Table Top Dollies
- Thread starter tonacidigital
- Start date
majormorgan
Well-known member
Hiya,
Looks great, but I'm wondering how much noise the dolly makes when rolling over a surface? Can it be used for dialogue or will it be too noisy.
thanks
Majormorgan
Looks great, but I'm wondering how much noise the dolly makes when rolling over a surface? Can it be used for dialogue or will it be too noisy.
thanks
Majormorgan
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
... LOL
Majormorgan - The Axis Dolly is silent by anyone's standards... unless, of course, you are rolling it over gravel. Not what it was designed for. It is one of the quietest dollies I've ever used. The casters use top of the line wheels and bearings. I don't know if you have a set of rollerblades, but if you roll a rollerblade along a floor, that is about what you can expect the noise level to be. If you are concerned, I'll be happy to discuss it with you, but I guarantee it will in no way interfere with any dialogue at any level.
John - Haha... a skeptic. OK... so if you want the breakdown, I make under 200 on the small dolly set, and under 350 on the large complete dolly set at the current pricing (not including the current special which cuts the profit even more), and that is not including my time or the cost of the original design... only material and manufacturing costs. I have these made in large quantities, too, which brings the cost down for the consumer. The prototypes cost me more than twice what the current pricing is to construct each. When I first started marketing the dolly I was selling them under cost to get word out about the dolly, and a lucky few got their hands on one for a steal. For the quality of the product I think the pricing is very fair. But we can agree to disagree if you don't.
Oh... 3 weeks ago the show 24 (Kiefer Sutherland) bought one. How cool is that! I'm making a modification to the Pneumatic caster design for them, but that's the only change they needed to fit their needs for use with the other crews. The modification will be a permanent change, but as it's being made before the pneumatic caster set is released, everyone can enjoy it!
Many people have bought the Axis Dolly. I'll get a hold of some of the customers and ask if they'd post here their experience and review of the dolly, if anyone would like to hear first hand experiences.
Please feel free to ask any questions and criticize too. Any good suggestions I'll gladly use to improve on the dolly if that's your intent.
Thanks for your comments... even if you think I'm making a killing on these... LOL
Seth Wise
John - Haha... a skeptic. OK... so if you want the breakdown, I make under 200 on the small dolly set, and under 350 on the large complete dolly set at the current pricing (not including the current special which cuts the profit even more), and that is not including my time or the cost of the original design... only material and manufacturing costs. I have these made in large quantities, too, which brings the cost down for the consumer. The prototypes cost me more than twice what the current pricing is to construct each. When I first started marketing the dolly I was selling them under cost to get word out about the dolly, and a lucky few got their hands on one for a steal. For the quality of the product I think the pricing is very fair. But we can agree to disagree if you don't.
Oh... 3 weeks ago the show 24 (Kiefer Sutherland) bought one. How cool is that! I'm making a modification to the Pneumatic caster design for them, but that's the only change they needed to fit their needs for use with the other crews. The modification will be a permanent change, but as it's being made before the pneumatic caster set is released, everyone can enjoy it!
Many people have bought the Axis Dolly. I'll get a hold of some of the customers and ask if they'd post here their experience and review of the dolly, if anyone would like to hear first hand experiences.
Please feel free to ask any questions and criticize too. Any good suggestions I'll gladly use to improve on the dolly if that's your intent.
Thanks for your comments... even if you think I'm making a killing on these... LOL
Seth Wise
Kyle Stebbins
AD GURU
AxisGuy said:
Nice, man! So sweet!!!
Your product looks sleek and effective. The sample footage of the heineken bottles really got me interested. Not that I've got the money to shelve out, but it looks very very nice.
I wish you the best! Congrats on the 24!!!
-Kyle
Eureka,eureka said:
I'm sorry I'm only getting back to your post now. I've been in DC meeting with Discovery and working on a project.
The current and final price on the dolly is $1399, and I'm guaranteeing the price won't change (go up) for at least the next year. The current special is a free set of track casters with the dolly. The special you are referring to was the July special and didn't include the track casters.
However... for all reading this... I'll offer the $999 deal for the first 5 people who mention they are members of dvxuser.com. This will not include the track casters, but if you'd like a set of those, too, I'll discount those to $150. To take advantage, please email me directly at the link on the Axis Dolly web site and mention you want this special, whether you want the track casters, and your mailing address so I can calculate shipping fees. I'll email you a custom invoice from PayPal. This deal will expire after 5 dollies are sold with this special pricing or December 31, 2006... whichever comes first.
After that, I'll commit to selling the Axis Dolly to dvxuser.com members for $1299 ($100 savings). Just remember to ask for the discount.
Further, the demand this last month has far exceeded our expectations, and we are having more dollies manufactured as we speak. Currently, we only have one more in stock. The rest will be available in 1-2 weeks. So if 5 people buy the dolly tomorrow, it will be first come, first serve, so expect there may be a delay in shipping should you not be the first to take advantage of this offer.
