fig rig anyone?

faultygoblin said:
hmm will need to make a trip to the junkyard or auto supply store soonish, I think the older wheels will work a bit better, any thoughts on the merits of using an old metal wheel or one of the newer plastics?
Im half tempted to pull the wheel of my Ghia... but that would be bad.. as far as affixing it to a tripod with the rig on are you just building a seperate mounting plate underneath?
Click to expand...

I say use an older metal one since they are cheap, light for their thickness, and offer a larger diameter for bigger cameras and atttachments.

See my project I posted last year if you missed the earlier post:

R-click (ctrl-click on Mac) and download the PDF file...

[URL="http://www.geocities.com/kingvidiot83/FigRigProject.pdf"]http://www.geocities.com/kingvidiot83/FigRigProject.pdf [/URL]

It costs about $30 if you are resourceful.
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I got to play with a real FigRig this week... and I was surprised how big and heavy it is. I'm 6' and about 205+/- and I'd say I'm a pretty big boy... and the FigRig felt awkward to me... too wide for sure... maybe not by a lot, but definitely a little too wide. I measured it and it's 19". The next time I see these guys I'm bringing my digital scale too... because I always thought it was feather light... it is definitely NOT. Didn't you think it was a carbon fiber hoop at that price? Nope. Aluminum.

I'm going to get back to my rigs as soon as a few parts get here... they were due last week. Same old story every time.

I've given away several "beta" models of mine locally... and one guy who has one called for some help on a shoot and said to bring another one with me... that is a good sign... but I don't have another one to bring. D'oh!

Soon... thanks everybody. Seeing and using a FigRig up close really stoked my fire... they gotta' get the weight down on that thing. While I realize that wood isn't nearly as appealing as more permanent materials... there's something to be said for cutting the weight nearly in half. In the last couple of weeks I've done some seriously aerobic run 'n gun and it's converted me to a disciple of the light. (weight that is)
 
hmmmm..... i bought a real one and it is the most useful piece of camera support i own. i don't find it heavy or awkward at all. i love this thing!! it's almost as steady as my glidecam and way easier to use. i started this thread cuz i was going to make my own but the one i was making was looking really ghetto and felt cheesy. so i took the plunge. best $300 i've spent in a while. presentation value alone is worth the dough plus the quick release it comes with is solid and the same size as my 503 head so quick changes are easy..... fig rig rules!!!
 
I'm working on a rig myself. Using gray PVC conduit to build it instead of regular white PVC because 45s and 90s are available in sweeps, so it will give it more of a "rounded" look. I was going to use 3/4", but 1/2" will be better so I can fit a pair of handlebar grips on it as well as some foam and some athletic tape for the rest to grab onto. I think I'll christen it the "SportyRig" :) .

Also, I'm going to add a built in zoom control, vari and 3-speed. Have all the parts. Building this weekend. I'll post pics when finished.

I picked up my new DVX100b at Abel Cine in Burbank this week and got a chance to try out the Fig Rig there. IMO, it's actually lighter than I thought it would be. The tripod connector on the bottom seems to add a lot of weight to it. Take that off, it easily weighs less than a pound. Still don't want to shell out another $300 for it. So, we'll see what I can do.

John G.
 
does anyone know how hot to get pvc before it bends but doesn't melt?? i'm thinking you could get pretty good results bending some pvc on a jig to get a nice lightweight ring....any thoughts?
 
OregonDank said:
does anyone know how hot to get pvc before it bends but doesn't melt?? i'm thinking you could get pretty good results bending some pvc on a jig to get a nice lightweight ring....any thoughts?
Click to expand...

that was my method. pvc will bend with not much heat. just use a plumber's torch and keep it moving. i was using an old drum (the musical kind) as my jig. you can find odd drums cheap on ebay or at your local music or pawn shops. just make sure you take the plastic shell off (if it has one) before torching. i was using a 16" tom. worked fine but the result was very diy looking so i bought a real figrig......
 
ok i just got back from wandering around Home Depot and i got about $30.00 worth of stuff that should get me pretty far on a sick DIY figrig...

i found some 1/2" pvc"type" tubing - its black plastic tubing that comes on like a 100' coil so its already bent into a nice circle - it was only $8.98 and they had 3/4" if you wanted to go for that...i didn't because i also got a pack of fiberglass cloth and a tin of all-purpose fiberglass resin made by Bondo (5.97 & 13.97 respectively)...i will use this to attempt to wrap the ring made from the black tubing...for a cross-bar i found a perfect sized piece of angle iron made from billet-aluminum stock ($4.27)...oh yea, the male-to male connector piece for the ring was $.28 too

i'm gonna go fly fishing and start making the sucker later tonite...i'll post some pics when i'm done if the finished product doesn't suck too bad
 
I'm wondering, is there really any technical information needed to know when making a fig rig? I had my uncle bend somemetal for me to make a circle and welded a piece of metal going across the inside, is there anything i'm missing? Should I keep anything in mind? Thanks :)
 
Cephalectomy:

Light, comfortable, balanced. Roomy enough for your camera with the LCD open. Also, you should be able to grip the ring even or below the camera so you don't have to raise your arms up any higher than you need too when "driving it". Beyond that, I guess it's builder's choice.

John G.
 
ok, i'm hoping what i have will work ok. This is a crappy picture but it's what i have. You can't see the detail in the crossing bar but it's basically a metal bar with a 90 angle, so it goes about about half what u see and the other half extends out to sit the camera on it. I just need the proper sized bolt to thread the camera on to it. It's basically some bended metal with hockey tape put round it for comfort. Feels good to hold on to, enough weight to be something but doesn't seem like too much.

rigged-figrig.jpg
 
Your uncle bent an aluminum tube into a circle that perfect? Wow! Your uncle is amazing!

Why don't you have him start on a Merlin? I'm dead serious.
 
Haha, actually it's only half tubing, we put a hose on the inside to create the full circle for grip, seems to work fine though. Although, I wonder if I should probably made a plate to add to it as the metal landingmight not be quite wide enough, don't wanna put any strain that could possibly strip the threading on the dvx.
 
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This is what's on the FigRig. The quick release plate on the left is a Manfrotto 3273. It's $39.95 from B&H including the sliding mounting plate. The one on the right is an Bogen (still Manfrotto) 577... for some reason it's $49.95. Even on the Manfrotto website they list the 577 as more. As best I can tell the mount is the very same for both... and the 577 just gives you a shorter plate.

I'm using the 3273 on my own rig. The mount has several holes ready to use for mounting. Pop one of these on your rig and your golden.
 
Yep, I picked up a 3273 at Samy's in L.A. for $39.00. That's what I'm using on my rig. Pics soon.

Cephalectomy:

You should pick up some aluminum conduit at Home Depot for your uncle to bend for you. You can get 1/2" or 3/4" at about $5 for a 10' stick. A 5' piece will get you a 19" diameter on the rig (like the real Fig Rig).

John G.
 
does anyone know the measurement from the bottom of the wheel to the top of the cross member?

is the original 3/4" tubing or 1/2" ?
 
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