Gary Sconce
Veteran
The HyperCrane is almost done. I will be painting it next week hammertone black. In alpha testing I am very pleased with the smooth movement and the controls. The vertical rise is 20', and the horizontal movement is 360 degrees. (Don't mind the messy background in the pics, I am having a garage sale.)
The horizontal controls are chain drive with dual shift gear ratios for fast pans and incremental pans. Vertical control is a friction crank with a 1:1 ratio and a friction brake. Vertical attachments have two placements for fixed rise and for variable rise. The vertical section of the head has a arcing cam track that perpetuates the mechanical advantage lever arm in spite of what angle the head is tilted at. The head balances the camera perfectly by addition of small weights to the rear dual lever arms of the head for smooth movement. All movements have oiled sliders or bearing movements. The camera head will allow 340 degree camera pans. The head camera platform is designed to fit any camera and all accessories. Vertical camera head movement will move 180 degrees up and down. With the Hypercam low rig attached on the head's camera platform, the HyperCrane will pan past vertical and can pendulum swing under control below the head for effects. Fixed cable camera head movement is solid and smooth, and locks down at the gimbal for ease of control.
The tripod is solid and adjustable. The tripod wheeled feet will adjust their angle with lock pins and can vary from a base of nearly 5' to narrow width for inside a hallway. The wheel casters have brakes. External tripod struts use zytel jawslide clamps and pins and are adjustable for the differing widths of the tripod. The tripod can elevate to over 6' tall to add variable height to the rig.
The front half of the crane is removable and the head then mounts to the 10' rear trussed section for interior crane shots in a standard room. The trussing of that section allows for the removal of all suspension support, hugely narrowing the overall size of the HyperCrane. Wiring for video monitoring and for electronic focus and zoom controls is waiting to be added after the paint is on. Alternate dolly wheel blocks will fit on the tripod giving the HyperCrane the capability of rolling on a track.
The entire HyperCrane goes together and comes apart quickly for set up and striking the set. The guy wires and suspension struts all come in sections and roll up. The head comes off with one pin. The two 10' lengths of the crane are unbolted. The gimbal is removed with one bolt and the controls slide off. The whole shebang then fits on a roof rack or in a van, with all cables in a bag.
In the last shot, you see the HyperDolly, a really heavy duty tripod dolly, under the HyperCrane. After I built the Hyperdolly, I found that the HyperCrane is so stable and rolls so well, I didn't need it. So I will save it for a camera tripod, or attach a seat and use it for filming on a track. Live and learn.
I have photographed each and every detail of construction; over 200 photos with measurements... And will post a 'Build your own HyperCrane' thread in the future after I figure out why Photobucket keeps removing my photos from my posts even though they are public. In my bet with him, I do owe Shane Foster an In 'N out Burger... I spent $156 and not less than $100. Still, that 'aint too bad for a 20'/10' full function crane! If you can scrounge and weld, you too can build one of these.
The horizontal controls are chain drive with dual shift gear ratios for fast pans and incremental pans. Vertical control is a friction crank with a 1:1 ratio and a friction brake. Vertical attachments have two placements for fixed rise and for variable rise. The vertical section of the head has a arcing cam track that perpetuates the mechanical advantage lever arm in spite of what angle the head is tilted at. The head balances the camera perfectly by addition of small weights to the rear dual lever arms of the head for smooth movement. All movements have oiled sliders or bearing movements. The camera head will allow 340 degree camera pans. The head camera platform is designed to fit any camera and all accessories. Vertical camera head movement will move 180 degrees up and down. With the Hypercam low rig attached on the head's camera platform, the HyperCrane will pan past vertical and can pendulum swing under control below the head for effects. Fixed cable camera head movement is solid and smooth, and locks down at the gimbal for ease of control.
The tripod is solid and adjustable. The tripod wheeled feet will adjust their angle with lock pins and can vary from a base of nearly 5' to narrow width for inside a hallway. The wheel casters have brakes. External tripod struts use zytel jawslide clamps and pins and are adjustable for the differing widths of the tripod. The tripod can elevate to over 6' tall to add variable height to the rig.
The front half of the crane is removable and the head then mounts to the 10' rear trussed section for interior crane shots in a standard room. The trussing of that section allows for the removal of all suspension support, hugely narrowing the overall size of the HyperCrane. Wiring for video monitoring and for electronic focus and zoom controls is waiting to be added after the paint is on. Alternate dolly wheel blocks will fit on the tripod giving the HyperCrane the capability of rolling on a track.
The entire HyperCrane goes together and comes apart quickly for set up and striking the set. The guy wires and suspension struts all come in sections and roll up. The head comes off with one pin. The two 10' lengths of the crane are unbolted. The gimbal is removed with one bolt and the controls slide off. The whole shebang then fits on a roof rack or in a van, with all cables in a bag.
In the last shot, you see the HyperDolly, a really heavy duty tripod dolly, under the HyperCrane. After I built the Hyperdolly, I found that the HyperCrane is so stable and rolls so well, I didn't need it. So I will save it for a camera tripod, or attach a seat and use it for filming on a track. Live and learn.
I have photographed each and every detail of construction; over 200 photos with measurements... And will post a 'Build your own HyperCrane' thread in the future after I figure out why Photobucket keeps removing my photos from my posts even though they are public. In my bet with him, I do owe Shane Foster an In 'N out Burger... I spent $156 and not less than $100. Still, that 'aint too bad for a 20'/10' full function crane! If you can scrounge and weld, you too can build one of these.
rogar-BigGrin(DBG)
