DIY Mini Track & Jib (2-in-1)

Ted Ramasola

Ted Ramasola

Veteran
I saw my bro use an original slider in a movie he DP'd, I liked the concept, the problem is, I can't find the components locally on my island.
I kept going into home improvement stores looking for a solution, finally I found alternatives and those who are in the same predicament I am, (3rd world isolation & economics) might find this useful.

Here's some pics of the finished mini track & jib. Just holler if you want more details and want construction photos.

Its cheap! Assuming you already have wood and bolts and nuts which I have an assortment of in my shop, I only spent approx. $ 75 US. (current forex) For the Track and 3 sets of wheels which come in pairs, so thats six in all.

Its sooo light. 2.75 Ilbs. --and most of all, -it works.

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Hey Ted, your DIY skills are awesome. How does this thing perform, do you have any example footage?
I'd definately like to see more details!
 
Brilliant! I love it! :-)) I was thinking along the same lines, door/window track hardware pieces from the Home Depot (or equivalent hardware shop/home center store).
 
Heres a video of the DIY mini track & jib in some tests I did in the studio.



[size=+2]DIY Mini Track & Jib[/size]
 
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Very nice footage. Ultra smooth, especially that jib shot, well done. Could you please share the building materials and process?

Thanks

Eric
 
Eric,

Thanks, I started putting the pics together but decided to test it first and let you guys see the footage and the thing in action first.. :-) gimme a moment to finish the layout of the pics.
 
nice...on the last video, some of the movement appears jerky. Is that the dolly mechanism, or a playback issue of the footage on my computer?

looks like you are using shower door, or outdoor sliding door tracking and wheels. Wonder if that would work on a camera heavier than the DSLR?
 
Construction Photos!

Construction Photos!

Glad you guys like it.
As usual, here's the construction photos that you can use as your guide.
The thing ain't rocket science so feel free to make improvements and mods, just bear in mind to keep the holes for the center base plates and left and right plate aligned and at same distance all the time to keep the both tracks straight.

Have fun!

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Have you attempted sliding the dolly while the rig is in jib mode?
One would think that'd give some very nice shots.

EDIT: Thinking about it, that could be hard to do with only one person.
 
Teddy your DIY stuff is so great. I'm sure you've been asked a lot, but do you sell any of these things you make at all? I'm sure you could make a good profit. (mostly interested in a skater rig since I'm not handy enough to make one myself.. yet..)

Also I'll probably try and make one of these for me soon.. they look really simple! Am I deceived?

Also, what are you using for the middle metal baseplate? Are all the supplies something I can find in any typical hardware store?
 
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Rizzice said:
Teddy your DIY stuff is so great. I'm sure you've been asked a lot, but do you sell any of these things you make at all? I'm sure you could make a good profit. (mostly interested in a skater rig since I'm not handy enough to make one myself.. yet..)

Also I'll probably try and make one of these for me soon.. they look really simple! Am I deceived?

Also, what are you using for the middle metal baseplate? Are all the supplies something I can find in any typical hardware store?
Click to expand...

Thanks Rizzice,

I make them out of sheer necessity, since I can't easily acquire them in my location. I don't make them for profit. And since I'm really backlogged in my projects, I can only steal moments between projects to make the stuff I figured I really need for the next one.

This mini track & jib is fairly easy, as it doesn't require welding as compared to other stuff I make.

The metal base plate is a piece of aluminum I cut from a long rectangular tube used to frame or hold thick glass.
For the carriage, its also from the same piece of aluminum tube.

However, during my initial tests I used a piece of plywood for the carriage to test the wheel positions and smoothness of the wheels before deciding on the final dimensions for it and cutting the aluminum tube.
 
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sek0910 said:
Wonder if that would work on a camera heavier than the DSLR?
Click to expand...

sek0910,

I just tested the heavy JVCHD200 with an Anton Bauer Dionic 90 battery in track mode and it held up fine. I didnt try it in jib mode as the length juts out the back too far to give us a full arc of travel, & the weight of the cam is kinda heavy for a jib maneuver.

Tracking mode tho is no problem.
 
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