DIY Dolly at DVinfo.net

Jo Ouwejan · October 31st, 2013, 02:38 AM

Earlier this year I had an assignment, that needed longer sliding shots. Some 3 meters long.
So I sat down at my laptop and designed myself one.
The first 3 pics show the original design, with a set of tubes, monted on two tripods and a carriage with the camera on top. The rail is 3 meter long and I can load it into my car. I used this assemly for the job.
The 4th till 6th pic shows the alternative carriage, that I made some time later. It enables me to set the shaft of the wheels in an angle, in order to use it on a table, while it moves in a circle.
Dwg files available on request.

Jo Ouwejan · October 31st, 2013, 02:53 AM

Relevant shots from 2:19 onward.

Ray Turcotte · November 8th, 2013, 05:00 PM

That's one versatile rig. I'm building one too.

I adding a Desmond DLB-66 ball leveler and a 701 head to the setup. The rails can then be on a angle, with the camera level, or camera pan and tilt included with the trolly move, or the camera panning and tilting on a circular move. I may increase the track width as compared to your design to offset the taller center of gravity.

Thanks for the inspiration! Your design is simple, clever and highly functional.

Ray Turcotte · November 11th, 2013, 03:37 PM

After a couple of hours, this is what I came up with. It works well and is strong. To make the rig safer for the camera, I switched the rails to a door track instead of round pipe. The tripods are not sturdy enough for my liking, so I may do something different there. The track shown is portable enough and can be placed any surface, such as between two chairs. So it is simple to setup. I also can use any any materials available , such as pipe or angle iron or square tube, to build longer runs if needed. Once the ball leveler is installed, the track can be used on a slope.

Note to self: remove the pearstone battery pack and use the Sony L battery to reduce weight and height.

I had fun making it.

Thanks Jo, for the inspiration

Jo Ouwejan · November 12th, 2013, 02:56 AM

Need some more inspiration?
Here's a dolly I made last year, a lot more sturdy, I think:

October 31st, 2013, 02:38 AM	#1
Jo Ouwejan Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Veenendaal, Holland Posts: 225	DIY Dolly Earlier this year I had an assignment, that needed longer sliding shots. Some 3 meters long. So I sat down at my laptop and designed myself one. The first 3 pics show the original design, with a set of tubes, monted on two tripods and a carriage with the camera on top. The rail is 3 meter long and I can load it into my car. I used this assemly for the job. The 4th till 6th pic shows the alternative carriage, that I made some time later. It enables me to set the shaft of the wheels in an angle, in order to use it on a table, while it moves in a circle. Dwg files available on request. Attached Thumbnails

October 31st, 2013, 02:53 AM	#2
Jo Ouwejan Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Veenendaal, Holland Posts: 225	Re: DIY Dolly Commercial MPP Systems on Vimeo Relevant shots from 2:19 onward.

November 8th, 2013, 05:00 PM	#3
Ray Turcotte Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 63	Re: DIY Dolly That's one versatile rig. I'm building one too. I adding a Desmond DLB-66 ball leveler and a 701 head to the setup. The rails can then be on a angle, with the camera level, or camera pan and tilt included with the trolly move, or the camera panning and tilting on a circular move. I may increase the track width as compared to your design to offset the taller center of gravity. Thanks for the inspiration! Your design is simple, clever and highly functional.

November 11th, 2013, 03:37 PM	#4
Ray Turcotte Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 63	Re: DIY Dolly After a couple of hours, this is what I came up with. It works well and is strong. To make the rig safer for the camera, I switched the rails to a door track instead of round pipe. The tripods are not sturdy enough for my liking, so I may do something different there. The track shown is portable enough and can be placed any surface, such as between two chairs. So it is simple to setup. I also can use any any materials available , such as pipe or angle iron or square tube, to build longer runs if needed. Once the ball leveler is installed, the track can be used on a slope. Note to self: remove the pearstone battery pack and use the Sony L battery to reduce weight and height. I had fun making it. Thanks Jo, for the inspiration Attached Thumbnails

November 12th, 2013, 02:56 AM	#5
Jo Ouwejan Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Veenendaal, Holland Posts: 225	Re: DIY Dolly Need some more inspiration? Here's a dolly I made last year, a lot more sturdy, I think: DIY Slider on Vimeo