Here you will learn what you need exactly is needed to make the STEADIYCAM and where to buy them from. ITS NOT VERY CHEAP TO BUILD BUT WE ARE SEARCHING FOR A PROFESIONAL RESULT STEADIYCAM, NOT A UNUSABLE OR UNSATISFACTORY AND UNPLEASING TO THE EYE CHEAPO. If we are not on the same wave, better look at the less expensive Wsclater design.
But be advised : when you try to put the camera on, fold, to fast adjust, to show, to work with more than 5 min with your home brew cheapo you will again come to what i say: Some Reasonable amount of money should be spend for a good result!
so, lets go spending some money!
1. 2 way macro focus rail slider
source Ebay, around 17eur, seller Shamino123, he would not disappoint you, i buy many times from him
2. 50mm Quick Release (QR) Adaptor - Arca Swiss Fit 3/8"
85mm Quick Release (QR) Lens Plate - Arca Swiss Fit
source ebay, seller CAMERAGEAUK flowless to deal with. price 23+21 euro, total around 50 euro with shipping
3. OFN15100 Universal Joint
source ebay, seller luvRC , aproximately 30 euro with the shipping to Europe. if you know a place where to buy only one-contact me to update. If you choose you can go with the trex but i don't recommend it-is made from plastic, this one is the real thing. I did the job for you, searched, bought the fife U joints which i most liked and this definitely is the best
4. 5 min epoxy glue x 3
from Hobbyking or elsewhere. 5 euro. Just do not be shy, buy the most expensive one if you buy from the store near you. You will put expensive equipment on the STEADIYCAM . the one i use holds 150kg/cm2
5. aluminum rail 1m, a steel door spring 1m,woodwork clamps, piece of flat wood, metal cutter, file,sandpaper, dremel
It should be around 13mm external diameter and 10 internal. Do not go with bigger because this is enough and if you buy wider you only will make more surface for the wind to move your STEADIYCAM in unwanted manner. the spring should fit inside the rail not tightly but almost. The spring you need for shaping / bending the tube. In fact you need only 65cm of the tube, the other will be cut after used as an lever for the bending. Here is a guide how to bend it, just you cut your own form which should be semi circle/arc with 65cm length of the arc and 33 to 35 cm from top to bottom measured from the nearest distance of the rod ends. You can copy the dimensions which are same as Merlins from WSCLATER web
You should understand that the bending is not so easy as it looks so my advice is to go and pay for sb to do it cause this is the only part that is not machined and if not done precisely can ruin all the effort and will need a further balancing later. Balancing which is unnecessary if the aluminum rode is bent properly.
Or you could buy it ready bent and cut from me for 15euro to the 3 pieces needed later, and save yourselves the hassle of springs, clamps precision and so on. Shipment would be actual to your country 10e worldwide
the price of the tubing here is 6euro/m, the clamps are 4euro each, you will need 2, the wood could come from the junk, the cut sheet should be fine toothed, normal file for metal, dremel tool with diamond to clean the cuts
6. Instruments.
Hand held or Vertical Drill preferably and drill bits for the holes, screwdrivers, pliers, airbrush or a black spray for the finish. Nothing special. The most handy instrument that will come to use is the Caliper. The good thing if you don't have it is to buy it together with the bearings. Its about10$ after the discount and will pop in right after you make the purchase of the bearings
Bearing Electronic LCD Digital Vernier Caliper
7. Bearings
i recommend to buy 2 bearings. one for the handle and one for the upper side of the U joint. There are 2 options to choose from. Either 2 x 6mm inside diameter or 1x6mm and one 7/16" inside diameter which is 11mm more or less. The second option i chose for very simple reason. I intend to put it directly over the short part of the U joint and doing so will make MOST POSSIBLY SHORTER the lever from the side to the camera and by doing so i gain LESS possible weight to stabilize the camera so i can use the stabilizer for longer time. In fact i have strong hands from working years with the hammer and don't care if its 1 or 5 kilos but as a seeker of perfection and simplicity decided to do it so. it is explained in the section Assembly
I highly recommend to buy the bearing or from the ebay seller irvineman or
www.vxb.com which in fact is the same person. ships internationally also and his web is well ordered.
MR106ZZ-1 6x10 Bearing 6x10x3 Shielded x2 for the easy
or 1 of the above+the one below. the good thing is that you can buy the 3 bearings together, they are cheap
Kit7642 1607-2RS Bearing 7/16"x29/32"x5/16" Sealed
becarefull with the yelow number if you decide to do it my way. should not be bigger than 1 inch or there will be no place to fix it. it is the number for the outside diameter.
| 8. Magnets -neodymium Warning: they are not a toy and should be handled carefully. Magnets with strength more than 5kg can smash your fingertips or if handled stupidly can produce flying shrapnels. Be carefull! 20 magnets from ebay. should be less than 12mm in diameter and less than 2 mm in thickness. about 6euro these we will use to put inside the holes of the iron discs and epoxy them one by one. by doing so we will achieve weights which stick to each other and are easier than screws to move and to put on, so we will have faster workflow. these below are optional. i like the aluminum bar split in 3 for easier folding. so i bought these magnets with the idea of using them to put the bar together. Strong Neodymium Stud Pot Magnet 10mm dia 2kg pull 4pk10mm diameter x 12mm high including 7mm high M3 stud, pull 2kg, 4 pack/ 5 euro2kg seems not so much but have in mind that when you put magnet to magnet together is much more than 4kg. it should be enough to hold it together properly |
This is a free info how to make a good steadicam. I call it the STEADIYCAM. if you feel like helping i realy will apreciate this. i spend my money prepared for a Merlin doing this project.I am simply like this. I don't intend to sell it just to share how for a 100 and some you can make sth better than the cheapos, at some aspects even better than the Merlin, perfect looking and fully functional. Any amount would help. Thanks!
MY NEXT PROJECT IS HOW TO MAKE A BETTER CHEAP GYRO STABILIZED HAND HOLDABLE STEADIY CAM UNIT UNDER 300EUR HAVING IN MIND THAT THE COMMERCIAL ONES ARE 2000 AND ABOVE SO PLEASE HELP ME RAISE SOME MONEY
MY NEXT PROJECT IS HOW TO MAKE A BETTER CHEAP GYRO STABILIZED HAND HOLDABLE STEADIY CAM UNIT UNDER 300EUR HAVING IN MIND THAT THE COMMERCIAL ONES ARE 2000 AND ABOVE SO PLEASE HELP ME RAISE SOME MONEY
