on tripod (they were $27 each from ebay - I know they're likely to be crappy but so long as they support weight that's fine by me
3. instead of the metal threaded rings that people are using I got part number 9546K78 from www.mcmastercarr.com - a threaded rubber bumper - a little pricy at $10 each but very very cool - just thread it in and you can bump the carriage right up against it...(I just ordered these so you may want to wail until I post a photo so you can see clearances etc
4. I also decided that to lay it down on the ground I wanted to use rubber bumpers - firstly because of friction on hardwood floors but secondly because I thought it might be very cool - part number on mcmaster carr is 2195T61
On that website just go to find products and search for the part number.
The rubber bricks are heavy but should be super stable - it was almost perfect since many of them come with a recessed hole and a washer so you can bolt right onto it but unfortunately in the size I wanted there was only a 2 hole pattern - so I will drill my own hole
as I said - will post pics as soon as it is assembled - but I figured some others might want the bumpers.
Oh and...the bumpers already come in black
- so no need to paint them.
Nick
just wanted to chime in.
ordered the parts from Igus - regional sales rep from Igus contacted me after the order (by email) and I pointed him to the thread...so if they weren't aware enough already - they are now.
I ordered the parts exactly as per Zaza's instruction...except for the end caps.
I decided to do a couple of things
1. Thread middle hole and two end holes.
2. Buy some cheap monopods for support while on tripod (they were $27 each from ebay - I know they're likely to be crappy but so long as they support weight that's fine by me
3. instead of the metal threaded rings that people are using I got part number 9546K78 from www.mcmastercarr.com - a threaded rubber bumper - a little pricy at $10 each but very very cool - just thread it in and you can bump the carriage right up against it...(I just ordered these so you may want to wail until I post a photo so you can see clearances etc
4. I also decided that to lay it down on the ground I wanted to use rubber bumpers - firstly because of friction on hardwood floors but secondly because I thought it might be very cool - part number on mcmaster carr is 2195T61
On that website just go to find products and search for the part number.
The rubber bricks are heavy but should be super stable - it was almost perfect since many of them come with a recessed hole and a washer so you can bolt right onto it but unfortunately in the size I wanted there was only a 2 hole pattern - so I will drill my own hole
as I said - will post pics as soon as it is assembled - but I figured some others might want the bumpers.
Oh and...the bumpers already come in black
- so no need to paint them.Nick
Shawn Philip Nelson
Veteran
Sorry I didn't read the whole thread but...
Did anyone order the larger 20mm bearings with a 200mm shuttle? If so, what was the cost of that config?
I own a Red camera and that gets to be 30lbs or more so I think that larger size makes sense for me.
Did anyone order the larger 20mm bearings with a 200mm shuttle? If so, what was the cost of that config?
I own a Red camera and that gets to be 30lbs or more so I think that larger size makes sense for me.
Ballin' Jack
New member
Great thread to everyone who contributed very helpful, especially Zaza obviously. I just ordered my parts the same as Zaza stated on page one the 16mm. I was wonder if anyone was using the Xh-a1 with the set up, and if it works fine.
Thanks
Thanks
nickybee
Well-known member
ok - finally some pictures
ok - finally some pictures
As per my previous post here is a very easy and cool looking endcap for this drylin slider that we've been talking about.
Oh sorry - forgot to point out you should thread the endholes with the 3/8" 16 tap - the same one you used to thread the middle hole).
in my opinion it looks pretty sweet and like it belongs there.
Coolest part is that the clearance is near perfect with the carriage - see close up photo below
Last but not least the rubber blocks (part numbers for both of these listed in my previous post) - the bricks are heavy (they weigh about 7lbs each) - which is very good for stability - especially for you Red One fanboys).
there is enough clearance for the carriage to slide right over to the rubber stopper even when the rail is sitting on the bricks. The bricks feel stable and robust. I happen to prefer the look of the brick with the squared off side down on the floor. (the other side is also flat - but has slightly rounded edges).
For those paying attention you might notice that I have drilled and tapped an additional hole here - this is for the monopods when in high configuration - and for mounting to the rubber bricks when in low configuration.
