The ultimate diy dolly

mb72378

mb72378

Well-known member
FOOTAGE IS UP!!! 35mb. ------> http://www.appstate.edu/~mb72378/dolly.html

I am getting ready to graduate college for video production. I have always wanted a dolly so my dad (construction manager for 30 yrs.) and i set out to make the best DIY dolly out there. No offense to anyone else or their designs. :)

After 3 weeks of planning and designing, we set out on Saturday morning to the local hardware chain. Every single piece of this can be purchased at you local hardware store. Then we built for two solid days. This is a full size dolly, capable of holding upwards of 500 lbs. Each section of track is five feet long and breaks down in a matter of minutes with a screw gun and a cpl of screws.

So....I shall quit describing and show you some pictures. Sorry for the quality these were taken on my cell phone during construction, I did not have my digital camera with me.

Here we go.

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-basic dolly platform with 2 5ft. sections of track.



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-this is a little rig we made for each end of the track so the dolly can't actually ride off by accident.



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-The numbers refer to the pieces. They are for reference when putting track together. The trusses that run horizontal from the left pipe to the right come off with 2 screws. Therefor they can be bundled up and carried like a bunch of sticks for transport.

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-Close of of two sections connections. Inside the right pvc pipe is a smaller pvc pipe that tightly squeezes into the other so there is a tight fit so they wont come apart.



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-The way we get the pvc pipe to sit on the wood.


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-Three sections of 5 ft. track (15ft. total)


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-Dolly on track with iron handle. The handle slides right out of the wood for easy transport.

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As soon as I get some more free time I will take some pictures of the wheel system under the dolly so you can see how it works. Also, i did get some footage with my HVX on the dolly so as soon as I can upload that I will get it to you so you can see the dolly in action. Please, let me guys know what you think and feel free to ask any questions you want.

Peace,
Matt
 
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3 more pics

3 more pics

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-All weather indoor/outdoor carpeting. It also has on top small strips of oak wood trim that is raised to keep the tripod from sliding off during use.


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-A few final touches. Look very closely at the wheels on the back side of the dolly and the handle on the front of the dolly. those wheels are for transporting the dolly. You grab it by the handle and roll it on those back wheels. when "dragging" the dolly behind you the inside wheels do not touch the ground and when using the dolly the transport wheels do not touch the ground. Also, if the track will fit where you want to shoot, then the dolly will. There is absolutely no overhang from the dolly. It is only as wide as the track.


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that looks pretty sweet man!

its rad that you worked on it with your dad. **** like that is so fun..


ive been trying to perfect my own design... and my first prototype looked MODERATELY like yours.. although with a different concept... i like the way you did this, it looks like it could really hold its own on some shitty uneven ground..

what you didn't mention, is the wheels and how you mounted them... i used longboard wheels for mine and standard skateboard wheel bearings...

how portable does this get too? it seems like you'd need a pretty big trunk to transport it around..
 
Wes, thanks for the reply. I have an Isuzu Rodeo so I can fold the seats down so transport isn't an issue with me. I don' remember the exact dimensions but the dolly is about 28 inches wide I believe and maybe like 3.5 to 4 ft long. With enough squeeze i don't see why you wouldn't be able to put it in a car with the back seats folded down.

As far as the wheels go, be ready to be amazed, haha. I used casters. I know I know, "they won't be smooth.....BULLS@#$. We packed the wheels with grease and it's just as smooth as a $4k dolly with expensive roller-blade like wheels. As soon as I can get over to the warehouse where it is stored I will post you guys some pics of the underside.

The cool thing about the design for the track is that you can be very liberal with the leveling. All of the Pro dollies I have used have taken lots of time to set up with levels and shims to get it just right. I didnt do any leveling at all and the concrete floor in the warehouse is very uneven and I got really good footage. The track is so freain sturdy it doesnt move with shi*s of weight. Also, you could stand on the very corner of this dolly and it wont tip over.

Matt
 
You might want to check in to some L brackets, because wood is very soft and can move around with heavier weight on it. I'd also look into sealing the corners/gaps with some sort of wood glue, this will start to make noise after awhile.


