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#1 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 144
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Dollies....
I'm trying hard to achieve not just the film-look, but a general degree of professionalism as well. Would anyone be so kind to post a link, or write a step-by-step guide to building a decent dolly. I've seen pictures of homemade ones before, especially on homebuiltstabilizers.com, but no guides (Including parts listing, estimated cost etc.)
Anything like this would help! Thanks in advance, Corey
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Corey Sturmer Producer - Woffester Productions |
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#2 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 327
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Willy's widgets offers the most important part of the dolly, the wheel and track system. You can start as low as $200, supplying the plywood yourself and running on PVC pipe.
www.willyswidgets.com/pr_wheels.html You might also want to consider renting. I don't know about Durham, but here in Phoenix I can get a Matthews Doorway Dolly that will run on rubber wheels on smooth ground, a few sections of steel track, track wheels and all the accessories for about $180/weekend. That's a lot of real pro level equipment for the money! See if you have any grip houses or video rental outfits near you. Many of them will cut you a deal if the equipment's not going out on your shoot dates. You could also build your own dolly that's compatible with steel track, and just rent the track. |
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#3 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 327
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I found 2 links in your area:
www.mandy.com/home.cfm?c=onl014 www.telefilm-south.com/NC/OLNC/6085ALL.shtml |
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#4 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 144
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Hey, thanks DUDE..I'm looking for something I can build with 150 dollars or less, and a track system would make things too complicated....This is something like I aspire to make:
http://www.homebuiltstabilizers.com/offdl.html
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Corey Sturmer Producer - Woffester Productions |
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#5 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 327
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That's an awesome dolly! I wonder if the center column rotates? That would be the ultimate. Not much different in theory than these (but a lot cheaper):
www.matthewsgrip.com/asp/details.asp?item=395043 www.porta-jib.com/spider_dolly.htm Why don't you ask the webmaster at homebuiltstabilizers to contact the builder on your behalf? Maybe he drew up a set of plans he would be willing to share. As for under $150, I wonder if you could even buy the raw materials for that? Do you have access to a machine shop and welding equipment? The only suggestions I might make are to use tires with less tread, so as to be able to get truly smooth movement, and to cover the entire top with inddor/outdoor carpeting, as this helps traction. |
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#6 |
Major Player
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 322
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You could build something like that with a lot of already pre-fabricated parts. Check http://www.mcmaster.com and home depot for parts.
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#7 |
Major Player
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: US & THEM
Posts: 827
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check out the garden truck at your local costco, its 90% there for $90
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John Jay Beware ***PLUGGER-BYTES*** |
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#8 |
Major Player
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 322
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I'm building one with parts strictly from Home Depot. I'll hip you to the plans and step by step process soon.
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#9 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 144
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Any progress?
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Corey Sturmer Producer - Woffester Productions |
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#10 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 46
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Dolly parts @ Home Depot? Me too...
OH hey, I also just started building my own dolly as well (using the shadowgirlproject.com specs) I figured out how to do the wheels (mostly guess work) and now it's all waiting for me to put it together. I plan to take lots of photos and document the process very soon (maybe even tonight)...if I get anything done on it, I will throw a web page up...to be continued.
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#11 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 46
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Quick parts list available now....
Well I whipped up a quick page listing the parts for the dolly I'm making. Check it out if you want at:
http://www.pcenginefx.com/dolly |
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#12 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Boston, MA (travel frequently)
Posts: 837
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Super Track Dolly by Doug Underdahl
Corey,
Save yourself some time and check the Super Track Dolly from Doug Underdahl at Long Valley Equipment. http://www.longvalleyequip.com/dolly.htm Very nicely thought out design, one of the few in this very low price range that actually allows for the cameraman -and- a focus puller to actually live on top of the dolly. Tell Doug that Don from noisybrain. sent you ;-) Doug is a very helpful filmmaker with a heck of a lot of experience. Doug is in Long Valley, NJ. Let us know how you make out, - don
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DONALD BERUBE - noisybrain. Productions, LLC Director Of Photography/ Producer/ Consultant http://noisybrain.com/donbio.html CREATE and NETWORK with http://www.bosfcpug.org and also http://fcpugnetwork.org |
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#13 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 46
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Cool but...
That's a cool dolly setup...but making a dolly is really the way to go (it is SO easy.) Plus it will save yourself lots of $$$. In the end, my dolly will have cost less than $150...GRANTED, mine won't work on curved track and only has 4 sets of wheels but still...
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#14 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 144
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Wow, that's surprisingly cheap, considering some of the other options I've checkes out, but I'd have to agree that building my own is the way to go.
Thanks.
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Corey Sturmer Producer - Woffester Productions |
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#15 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 144
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....Anything new?
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Corey Sturmer Producer - Woffester Productions |
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