I have not yet decided how I will mount this - but will figure something out tomorrow in home depot
I do happen to dislike the fact that aluminum in those predrilled holes is so thin that at 3/8" 16 there is only enough room for 2 or 3 threads. I have a feeling they can easily strip (Especially given that aluminum is a fairly light material). Any new hole you drill is almost three times as thick and will give bolts that much more bite. I may end up drilling a new hole 1cm away from the current middle of the rail (for more secure mounting to a tripod) but it's fine for now.
Hope you enjoy the mods - props to Zaza of course for the original idea.
Nick
ok - finally some pictures
As per my previous post here is a very easy and cool looking endcap for this drylin slider that we've been talking about.
Oh sorry - forgot to point out you should thread the endholes with the 3/8" 16 tap - the same one you used to thread the middle hole).
in my opinion it looks pretty sweet and like it belongs there.
Coolest part is that the clearance is near perfect with the carriage - see close up photo below
Last but not least the rubber blocks (part numbers for both of these listed in my previous post) - the bricks are heavy (they weigh about 7lbs each) - which is very good for stability - especially for you Red One fanboys).
there is enough clearance for the carriage to slide right over to the rubber stopper even when the rail is sitting on the bricks. The bricks feel stable and robust. I happen to prefer the look of the brick with the squared off side down on the floor. (the other side is also flat - but has slightly rounded edges).
For those paying attention you might notice that I have drilled and tapped an additional hole here - this is for the monopods when in high configuration - and for mounting to the rubber bricks when in low configuration.
I have not yet decided how I will mount this - but will figure something out tomorrow in home depot
I do happen to dislike the fact that aluminum in those predrilled holes is so thin that at 3/8" 16 there is only enough room for 2 or 3 threads. I have a feeling they can easily strip (Especially given that aluminum is a fairly light material). Any new hole you drill is almost three times as thick and will give bolts that much more bite. I may end up drilling a new hole 1cm away from the current middle of the rail (for more secure mounting to a tripod) but it's fine for now.
Hope you enjoy the mods - props to Zaza of course for the original idea.
Nick
Chris Light
Veteran
the rubber stoppers are a great finishing touch Nick...also the blocks you chose will be great on hard smooth floors too, not just because of the weight, but friction....well though out...i'm ordering my Igus stuff on monday!
Chris
Chris
Chris Light
Veteran
...and i deal with aluminum every day as i repair and install storefront doors and glass for a living...the threading WILL strip eventually. Great care has to be taken not to over-tighten anything...snug always works, and the thickest part is always the best....2 or 3 threads worth wont hold forever. Great point Nick.
J Davis
Veteran
i just ordered a
WS-10-80 for the rail with a length of 1480mm (58")
and a
WW-10-80-10 for the carriage.
Main difference is thinner rails and a wider track gauge
for better stability (hopefully).
While on the phone to them I spoke to their tech ppl who said the
thinner rails can hold up to 1000 lbs, same load as the thicker rails.
BTW
I'm dubbing these beasties 'the ZaZaSliders' in honor of the original poster
(kinda has a nice sound to it right?)
WS-10-80 for the rail with a length of 1480mm (58")
and a
WW-10-80-10 for the carriage.
Main difference is thinner rails and a wider track gauge
for better stability (hopefully).
While on the phone to them I spoke to their tech ppl who said the
thinner rails can hold up to 1000 lbs, same load as the thicker rails.
BTW
I'm dubbing these beasties 'the ZaZaSliders' in honor of the original poster
(kinda has a nice sound to it right?)
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nickybee
Well-known member
you read my mind chris...
you read my mind chris...
That was definitely the idea - friction plus weight...
I made a mod - to drop a thread into the blocks - making it very easy to bolt the rail down - will take some pictures tomorrow morning and add it in.
Diamond Rubber said they could mold them that way....if we ordered 500 of them
ha ha...no biggie - easy to do yourself.
Nick
you read my mind chris...
That was definitely the idea - friction plus weight...
I made a mod - to drop a thread into the blocks - making it very easy to bolt the rail down - will take some pictures tomorrow morning and add it in.
Diamond Rubber said they could mold them that way....if we ordered 500 of them
ha ha...no biggie - easy to do yourself.
Nick
nickybee
Well-known member
ok - completed.
ok - completed.
slider is now robust as f**k. it's heavy and stable because of the rubber bricks.
