ordered my rail from igus this morning...the guy laughed and said they've had somewhat of a goldrush on those from us video guys! Apparently they are expecting stock by the end of the week and he said hopefully they'd have enough to get mine out as there were a ton of outstanding orders!
We should have set up a group buy for a nice discount!

Hey Jeff, thx mate!
" hours ago arrived the quick release plate by Manfrotto (357), would you suggest to not take off the head from the tripod and attach the quickrelease between the head and the slider?
Talking about the upper part i was guessing to buy a second manfrotto head, do you think i'd need this
Google Image Result for http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images345x345/150732.jpg

thx mate!

Anyone have a parts list to put one together for my Canon 7D?

Yes, get the Igus rail and carriage then get a 3/16" tap, and a 5/16" metal bit. It's easy. Cost you about $150 for the whole enchilada..

hola,
made the first test and maybe i have some issues with the quick release manfrotto 357 plate with the head of my tripod. Another thing i'm noticing is that the slider with the camera on the sides makes the strong head of the tripod flex depending on the weight of the gear.
Tonight i'll test on another tripod....

Silly question: the quick release plate should be attached to the plate of the head of the tripod just through one screw?
thank you and sorry 4 da question

Hi Marcus,

I don't have the Manfrotto quick release 357 (but I think it's a good idea to have one :), but I think for convenience sake, I'd leave the quick release plate on the tripod. (For me, I only have one tripod, but I have two fluid heads, so I need to change between them.)

Do you mean that the Igus rail is flexing? It shouldn't, as it's rated to handle alot of weight. If you mean that the tripod is unstable when you reach the ends, yeah that can happen when your gear is a bit "heavy". You may need another support for the dolly, maybe another tripod, a monopod, or maybe a light stand.

Best,

Hi Marcus,

As for your last question, I only tapped one hole in the middle on the Igus rail. With that size bolt (I forgot the size), I think it's plenty strong for most people's gear. It's just a matter of balancing the weight of the camera while dollying.

Best,

Hi,
I just bought a 75cm rail from Igus and I have this problem: the Manfrotto screw is shorter than the rail thickness (you can check the pic.) Therefore I need a longer screw if I want to put it straight in the rail. I have to drill the rail because there's no holes right in the middle of it (it's 75cm long).

Do you know if I can change the screw? Another option (that I'm trying to avoid) is to screw it to the tripod head but that would mean using 2 tripod heads.

Any help or idea would be really appreciated.

Thank you,

Javier

DIY Slider
 

I built the DIY Slider using IGUS parts. The carriage sticks a bit on some places. Does anyone have a solution to make the carriage slide more smoothly?
Thanks.

Hi Javier,

I think my Manfrotto tripod (don't know the exact model #), has the same height bolt as in your photo.

Take a look at this photo of my DIY slider:

DIYDolly_05 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

(Sorry it's not the best photo to illustrate an answer.)

If your only choice is to mount the rail on a tripod head, maybe you can buy a Manfrotto quick release plate and just keep that mounted on the rail?

Best,

Hi Jaime,

Congrats on your DIY slider!

When you got your Igus parts, did you get their tech notes? (I don't have it in front of me, but essentially it's a troubleshooting guide for your rail and truck system.)

Copied this from the other forum:

This is OFFICIAL igus procedure for "aligning" the carriage.
It only needs to be done once.

They say

1. Loosen all carriage bolts - (don't remove - just loosen a few turns)
2. slide carriage back and forth to allow bearings to align themselves)
3. (tech actually recommended "tapping" the center of the carriage to "bump" the bearings into place)
4. With downward pressure on carriage tighten the bolts again a few turns at a time (alternating them - i.e. do NOT crank one down and then do the other ones)

I've also read that some folks have been using petroleum jelly to lubricate their rails (i.e., a tiny amount of jelly on cloth and rubbed gently on the rails). I personally have NOT done this, so please use this advice at your own risk!

Best,

Diy 39
 

I get it...Yeah...it was the adjustments on the carriage that made it run smoother.

Thanks..

i am really interested in buidling this, especially at how cheap the parts really are. BUT I don't want to spend more money on the tripod head than i am on the tracks, I just won't use it enough to make it worth it. I have a Giottos VT809 tripod right now along with 2 light stands. What would the most economical setup be to support about 4ft of track and a 7d? Any help would be great

Hi Michael,

Not sure if I can be of help, as I've never tried using light stands for supporting the DIY dolly.

But, if you're NOT going to be making any camera moves (i.e., panning, tilting, etc.) whilst dollying, then pretty much any tripod head (fluid or non-fluid) will do. I don't have the model tripod you have, but if you can use two of your light stands to support the track (at both ends), then I think you'll be fine.

Just a note, you'll need to tap the ends of the track so your light stands will bolt thru and mount on them. I guess you'll have to find out what size tap you'll need accordingly. And if you're just using your 7D and with that cam's weight, two light stands will provide enough support for the DIY dolly.

Best,

thanks Jeff, I think for time being I will try it out with a cheap head and using the lightsands, updating only if i need it

I've recently discovered that I get a slightly smoother track if I drag my hand along the track as I'm sliding. This might be unique to my physiology but it's worth a try. For me, panning or tilting while sliding is much harder than and vanilla locked down slide. Try the hand drag trick. Maybe it'll work.

Here's another example of what can be acheived with the Igus track.
It is possible to pan and tilt on the move, but all movement must be made from the head itself - the pan bar puts too much leverage on the track and it will snag...

The file is quite large, so it's a good idea to let the progress bar load most of the video!

Good Morning,

I have been toying with home made sliders, nothing up to snuff yet.

I went to Igus and could not sort out what you guys Have.


As for lubricating that is not messy, I use spray on silicon that I use for lubricating my machines in my shop. Goes on damp, dries and is slick.

could I get a link ????

Does anyone know where I can buy end brackets/legs for a slider built from igus parts to allow it to run on the floor?

Cheers, Duncan.

If both ends are tapped for a tripod, just get two of these, at $23 each, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/333956-REG/Slik_611_352_Mini_Pro_V_Tripod_with.html and you'll be set. The only legs I have found are about $150 a set?

Hi Robin,

Awesome stuff once again, man! And I think you're camera moves are getting really silky smooth :)

Haven't checked into this thread in a while; partly, as I haven't used my DIY slider for a long while. Been busy with a year long project for a local university, and we've been using all their gear.

Nice to see you bringing out your DIY slider up to fore and gifting us once again with amazing footage.

Best,

Hi Dale,

If you've visited the IGUS website and found it extremely confusing you're not alone! It's like reading Braille with your elbows :) (Or add other impossibly daunting analogy here!)

The best way to contact them and order is by calling IGUS.

And here's a link from where I learned a bit more about the DIY slider:
DIY IndieSlider... - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

It's a very long thread, but the OP has made it easy and put all the necessary info on the first page.

Good luck,

Yes i'm also interested on what to use at the end rail if i wanna use on the ground.....
The 2 little tripods are too MCGYVERIST to bring em on the bag with me while i climb the mountains....

I've found the 39" slider too long to get consistent slides. I cut mine down to 36" and it puts me right at the edge. It also makes it more portable and lighter.

Another way to make the slider lighter is drilling holes in the rail. The metal is soft, easy to do. Heavy little bugger.

Re: DIY 39" Slider
 

Drill a hole near the end, thread it with tap and die, screw a 3" or so bolt in partially. Do the same on the other end. It'll stop the slide.