Great little video from Vimeo member Stavros Koulis showing the build process of a Time Lapse Skater Dolly using an arduino controller. You may not require the need for a skater, but the parts list and instructions might be a good start for adding motion control to even a slider. For a complete parts list and build instructions, check out the article at https://nikondslrtips.com/15mm-rig-motion-controlled-timelapse-skater-dolly/.
Here's an interesting DIY stabilizer for those of you just starting out with small camera video. YouTube member Dean Barkley put together his DIY Fig Rig stabilizer and doubled up use as a table dolly. The entire frame is made up from common and cheap PVC. [Thanks Dean]
Great job from Vimeo member Oliver for this DIY motorized Pico Flex Table Dolly. It's a direct friction based drive wheel, which doesn't require much torque. The dolly rolls very easily with little effort from a motor. I was testing out something similar several weeks ago using a pulley wheel to a continuous rotating servo found (here). I used the same basic battery box, continuos rotating servo, and speed controllers as in the DIY motorized JuicedLink slider project. You can find a list of those parts (here). I can see that Oliver is using a servo tester, which is a much cheaper solution than the servo controller I was using. [Thanks Oliver]
If i'm correct, that servo tester is just the basic ones found over at eBay (click here).
Servo Tester
Some wardrobe hangers set on a couple of Push up bars are the foundation for this pretty slick DIY motion control slider by Vimeo member Jayhas. A wireless RC remote and continuous servo control the speed, and the basic rig is comprised of a few skateboard trucks. I think I have a good idea on how it all works, but there isn't a very clear tutorial on the build. Hopefully we'll see a follow up with a closer inspection to how it was all assembled. You could find some additional information following the link.
J.G. Pasterjak's DIY ladder dolly a.k.a Cinemover is a solid little track dolly. The adjustable width makes it easy to find a variety of different tracks from straight lumber, square tubing, or round rods. Using heavy duty steel perforated square tubing as the chassis and skate wheels / bearings makes for a smooth ride. [Thanks J.G.] Still a hand made DIY (not mass produced), so quantities are limited, and you can check out details if you want to make one yourself. If you're not into building or buying, maybe winning a contest might be up your alley. There's a few RTG (ready to go) versions and other information available on the eBay listing following the link (click here).
Vimeo member Brad Justinen shares a DIY motorized roller dolly and use a Meade motorized Telescope head for some smooth pan/tilt action. You'll see how all this comes together in the video, and more information on the parts used at the video description. Many of these parts can be found cheaper used via eBay found below.
Traxxas Transmitter and Receiver For Servo Control
Submitted by YouTube member detomaso4ag, here's a simple method to create your DIY Mini Video camera track dolly. For those who don't mind the skate wheels on a pipe track it's a cheap solution to getting smooth gliding camera movements. The trick is getting the wheels drilled in perfectly to the angle iron. If you're slightly off, then the dolly will wobble down the track. For those who aren't ready to tackle the DIY, these mini dollies already exist, found below.
If you have the means, the space, and the transportation, ladder track dollies are a great solution for camera movement. Rod shows how he's picked up a set of ready-made 'bolt on' dolly wheels to a simple plywood board to create an 8ft dolly capable of carrying a good amount of weight. In smaller more confined situations a slider is a must, but there's plenty of benefits to using a wider platform for stability in your shots.
These dolly wheels are designed to run on pipes as well, but when possible using a Ladder will provide a very firm solution that can be laid out in just about any type of terrain (gravel, grass, mud) and still maintain a super rigid track - unlike long PVC pipes. In this older article you can see how a ladder was used for a DIY Timelapse rig: http://cheesycam.com/diy-motion-controlled-timelapse/
If you're intersted in building your own dolly system, you could try some angle iron and at least 8 skate wheels + bearings, but if you're slightly off in drilling it's going to cause you quite a bit of wobble. To make things easier, these wheels that Rod is using are an inexpensive solution.
RigWheels are some clever new items targeting the DIY audience. Although they run a bit high in price for most, the ability to quickly and easily move them from one project to another makes them quite appealing. You can literally mount them with a single bolt, and a clamp knob or wing nut.
Check out the video above for just a few ideas of what you can do with a set of smooth mini rollers, and the video below which takes you through an entire DIY project crafting a full track tripod dolly. Beats drilling angle iron, that's for sure.
Available Below
Rigwheels