As people have pointed out the bricks also increase friction on smooth floors.
for example I can drop it on a hardwood floor and slide the camera without any sandbagging at all.
It's not so heavy that you can't lift it. The pictures are pretty much the same as the ones above - I just finished putting in threads into the rubber bricks.
pretty cool no ?
Looks like a real product. Just to clarify how to do this if you want to do it yourself - the rubber brick is a dock bumper from McMaster Carr (it's actually made by Diamond Rubber but they don't sell direct to consumer so you have to go to a reseller like McMaster Carr) - part number is listed earlier in the thread - as is the part number for the threaded rubber insert.
Once you have the insert in the brick - I just used a 5/16" coarse thread hex button head machine screw (1/2" long) to bolt the two together.
There's easily enough clearance for the carriage.
How to actually get here from the raw brick:
1. I decided to use 5/16" thread because I wanted as tight tolerance as possible on the aluminum hole that was predrilled in the rail.
2. Once I made that decision I needed to put a threaded metal hole into the rubber - there are a number of ways to do this - I chose to buy a rubber threaded stopper and glue it into a drilled hole in the brick.
3. Drill the hole with a Forstner bit or something similar (you could use a regular drill but they get kind of large at this size - 3/4" drill bit) - you could also use a spade bit as the rubber is soft enough to not break the drill.
4. Once you have the hole drilled you have to drop the threaded stopper in there and glue it in.
here's what my finished one looks like - it looks messy as hell and I'll explain why
If you do decide to do this the way I did it DO NOT use Liquid Nails. That's what I tried and it makes a mess. It doesn't work at all - smallest bit of torque and the rubber stopper just turns.
So I decided to try JB Weld.
To help it out I drilled small holes in the stopper and in the hole (holes went in random directions)
Then I pushed the JB weld into those holes with a small stir stick reasoning it would hold better than way (of course I covered both surfaces with JB weld as well)
Last but not least there is a reason that the hole is deeper than the rubber stopper - in fact there are 2 reasons - first because the threaded stopper I picked only had 1/4" of thread and second because I want the rails to "bite" down on the rubber for extra friction.
Anyway - it works very very well - demo video to post as soon as I get out there and shoot some stuff - and it looks like a very cool product.
Oh wait one more thing - yes you could do this another way (e.g. drill hole all the way through the brick and use a big nut on the other end - or use a toggle bolt etc etc) but I wanted something that could be taken on/off very quickly in a production environment - so I didn't want to mess around with small pieces I could lose etc etc (or have to use two hands)
In retrospect the only thing I would do different is use longer bolts (and therefore a different part number for the threaded rubber stopper). (and of course go straight to JB weld and not make a mess with Liquid Nails beforehand)
other than that - thanks a lot guys. That's me done for my slider for now. I've got two monopods for when it's on a tripod and the bricks for tabletops and/or floors.
Nick
ok - completed.
slider is now robust as f**k. it's heavy and stable because of the rubber bricks.
As people have pointed out the bricks also increase friction on smooth floors.
for example I can drop it on a hardwood floor and slide the camera without any sandbagging at all.
It's not so heavy that you can't lift it. The pictures are pretty much the same as the ones above - I just finished putting in threads into the rubber bricks.
pretty cool no ?
Looks like a real product. Just to clarify how to do this if you want to do it yourself - the rubber brick is a dock bumper from McMaster Carr (it's actually made by Diamond Rubber but they don't sell direct to consumer so you have to go to a reseller like McMaster Carr) - part number is listed earlier in the thread - as is the part number for the threaded rubber insert.
Once you have the insert in the brick - I just used a 5/16" coarse thread hex button head machine screw (1/2" long) to bolt the two together.
There's easily enough clearance for the carriage.
How to actually get here from the raw brick:
1. I decided to use 5/16" thread because I wanted as tight tolerance as possible on the aluminum hole that was predrilled in the rail.
2. Once I made that decision I needed to put a threaded metal hole into the rubber - there are a number of ways to do this - I chose to buy a rubber threaded stopper and glue it into a drilled hole in the brick.
3. Drill the hole with a Forstner bit or something similar (you could use a regular drill but they get kind of large at this size - 3/4" drill bit) - you could also use a spade bit as the rubber is soft enough to not break the drill.
