My $57 Dolly
 

Took a couple days (because of paint) to complete but I am completely happy. It has a nice weight and it's silky smooth. Made to hold just the camera/tripod.

Highlights:
$57
PVC Track (1.25")
2' x 2' MDF Platform
Two $8 Skateboards from Toys R Us (Wheels)

I built it to last for a while, so hopefully it will outlast a few cameras. Some may say that MDF is to weak, but I really find the strength leaves nothing to be desired.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...llyOnTrack.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...raandDolly.jpg

If any one wants to see more pics (of wheel mounting, etc...) let me know.

And some footage to follow in a couple hours.

looks great!
 

very slick.
pictures of the wheel mounts would be nice.
I need to build one of those. how long did it take?

thanks
Michael

Heck yeah, love to see more pics, I'm interested in building a dolly myself so this thread came at a great time. Nice job, you've piqued my curiousity.

Are those curtain rod end mounts? And I too would like to hear or preferably see whatcha did for the wheel mounts.


Keep up the good work!

It took two days, but that was mostly allowing the paint to dry. If you don't paint, it shouldn't take more then an hour or two. I just used a cut down piece of angle iron and wood supports for the wheel mounting. Here are some pics:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...heelsClose.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...Pics/Wheel.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...untCloseUp.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...elsCloseUp.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...ackCloseUp.jpg

The track needs to be a little smaller, but it still works fine. The dolly is just a little more prone to slipping off (but that hasn't happened yet).

Here is some footage I put together:

http://savefile.com/files.php?fid=6165910

Wow, that was very well done, especially for just a test! Thanks for sharing.

Neat deal. Most of the time I had to remind myself to pay attention to the dolly motion rather than the content :)

What song was that? I recognize it but can't put my finger on it. Kind of Perfect Circle-ish.

Cool! Very nice! You may also want to experiment with sitting on a chair, on the dolly, with the optical image stabilizer (OIS), or steady shot, on and see what you can get that way.

Check out this book:

http://www.dvcamerarigs.com/

The film school I work at bought a "former" filmmaker's custom dolly and "Glidecam"-like handheld "steadicam" rig, which he made from the book (we bought that, too, and it ROCKS).

heath

hmm, I like the thought of sitting on a chair, but I think that might be a little too much for the MDF.

The song, BTW, is from Breaking Benjamin but I forget the title right now.

That's it. It's "So Cold." You picked an excellent intro; it worked great for a spot that length.

Keep it up!

The footage looks beautiful.

What kind of tripod are you using?

Very nice!

Bogan/Manfrotto 501 head on Manfrotto 3221WN sticks from B&H.

Thanks for the comments.

Nice Job!!

Looks like I might have a project for this fall. ;-)

Would you be willing, if you have time, to help me build one? I live in the area.

Pure genious!

I was refering to the video... like that scene with the couch... it was a real couch and you were real close to it. It blew my mind - bro. Just awesome!

I'm kidding, at least your demo didn't bore us.

Are those rollerskate wheels?