Very nice work !
 
wow...you make me wish I was a handyman....

How much did all the parts cost? And any plans to post the schematics? :)
 
I cant say for sure the cost since my dad payed for all of it. "Grad present". I would probably put the cost at about $500.Everything is VERY sturdy quality so the money is well spent.

As far as the building plans. If there was enough interest I might work up some very detailed plans and sell them as a pdf file or something.
 
Thing looks like it's a brick shithouse (if you know the saying--- and it's a compliment, btw).

It sounds like you've had some experience with pro gear (in school?)
mathews stuff??

MUST SEE THE CASTERS!
that's got me stumped--- how'd you rig them?
they can't be pivot type- so fixed in place- what size and width (diameter and wheel)??

Make some trial clips with it- even if it's just in that great workshop as depicted.
Wouldn't all us DIY people like one like that??

NEAT. and thanks for showing it to us!
 
NoNoob, thanks so much for your reply. I did post some footage of using the dolly. I will within the next few days head over to the shop and take some pictures of the wheel setup. Thanks again and make sure to check out the vid.
 
mb72378 said:
NoNoob, thanks so much for your reply. I did post some footage of using the dolly. I will within the next few days head over to the shop and take some pictures of the wheel setup. Thanks again and make sure to check out the vid.
Click to expand...

Butter smooth- very nice!
(love the shop!)

Might I suggest you name (christen?) your dolly using your dad's name.
He also gets his name up BEFORE the title- now that he's a star!

Neat, neat, and neat again.
Thanks for the video and I look forward to seeing the caster shots.

(you a mountaineer?)
YEP- I went and looked at your site after I asked the question.
Know the area and school well- I live in N.GA. mountains.

Let me say this; your site is elegant and you're squeezing the LIFE outta that HVX.
Luscious stuff.
The PSA is just plain EXCELLENT! Wow.
The Toy Run was good too- shows you take your time and get good cover shots along the way.
Mixing it all together with more pieces to work with is great (right?)
Congrats on your graduation- expecting only big things from here on out for you.
[and i ain't saying this just because i want a ride on the dolly either!]
 
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HAHA, NoNoob thanks again for the great comments. And YES, I am a mountaineer! Also, thanks a lot for looking at my website. I don't get a lot of views since my school gave me a really weird URL address. :) I love my HVX but I'm still learning. Both of the videos on my website were done in Standard def so I didnt have as much trouble with noise. I know you cant see it on the compressed vidfeo above but the full size has lots of noise.

As far as the naming of the dolly, if I name it after my dad it would be called Clarence. haha. My girlfriend suggested a GREAT name that I thought was hilarious........SugarGlider. What ya think?
 
Both are good, of course.
Maybe it's 'trade name' will be "SugarGlider", and it's actual name (as appearing on one of the sides) "Clarence".
Like people name boats.

*There's a question that begs an answer- does it float?
 
yeah im curious about the casters as well... as for me.. my dolly relies on super portability... my original design more closely mirror'd your tracking design.. my newer track design folds up into like 12 pieces, fitting together with smoothness like a baby's bottom..

the hard part im having... is how im mounting my camera to it... i film skateboarding more than anything... so low shots is how i work... i have a "not as wide" track. and im not trying to mount my full tripod setup on it... just the head.. but i have a ball mount tripod.


so my problem comes. i need to try to make a DIY hi hat bowl.. that will support and allot me to level my tripod head. and attach it to my dolly base... im thinking wood, cause its easily work-with-able...


show us the casters!
 
As far as portability goes, this is as a portable as you can get with a full size dolly. Each 5 foot section of track breaks down into maybe like 6 pieces. Then I have little ropes made for each segment that I wrap around it like a handle. This evening I will go over to the warehouse and take some more pictures and do another video showing you how it breaks down. That is if enough people are interested.
 
Using the Dolly Sat. and Sun

Using the Dolly Sat. and Sun

I will be using the dolly this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Im shooting for my new documentary film on photographs. I will up load some footage on Monday after I have been able to dump it on my computer. I can't wait to see this baby in action and put it to work.
 
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