4. Once you have the hole drilled you have to drop the threaded stopper in there and glue it in.
here's what my finished one looks like - it looks messy as hell and I'll explain why
If you do decide to do this the way I did it DO NOT use Liquid Nails. That's what I tried and it makes a mess. It doesn't work at all - smallest bit of torque and the rubber stopper just turns.
So I decided to try JB Weld.
To help it out I drilled small holes in the stopper and in the hole (holes went in random directions)
Then I pushed the JB weld into those holes with a small stir stick reasoning it would hold better than way (of course I covered both surfaces with JB weld as well)
Last but not least there is a reason that the hole is deeper than the rubber stopper - in fact there are 2 reasons - first because the threaded stopper I picked only had 1/4" of thread and second because I want the rails to "bite" down on the rubber for extra friction.
Anyway - it works very very well - demo video to post as soon as I get out there and shoot some stuff - and it looks like a very cool product.
Oh wait one more thing - yes you could do this another way (e.g. drill hole all the way through the brick and use a big nut on the other end - or use a toggle bolt etc etc) but I wanted something that could be taken on/off very quickly in a production environment - so I didn't want to mess around with small pieces I could lose etc etc (or have to use two hands)
In retrospect the only thing I would do different is use longer bolts (and therefore a different part number for the threaded rubber stopper). (and of course go straight to JB weld and not make a mess with Liquid Nails beforehand)
other than that - thanks a lot guys. That's me done for my slider for now. I've got two monopods for when it's on a tripod and the bricks for tabletops and/or floors.
Nick
ZazaCast
Major Contributor
Really nice! I might just have to get some of those boat bumper too.
I'm wondering, how long of a rail did you get? Do you really need the monopods on the ends? I mount mine on a single tripod in the center hole and have part of a ball adapter, the head, a DVX100b w/ M2, rails, follow focus and lens... never moves an inch, even when I slide out to the very end. Is yours bending or something?
I'm wondering, how long of a rail did you get? Do you really need the monopods on the ends? I mount mine on a single tripod in the center hole and have part of a ball adapter, the head, a DVX100b w/ M2, rails, follow focus and lens... never moves an inch, even when I slide out to the very end. Is yours bending or something?
ZazaCast
Major Contributor
Shawneous...yes, someone did buy the larger size and said it was 'beefy'. I'm sure the 20mm would handle some serious weight as the 16mm is rated for 500 lbs. Give iGus a call and talk to a rep....:beer:
***EDIT...found it back at post #46 of this thread.
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nickybee
Well-known member
good point zaza...
good point zaza...
to be honest I hadn't even tried it yet.
I've been meaning to get a monopod since back when Jarred (mr. dvxuser brought one to Sierra Leone when he was shooting my movie there.
so when I saw you can get a cheapass monopod for $25 on ebay I just ordered 2 thinking I could use them on the slider if need be - worst case scenario I end up with a spare monopod.
Because of how quickly I can get rid of the bricks I wasn't intending to have them on the slider at all - when it's attached to a tripod.
I'm not at all worried about the slider bending - I'm more concerned about the tripod legs.
I got the 1000mm one.
Cool thing about the bricks though - even if you had a 5000mm slider you just slap in an extra brick or two and you're done.
'course it's a bit harder to move around a 5000mm slider
Nick
good point zaza...
to be honest I hadn't even tried it yet.
I've been meaning to get a monopod since back when Jarred (mr. dvxuser
brought one to Sierra Leone when he was shooting my movie there.so when I saw you can get a cheapass monopod for $25 on ebay I just ordered 2 thinking I could use them on the slider if need be - worst case scenario I end up with a spare monopod.
Because of how quickly I can get rid of the bricks I wasn't intending to have them on the slider at all - when it's attached to a tripod.
I'm not at all worried about the slider bending - I'm more concerned about the tripod legs.
I got the 1000mm one.
Cool thing about the bricks though - even if you had a 5000mm slider you just slap in an extra brick or two and you're done.
'course it's a bit harder to move around a 5000mm slider
Nick
ZazaCast
Major Contributor
to be honest I hadn't even tried it yet.
I've been meaning to get a monopod since back when Jarred (mr. dvxuser
so when I saw you can get a cheapass monopod for $25 on ebay I just ordered 2 thinking I could use them on the slider if need be - worst case scenario I end up with a spare monopod.