Lastly, I need your full mailing address to calculate shipping charges. International shipping is not inexpensive, though. UPS is the least expensive. From previous shipments I can tell you that it costs about $270 to England and much of Europe, Vietnam (if I remember correctly) was about $300. Shipping takes about 3 business days. FedEx rates I think went up recently as a month ago they were about the same as UPS, but last week the price to ship the dolly to London went up to $400. Needless to say I'm sticking with UPS.
Sorry for the long reply, but I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Regards,
Seth Wise
firewallet
Well-known member
Really, hmmmm.... I wish one of my clients would pay up.. a little past due. Seth your system looks great and I should know something -hopefully next week...
SurJones
Veteran
Acryilc Skate dolly, is a D.I.Y. and costs about 230 bucks in material. I have Talked to the guy, And he even gave the CAD drawings. How cool is that. http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=67039&highlight=acrylic+dolly
Attachments
nycfilmmaker
Well-known member
love the rocker, tilt setup...
axis dolly doesn't seem to have one
that rocker should cost 100bucks or so.
axis dolly doesn't seem to have one
that rocker should cost 100bucks or so.
firewallet
Well-known member
Hey SurJones, thanks for posting that. I will check it out.
SurJones
Veteran
Dude seriously for 230ish in parts, it ROCKS! Skater dolly identical. for less that 300, compared to what is it $6,000.00. The guy who made this said that the rocker even though Acryilic held 100% with a VariCam's weight flawlessly. Also said that He did make a new one out of metal. The benifit of being a DO IT YOURSELF is you can take the CAD drawings and do it in any material. BUT COME ON, UNDER $300 bucks. SWEEEEEEEET!
Hi everyone.
A couple things to address. First, kudos to everyone making table top dollies. I've seen some very impressive versions. It is people like us that keep independent film making a viable career. For everyone who is going to build one of your own, it doesn't much matter the design (the one above is very good). Keep in mind, though, that the design above, which is very similar to most build-it-yourself table to dollies I've seen online, infringes upon several international patents held mainly by PS Tek. So be careful if you are considering selling one that looks anything like it, particularly the wheel and swivel set up.
I did a lot of research and had to change the design of the Axis Dolly several times so my patent wouldn't infringe on theirs. Fortunately it got me thinking about other improvements I could make, and I think I've now made an even better product.
With the pictures posted here, it isn't really clear that the Axis Dolly is not only a table top dolly, but also a full size dolly for use with a tripod. Also, the casters are interchangeable, and several casters are available now, and some new casters will be available over the next couple months, all for different uses. Here are some pics so you can see what the Axis Dolly is. The other pictures in this thread only the body configuration.
There currently isn't a tilt mechanism. One is being manufactured right now. It is, like the Axis Dolly, very flexible in its range of use. I'll post some photos when it is ready for sale. In the meantime, the dolly accepts any standard tripod head. It raises the camera a bit, but it works well, and you can also pan.
I don't claim my design is better by anyone's standards but mine, however it is very flexible, and far superior in construction, manufacturing, and materials. Solid 1/2" thick aluminum precision cut by a water jet with a tolerance within thousandths of an inch. I've had zero negative feedback from any customers. Though most of them are anxious for some of the upcoming accessories.
So... I guess my point is most importantly BE CAREFUL about selling anything like this unless you actually hold the patent (which costs about $10K from start to finish, then more every 3.5 years to maintain it). Any of you who have been involved with getting a patent know the hassle and expense involved. If you don't hold a patent, chances are some part of your product, or the product as a whole, as in most cases that I've seen with regard to home made table top dollies, infringes on currently held patents. And infringing on a patent is not something I'd mess with, as it could potentially turn into a huge legal and financially draining mess. As I said, it took me a long time to come up with a design that didn't infringe on any patents before I could get mine. I don't know the legal boundaries of building anything for personal use that infringes on a patent. But the moment you sell something that infringes on a patent, you dug your own hole.
On a lighter note, everyone keep up the good work, and stay creative! I've seen some pretty amazing things done and made by many people here and on some other sites. We need innovation!
</IMG>Regards,
Seth Wise
** Though legally I don't endorse it, the design above posted by SurJones is a good design (for anyone who might want try building their own).
A couple things to address. First, kudos to everyone making table top dollies. I've seen some very impressive versions. It is people like us that keep independent film making a viable career. For everyone who is going to build one of your own, it doesn't much matter the design (the one above is very good). Keep in mind, though, that the design above, which is very similar to most build-it-yourself table to dollies I've seen online, infringes upon several international patents held mainly by PS Tek. So be careful if you are considering selling one that looks anything like it, particularly the wheel and swivel set up.
I did a lot of research and had to change the design of the Axis Dolly several times so my patent wouldn't infringe on theirs. Fortunately it got me thinking about other improvements I could make, and I think I've now made an even better product.
