DIY IndieSlider...

javapop said:
Thanks again Zaza,

Guess I am trying to figure out the best portable method that can be put together, and taken apart, so I don't end up carrying around the slider mounted on tripod the whole day.... but can have it available as needed close by.

I like the idea of having a QR bracket for the slider itself; but if I do that.... then need to use the tripod without the slider, that would be a little complicated. What would you suggest, or have seen typically with using the slier, perhaps for a wedding videographer? I am lovin' this thing!!!!
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I have my slider on a manfrotto 3046 with a 501 head on the carriage.... I then have a standard manfrotto tripod with a 503 head....(both use the same plate) camera just pops off one & onto the other.
You might want to think about getting a 700mm piece of rail. It gives you a good 2 feet of slide and is small enough to just leave on the tripod. Add the carriage brake mod: http://www.zazaslider.com/instructions.html
and you can do lockdown shot too. Just because the cameras on a slider, doesn't mean you have to slide all the time. I find it comes in handy for framing shots...you have a good foot in either direction without having to move the tripod and re-level it.
 
Whats a good resource for getting ideas on the types of shots you can get with a slider? I did see the zaza vimeo channel; but it is a little hit and miss. I would love to have a stock pile of ideas to look out for in any situation!
 
Sean Michael said:
Here's my 0.5 meter slider. Yesterday we drilled and tapped the holes and put it all together. I'm using a Manfrotto 488RC0 head with a 75mm bowl leveler on the tripod.

I already owned a 1 meter SD Glidetrack made of the lighter weight carriage. We took the end pieces from it and used it with the parts I ordered from Igus.

My goal was to create something both more portable and more stable. I think this will fit the bill. It supports the weight of my EX1 nicely.
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What are your end blocks made up of? (supports for ground shots...)???
 
Keith... after digging through this very long thread, I found your photos! Perfect! I have been trying to envision this exact idea.
Thanks!

KeithAndrews.TV said:
Recently finished my slider and have taken a couple of quick pics for reference. I opted not to tap the carriage, and instead used a 3/8" drill and 3/8" bolt to slide into the tripod head, or quick release adapter. The only place on the rail I tapped a 3/8" thread was at one of the ends of the rail to support counterweights for jib operation.

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Slider with quick release adapter mounted to carriage

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Manfrotto quick release adapter ($50 including camera plate)

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5/16" zinc stove bolt with zinc fender washer and nut attaching camera plate

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Clearance between carriage bolt and 5/16" camera plate bolt

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Dolly operation on left, and jib operation on right

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Side view showing tripod head clearance between two camera plates

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Closer shot of the above image

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Slider in jib mode with vinten pedestal counterweights

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Close up of vinten pedestal counterweights
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muntus said:
Has someone tried out this carriage? http://www.igus.co.uk/wpck/default.aspx?Pagename=N11_6_11_Schlitten_CAM_Roller&C=GB&L=en I'm very interested in not having to fab up a crappy carriage to use the hybrid bearings.
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Not available in the US yet...but the glidetrack uses something like it. I'm waiting for a sample. It will be louder as the wheels in there are a hard plastic (not a soft rubber).
Here's my thoughts back from a year ago when the hybrid bearings first came out: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?145701-DIY-IndieSlider...&p=1908974&viewfull=1#post1908974
(it's in the very first post.....I try to keep that updated so people don't have go through the thousands of posts in the thread)
 
Thanks ZaZa. I've seen the bearings before, just not the carriage and remain optimistic about reorienting the bearings so that they ride on top of the rail as opposed to the side.
 
Here is a little tip to anyone located in Canada looking to order the Igus slider parts. Contact them directly through Oliver Hayward (Ontario contact, don't know the other region reps). Here is his email, ohayward@igus.com

I contacted him looking for a 16-60 rail and carriage, he was quick to reply with info and pricing. The pricing was the same as Amazon.com ($158 US = $151 CDN with current exchange rate) but obviously there would be no customs charges, and shipping would be less, or free if you go pick it up from their office located in Concord, ON (or wherever your reagion's head office is located).

Anyways, just thought this might help you guys out. I've ordered mine and picking it up in the next few days from their office.
 
muntus said:
Thanks ZaZa. I've seen the bearings before, just not the carriage and remain optimistic about reorienting the bearings so that they ride on top of the rail as opposed to the side.
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Um... yeah... I've played with these for the last year (reorienting them to ride on top)... still loud and have a 'bump' to them when they roll.... but you never know....
 
My carriage seems to have lost its lubrication. Its not as smooth as it used to be. there is more friction than I would like with a manfrotto head and a canon 7D. What can I do to make it smoother? Some powder? I really dont want to put oil on the track. thanks
 
Lucas 7D said:
My carriage seems to have lost its lubrication. Its not as smooth as it used to be. there is more friction than I would like with a manfrotto head and a canon 7D. What can I do to make it smoother? Some powder? I really dont want to put oil on the track. thanks
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DO NOT use any kind of oil!!!

Clean the rail with pledge (furniture polish)...wipe it down good...and then follow "detailed glide block alignment" instructions to re-align the carriage found here: http://www.zazaslider.com/support.html
Should get you back to smooth sliding!
 