Because of how quickly I can get rid of the bricks I wasn't intending to have them on the slider at all - when it's attached to a tripod.
I'm not at all worried about the slider bending - I'm more concerned about the tripod legs.
I got the 1000mm one.
Cool thing about the bricks though - even if you had a 5000mm slider you just slap in an extra brick or two and you're done.
'course it's a bit harder to move around a 5000mm slider
Nick
Yes.. I see... I actually use three 5lb. leg weights on my tripod, so it's not tipping!
J Davis
Veteran
Nickybee,
the rubber stoppers are an awesome addition to the ZaZaSlider
The icing on the cake so to speak.
My slider parts arrived and as you can see the carriage is wider and rails thinner.
What I didn't realize is the holes in the railing are paired
so I must drill a new hole to have it centered.
I will also have to find lower profile stoppers.
EDIT: for reference
the width between these two rails is 80mm as opposed to
the 60mm that is on the original ZaZaSlider
also my rail diameter is 10mm, not 16
the rubber stoppers are an awesome addition to the ZaZaSlider
The icing on the cake so to speak.
My slider parts arrived and as you can see the carriage is wider and rails thinner.
What I didn't realize is the holes in the railing are paired
so I must drill a new hole to have it centered.
I will also have to find lower profile stoppers.
EDIT: for reference
the width between these two rails is 80mm as opposed to
the 60mm that is on the original ZaZaSlider
also my rail diameter is 10mm, not 16
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nickybee
Well-known member
yeah bummer about holes - although aluminium is pretty easy to drill...
check out this page at mcmastercarr - http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/115/3698
that's where I got my bumpers from - so just drill a hole and thread it - there will be one to match (you could get two on either side if there's enough clearance from hole to rail - but at $10 a bumper you may not want to
Nick
check out this page at mcmastercarr - http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/115/3698
that's where I got my bumpers from - so just drill a hole and thread it - there will be one to match (you could get two on either side if there's enough clearance from hole to rail - but at $10 a bumper you may not want to
Nick
J Davis
Veteran
I checked your stopper link when u first posted it - very cool.
But at $10 a pop and I would need 4 then I better find a cheaper solution
or start drillin' !!!
and I also have to drill holes in the rail for attaching two tripods !
Plan is to use a fairly cheap tripod at each end as this is a 58" rail.
I know the heads won't come off cheap tripods but thats the plan as I hope
to have the option to angle the rail on the vertical axis.
Then use waterbags/sandbags hanging from central columns of the tripods
for stability.
But at $10 a pop and I would need 4 then I better find a cheaper solution
or start drillin' !!!
and I also have to drill holes in the rail for attaching two tripods !
Plan is to use a fairly cheap tripod at each end as this is a 58" rail.
I know the heads won't come off cheap tripods but thats the plan as I hope
to have the option to angle the rail on the vertical axis.
Then use waterbags/sandbags hanging from central columns of the tripods
for stability.
ZazaCast
Major Contributor
I see you ordered a different size...please let us know how it works. Does it slide as smooth? How long is the rail? Is it just as rigid, or does it bow?
J Davis
Veteran
Slides perfectly smooth but I don't own your carriage to compare it too. Tech ppl
on the line said that both this rail and your rail support the same weight with
the same co-efficient of friction. I opted for a wider 80mm guage in the hope of
extra stability but didn't expect the paired holes in the track. More drilling for me.
One bonus is the cost for this 80mm rail is cheaper. They measure the cost of the
rail by the millimeter. The carriage was cheaper too. Sales ppl helped me calculate
costs but I never wrote it down.
I think from memory, if I had ordered the same length rail as your original ZaZaSlider,
and with my 80mm width, my order total would have been $40 cheaper. However I
ordered a longer length which drove my cost back up again.
For ease of carrying I didn't go beyond shoulder height, and I was careful about
weight too. Mine weighs in at just under 5lbs with carriage.
Order was
WS-10-80 for the rail with a length of 1480mm (58")
and a
WW-10-80-10 for the carriage.
Came to $172
Shipping from Rhode Is to NYC was $6
The choice of adding exactly 480mm was deliberate as it is a multiple of 120mm
which is the gap between holes (thanks to you for this info in an earlier post)
Long live the ZaZaSlider !!
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