My New Speed Crane

J

Jeremy_Sawatzky

Well-known member
As you have seen in my previous thread i can make a decent camera crane. There were a few things i didnt like about it. Im starting this thread to test the waters about a new design im working on (well the design is pretty well done) its just needs to be built. Im waiting on some new machining tools.

I was approached by a friend of mine looking for a crane to use at wedding shoots. A very common place where a crane can be a great asset but harder to put into practice. He noted all the issues with cranes he had used in the past, things like:

- too many pieces
- takes up too much space
- too heavy
- too loud when setting up
- too clumsy to move around
- take too long to set up
- unreliable cable leveling systems

I set out to design a crane which eliminates or severely limits these problems - i dont have any pictures for you (yet) just because i want to keep the design to myself for now. I want to turn this into a production item.

First of all would you guys buy (ive had a hard time finding something like it on the market)

Second what would you pay (just a general idea) I estimate a $600-$800 price tag. Too much?

1 Piece
Fits into an area 2 inches deep, 36inches long, and 6 inches tall.
Boom length of 7.5 feet (from camera to tripod, not including lever)
Weighs under 17 lbs.
Setup in 20 seconds
Extremely quiet
Single boom design
Very rigid

(Possible) camera vertical tilt

I haven't found a crane on the market with all of these attributes. If you guys have seen any please post them. I dont want to be building a product when there is no market for it.

So what do you guys think? If i build this will there be a market for it?

UPDATE

makin some parts!

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The Jib arm that has my interest right now is the Libec JB-30 Jib Arm which costs about $1,900 at B&H Photo, weighs 22 pounds, sets up in 5 minutes, and is stable with camera packages up to 44 pounds.

If your jib was a kind of junior version of this jib at half the price, then I think you would have something.
 
Im aiming for something that can be setup in mere seconds to be used in a run and gun situation. Im aiming for more the dslr crowd with camera configuration Rarely coming in over 10 lbs. My rig definitly wouldnt be able to hold 44lbs (while a redesigned model could with ease) hehe im actually quite pleased with my design. i cant wait for it to be built. The weight specified for the libec is either 46 or 22lbs depending on which site you go to. ??? My rig will come in under 10 lbs. which is key. I want the operator to be able to pack it down, run to the other side of whatever he may be shooting - a conference perhaps and reset the rig in mere seconds.

But seeing how the price for the libec is $1900 i appear to be in the right price range.

Anyone else have some thoughts to share?
 
Jeremy_Sawatzky said:
the weight specified for the libec is either 46 or 22lbs depending on which site you go to. ???
Click to expand...

I think the Libec weight difference is with and without counter-balance weights. ( I am pretty sure it does not ship with the metal barbell weights )

10 lbs would be enough for most DSLR camera packages, and provided your jib had smooth and steady movement it could be a winner.

...My other concern is that it is small enough to be used indoors in an average business / home sized room. ( i.e. 4-6 feet would be optimal )
 
Construction has officially begun. - i will keep you guys updated as progress is made.

i will make some changes to my initial spec list though. -

it will be impossible to have the crane come in under 10lbs. i underestimated the lateral strength of the stock i was working with, so things have had to be beefed up :) Im now aiming for a finished weight around 15lbs

ive shortened the boom length by a foot to 7.5 feet. To make it more useable indoors. - of course different lengths of the crane can be built.

Packable demensions have changed abit. its now a couple inches taller and a couple inches shorter.

ive put my milling machine to good use over the last 2 days making sure everything is to exacting measurements. - more updates to follow
 
yea actually ive worked on it alot the last couple weeks.

today i started assembly on the boom. - ive spend alot of time making the multiple parts, milling things to tight tolerances (little too tight in some cases, eek)

The design will work though, its just a matter of spending time to build it all. - ive changed alot of parts since the initial design. somethings get simpler and others get a whole lot more complicated. Unfortunately i can usually only manage about 3 hours a night in the shop. Its taking a very long time to produce the one off parts. - if the crane does go into production i will be ordering parts through waterjet and cnc to speed things up.

its coming along i just need more time! haha

- sorry no pics of stuff put together as i want to keep final design secret till its done, but heres some parts being made

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it hits about 2500 rpm. id like to add a customized belt drive to cut down on noise and bump the rpms down to about 4000.

other than that, this mill is friggin awesome - G0704
 
Once you're done could you post a tutorial on how to put it together? I am very much interested in how this works, looks, and is built.
 
i wont be posting a tutorial as i have moved well past the DIY stage - ive invested quite a bit lately into machining equipment to build this crane. And if possible i want to patent the design for production.

But that all depends on the reaction from the community and possible buyers. - it might be a complete bomb haha

little teaser

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Update time - the crane is very close to completion.

Ive got the weight down to 11lbs for the crane itself

With a gh2 mounted - only 10lbs of counter weight is needed. This allows the crane to be mounted on almost an tripod without weight issues.

Crane packed up is under 3 feet long - still one piece

Ive designed a unusual counterbalance system, I think alot of ppl will like this part.

Just waiting on the purchase of a lathe so i can make the last few pieces

Srry still no pictures till its painted and done ;)
 
You've done quite well with the mill. Nice piece.

Patents have their value, but they have problems as well. It takes two years, minimum, to get a patent. It does not protect your invention. It gives you the backing of the law to take action against others. But.... the patent is only as good as the amount of money you are willing to spend to defend your invention.

Company x can copy your idea by looking at your invention at the patent office. Suppose they have great marketing, distribution, and a big booth at NAB. B&H sells their version of your idea. They capture the market and you look like the guy copying their idea. They have sharp patent lawyers and lots of money. They tie you up in courts for years while they profit from your idea. It can be tough out there.
 
ok i swear the crane is just about done. i need to polish off the weight system and a couple other nic naks then its going to paint. Ive shot some test footage and it looks great.

crane is officially 12lbs without counterweight. - counterweight is 10-15lbs depending on your rig
 
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