DIY Zacuto Striker For $75

A

abbac2

Member
Hi, All

I've received so much helpful information from this forum that I thought I would try to give some in return and share with you what I've come up with.

I really liked how the Zacuto Striker \http://store.zacuto.com/Striker.html looked but didn't like the price tag.:( So I decided to build my own.
The clamps and gunstock I made from a 8x8x1" piece of Delrin plastic that I picked up at a local plastic dealer for $22. It's very hard plastic that you can tap and the nice thing is that you can use regular woodworking tools to cut and drill it.
For the knobs on the clamps I used some plastic T-nuts from the local hardware store with short pieces cut off of a 1/4x20 threaded rod. For the pipes I used regular copper pipe used for plumbing.
I used a Manfrotto 323 Quick release system to mount the camera.

If there is enough interest I may try to find the time to write up some instructions on how to make the different parts. I was able to use a drill press and tablesaw which made things easier than doing it all with hand tools.

I'm very pleased with how it came out, and it works very well! Saved myself about $900!

[EDIT]
I have finally got a tutorial made for the clamps. The pdf was too big to upload to this forum so I put it on my sky drive. http://cid-b9e9b58a843a412a.office.live.com/browse.aspx/.Public?uc=1
[/EDIT]

Here is some pics of the materials I used, and the finished rig.
 

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This looks great, very pro. The pieces you used to connect the pipes really look good. Do you have links where we could pull of something like this? Does it scratch easy ?

Once you've field tested it looking forward to hearing the report of how it went.
 
No links. I just went from pics I saw online. The paint didn't stick to the plastic as well as I wanted it to due to the hurry I was in.(Didn't let the primer dry long enough:() It scratches as much as enamel paint scratches. One thing I thought of is using epoxy paint which cost slightly more but has a super hard finish.

The best thing to do would be to get some plastic that is already colored black. I don't know why I didn't:(. To much of a hurry I guess. yeah I know haste makes waste.

If I do a writeup I'll get some black plastic to demonstrate the process of making the clamps. It will only take me a few hours to make a new set. It's really pretty simple, I don't know why more people don't do something like this.
 
that's very nice looking indeed!

and since you mention paint issues...epoxy paint would work wonders, but like you said, it's a bit costly, but for those who may not be able to find plastic that's already black, i can suggest Appliance Paint. Usually found in a spray can at Home Depot. Appliance paint is much like Engine Paint, it adheres very well to plastic and metal. It withstands high temperatures, and it's much cheaper than powder coating (which can't be applied to plastic at all anyway). I used it exclusively when i made my own custom drum kits. i used it on the typical chrome hardware...almost always used black. it's tough, and it's cheap. hope that helps some readers here.
 
Yes, the 90 degree clamps are made from delrin plastic. They work very well.
I'm going to be busy in the next few weeks, but I'll try to get some time to post some more info.

Thanks for the complements on the looks of the rig.
 
v00d0o said:
do you think PVC sheets, Acrylic sheets or POLYPROPYLENE sheets will work
Click to expand...

I haven't tried any of those, so I can't recommend any of them.
I wouldn't try acrylic though. It is too brittle.

Delrin plastic is often called acetal plastic in case you are having a hard time finding it.

Here is a link that may interest you.http://www.midlandplastics.com/tech-specs.htm
It's a page on Midland plastics website (the place I got mine from) that has some info on the properties of different kinds of plastics.

Also, I am working on a diagram with dimensions for the clamps and gunstock with a description of how I made them.
 
Great looking rig, how well does it perform ?


No acrylic will crack pretty easy, maybe polycarbonate would be better if you go that route. The derlin would be best, but the PVC sheets I've never tried. I've made a few brackets out of derlin before, they work pretty good for light weight stuff, but anything on the heavy side the shape will shift.
 
twocik23 said:
Great looking rig, how well does it perform ?
Click to expand...

It works well. It's very comfortable and fits well. I was trying it out at a kayaking tournament and a guy walked up and asked where he could get one.

For those interested I am still working on instructions for making the clamps. I'm trying to get a lot of work done so I can go on a vacation in a couple weeks. So I'm VERY short on time.
 
I'm very impressed that you pulled this off without using a lathe or other hardcore machine-shop tools: just a drill press and a table saw, eh?

Even if you can't do a full tutorial, maybe you could take 5 minutes and snap some closeups of the components? I'm interested in how your clamps work. Are they tapped on the inside? Is there a nut pressed in there somewhere?
 
So this project got me interested in this delrin material, which I've seen used for all sorts of projects but always seems to be absurdly expensive. I did a bit of searching just now though, and found an e-bay seller that seems to have reasonable prices especially if you are in the US or Canada and can order more than $50.00, in which case the seller ships for free.

here`s the link: http://stores.ebay.ca/The-Great-Ind...14QQ_sidZ356600274QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322

The blocks he`s selling are offcuts, but he seems to have a pretty constant supply of them and the sizes aren't even really all that invconvenient. I found a 1 inch by 1inch by 20 inch bar for $7.00 ...I'll bet you could build an entire rig like the one in the OP with that.
 
Eric Ferguson said:
Even if you can't do a full tutorial, maybe you could take 5 minutes and snap some closeups of the components? I'm interested in how your clamps work. Are they tapped on the inside? Is there a nut pressed in there somewhere?
Click to expand...

I will get a tutorial of some sort posted ASAP. So please be patient.
 
Ok I finally got the tutorial for the clamps done!
The pdf file was too big to upload so I put it on my skydrive.
http://cid-b9e9b58a843a412a.office.live.com/browse.aspx/.Public?uc=1
Some of it is sorta brief (I'm not a good writer) but the cad drawings are pretty informative.

Let me know about any questions you have.

Also, thanks to Eric Ferguson for the link to this ebay store http://stores.ebay.ca/The-Great-Industrial-Garage-Sale_1-00-thick_W0QQ_fsubZ894428014QQ_sidZ356600274QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322
 
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