With the pictures posted here, it isn't really clear that the Axis Dolly is not only a table top dolly, but also a full size dolly for use with a tripod. Also, the casters are interchangeable, and several casters are available now, and some new casters will be available over the next couple months, all for different uses. Here are some pics so you can see what the Axis Dolly is. The other pictures in this thread only the body configuration.
There currently isn't a tilt mechanism. One is being manufactured right now. It is, like the Axis Dolly, very flexible in its range of use. I'll post some photos when it is ready for sale. In the meantime, the dolly accepts any standard tripod head. It raises the camera a bit, but it works well, and you can also pan.
I don't claim my design is better by anyone's standards but mine, however it is very flexible, and far superior in construction, manufacturing, and materials. Solid 1/2" thick aluminum precision cut by a water jet with a tolerance within thousandths of an inch. I've had zero negative feedback from any customers. Though most of them are anxious for some of the upcoming accessories.
So... I guess my point is most importantly BE CAREFUL about selling anything like this unless you actually hold the patent (which costs about $10K from start to finish, then more every 3.5 years to maintain it). Any of you who have been involved with getting a patent know the hassle and expense involved. If you don't hold a patent, chances are some part of your product, or the product as a whole, as in most cases that I've seen with regard to home made table top dollies, infringes on currently held patents. And infringing on a patent is not something I'd mess with, as it could potentially turn into a huge legal and financially draining mess. As I said, it took me a long time to come up with a design that didn't infringe on any patents before I could get mine. I don't know the legal boundaries of building anything for personal use that infringes on a patent. But the moment you sell something that infringes on a patent, you dug your own hole.
On a lighter note, everyone keep up the good work, and stay creative! I've seen some pretty amazing things done and made by many people here and on some other sites. We need innovation!
</IMG>Regards,
Seth Wise
** Though legally I don't endorse it, the design above posted by SurJones is a good design (for anyone who might want try building their own).
Last edited by a moderator:
eureka
Well-known member
Hey...just read your post about the discount to the first five people..are there any left at the discounted rate?..."Pls let me have one as i mentioned it first"
Are you able to seperate the invoice into two parts so i dont have to pay GST TAx. If its over $1000 AUstralian dollars I have to pay tax on it..can we work something out? Whats your email address??
Hows the stock looking?
Are you able to seperate the invoice into two parts so i dont have to pay GST TAx. If its over $1000 AUstralian dollars I have to pay tax on it..can we work something out? Whats your email address??
Hows the stock looking?
Eureka,
I have 3 more that I am offering at this DVXUser special pricing. It would be better to not separate the invoice as I would need to send the dolly in two packages, and international shipping has become very expensive. I am happy to specify a value under which you would be required to pay import taxes on on the dolly. Realize that the package would also only be insured for that amount.
Since this pertains to everyone, I'll separate this information. International shipping has become very expensive. UPS is currently the least expensive option. FedEX costs about 25-35% more the last time I checked. The package weighs about 30lbs. As an example, shipping to London, England costs about $270. Shipping to Melbourne, Australia costs about $350. I am happy to ship via any method you choose, however. Email me any time with your mailing address for an exact quote. You can email me at seth@axisdolly.com I hope it is ok to list the email here as it was requested).
Regards,
Seth Wise
I have 3 more that I am offering at this DVXUser special pricing. It would be better to not separate the invoice as I would need to send the dolly in two packages, and international shipping has become very expensive. I am happy to specify a value under which you would be required to pay import taxes on on the dolly. Realize that the package would also only be insured for that amount.
Since this pertains to everyone, I'll separate this information. International shipping has become very expensive. UPS is currently the least expensive option. FedEX costs about 25-35% more the last time I checked. The package weighs about 30lbs. As an example, shipping to London, England costs about $270. Shipping to Melbourne, Australia costs about $350. I am happy to ship via any method you choose, however. Email me any time with your mailing address for an exact quote. You can email me at seth@axisdolly.com I hope it is ok to list the email here as it was requested).
Regards,
Seth Wise
ozduc
Well-known member
Seth,
I was pretty impressed with what I was seeing on your website until I got to the "terms and conditions" section on the order page.
Can you explain to me how you can legally place such resctictions on a buyer, that they can not rent their dolly out once they have bought it from you? The way you have it worded, it would restrict people from using it in a professional manner as part of their equipment rental kit and being compensated for such rental. I dont see how you have the right to dictate how someone uses the equipment once purchased from you. If you do indeed have the legal right to impose such a restriction, I for one would like to know where that law exists and if it does, I guess I will be looking closer at the DIY version a couple of posts back!
I was pretty impressed with what I was seeing on your website until I got to the "terms and conditions" section on the order page.
Can you explain to me how you can legally place such resctictions on a buyer, that they can not rent their dolly out once they have bought it from you? The way you have it worded, it would restrict people from using it in a professional manner as part of their equipment rental kit and being compensated for such rental. I dont see how you have the right to dictate how someone uses the equipment once purchased from you. If you do indeed have the legal right to impose such a restriction, I for one would like to know where that law exists and if it does, I guess I will be looking closer at the DIY version a couple of posts back!