Got the 16-60 parts. These are pretty heavy duty stuff. I think the smaller version would have been more than enough for DSLR... I think I will make the threads and test it out but in the end sell it and get the smaller version (glidetrack SD I think uses the smaller parts). This is a bit too heavy to travel with.
 
isle said:
Got the 16-60 parts. These are pretty heavy duty stuff. I think the smaller version would have been more than enough for DSLR... I think I will make the threads and test it out but in the end sell it and get the smaller version (glidetrack SD I think uses the smaller parts). This is a bit too heavy to travel with.
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Yes... the 1040 or 1080 will work fine for smaller cameras...but, with the 1660 you're ready for heavier loads.

...and WOW... the thread now has over 500,000 views! Cool.
 
isle said:
btw, do you sell the "glidetrack sd" version?
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No, I don't... but you can get it directly from igus via their Amazon page. I believe it's $79.00.
You might want to think about just getting a shorter piece of rail? I carry a 1000mm & 700mm piece of rail.
The 700mm gives you a good 2 feet of slide (which is a LOT), fits in tighter spots and is lighter (not that he 1000mm slider is heavy...it's 6lbs.).

Having tested pretty much every igus option, I found that the 16mm rail actually slides smoother then the 10mm.... food for thought.
 
Wow this thread has gotten huge since I bought my slider last year! It wasn't until Saturday that I was able to get a hands-on test of the new Glidetrack Hybrid using the Hybrid roller/drylin bearings from Igus. I must say, it is a huge improvement on the old system. While the sliding was smooth on the traditional slider system, I found it did have a lot of friction making solo operation quite difficult ( like when coupled with focus pulling and tilting for example). I called Igus to try and order a new plate with the hybrid carriages today and was informed that they are currently not shipping a camera-slider-compatible carriage/plate combo. Glidetrack offers just the upgraded carriage and feet minus the rail...at around $400CAD when coupled with shipping. Definitely can't afford that especially since the individual carriages sell for around $22.98 each.

Sorry for the long-winded prologue. My question: has anyone had any luck devising a carriage system to utilize the new Hybrid carriages from Igus? I saw that you had tried it last year Zaza, but the carriages need to be mounted so that the load is placed on the rollers rather than have the rollers on the side as per your post. I am extremely eager for this as my second year of filmschool approaches and this will allow me to place a significantly heavier load on the slider (whereas now it takes considerable force for anything approaching 6 pounds). The 'Hague' slider also uses the new Igus bearings and has devised a system, but again its over $200CAD after shipping and taxes. I hope there's been some developments since last year, and I did try to make it through most of the posts. I hope I didn't run right passed it.

**edit** Just to clarify, I own the WS-16-60-1000 Rail.
 
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Christer said:
Wow this thread has gotten huge since I bought my slider last year! It wasn't until Saturday that I was able to get a hands-on test of the new Glidetrack Hybrid using the Hybrid roller/drylin bearings from Igus. I must say, it is a huge improvement on the old system. While the sliding was smooth on the traditional slider system, I found it did have a lot of friction making solo operation quite difficult ( like when coupled with focus pulling and tilting for example). I called Igus to try and order a new plate with the hybrid carriages today and was informed that they are currently not shipping a camera-slider-compatible carriage/plate combo. Glidetrack offers just the upgraded carriage and feet minus the rail...at around $400CAD when coupled with shipping. Definitely can't afford that especially since the individual carriages sell for around $22.98 each.

Sorry for the long-winded prologue. My question: has anyone had any luck devising a carriage system to utilize the new Hybrid carriages from Igus? I saw that you had tried it last year Zaza, but the carriages need to be mounted so that the load is placed on the rollers rather than have the rollers on the side as per your post. I am extremely eager for this as my second year of filmschool approaches and this will allow me to place a significantly heavier load on the slider (whereas now it takes considerable force for anything approaching 6 pounds). The 'Hague' slider also uses the new Igus bearings and has devised a system, but again its over $200CAD after shipping and taxes. I hope there's been some developments since last year, and I did try to make it through most of the posts. I hope I didn't run right passed it.
Click to expand...
... you ran right past it. I've played with many combinations of the hybrid bearings riding on top of the rail. Was not impressed as the rollers are a hard plastic, noisy and actually have a little 'bump' to them as they roll. That hybrid carriage isn't available in the US yet, I'm waiting to check one out to see if it's any better.

As far as a heavy load... I have a 10-15lbs rig on mine all the time and it slides smooth as silk. You must not have yours aligned properly or have a dirty rail? The more weight you put on it, the better it slides. Try cleaning the rail and realigning the glide blocks: http://www.zazaslider.com/support.html
 
I did notice the noise was a bit of an issue when using the Glidetrack Hybrid. However, it took so little force to move the carriage along and I found it much easier to achieve a steadier slider speed whereas I found the traditional way quite difficult to overcome the "stickiness" that occurs. Also, today was a very hot day (36 degrees c, 45 with humidity) and there is definitely a lot more friction with the slider today. Do you find temperature has a large effect on the slider's fluidity?

I have done the realign thanks to your suggestions and I didn't see an improvement. You've said that the more weight, the easier it slides but with mine it is just the opposite. It slides very well when there's nothing on the carriage, but with camera, lens and tripod head added, the friction is greatly enhanced. It's tricky because I really don't have a benchmark so I'm not sure if I'm just being finicky or if I should be looking at contacting Igus for some new bearings. Thanks again for your help Zaza. You really are fantastic at helping people out with this stuff.
 
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