DIY Equipment

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Juicedlink first introduced this slider idea as a prototype during NAB2011 (found here). The kit consists of a few different parts which are bundled or sold separately. The basic set will have at least a trolley (rolling carriage) and end clamps to hold a set of rods. The end clamps have three 1/4-20" threaded taps to mount stands. A benefit to this slider kit is that you choose any type and length of 5/8" rod you require. You're not limited to specifically choosing a 24" or 36" like IGUS or Konova sliders. With JuicedLink, you can carry multiple sets of rods if you want to run short or long. Suggested rails to be used are stainless steel rods for it's clean smooth surface and hardness, which run about $20 dollars each for 4 feet (48").

JuicedLink-DIY-Slider
find-price-button JuicedLink DIY Slider Kit

The setup in the video (above) is on 4ft. stainless steel rods with a few modifications done to get it motorized. This is pretty much the same equipment used on the motorized Konova slider by Vimeo member C Light. On one end I have a freewheeling Idler Pulley. On the opposite end is the servo motor, servo controller, and 4 AAA battery pack. These all simply plug in together seamlessly without any soldering to give you a reversible slow speed motor. For the string, i'm just using Nylon Mason Line. Fairly thin, but strong, and readily available at your local Home Depot. I decided on using Velcro at the ends so that I can adjust the tension of the Line. Below is the remaining parts list of what you'll need if you wanted to do this to other sliders.

Basic servos will not rotate 360 degrees. Here you'll find the Continuous Rotation Servo: https://www.hobbyengineering.com/H1429.html
continuous-servo

You'll require a pulley to be mounted on the servo. This fits perfectly and has the proper amount of teeth to fit flush: https://www.servocity.com/html/pulley_wheel__futm2045_.html
servo-pulley

To control the speed and to make the servo move in reverse, you'll need the servo controller: https://www.servocity.com/html/dual_servo_driver.html
servo-driver

To power things up, you'll need a small battery pack. This battery pack will simply plug in to the controller. https://www.servocity.com/html/battery_trays.html
aaa-battery-tray

It's definitely a smooth slider, but the design means you'll need two stands to elevate it. It's important to get solid stands on each side if you want to minimize any rocking or swaying when used in windy environments. Especially if you're shooting with a long lens. Before you consider the JuicedLink DIY slider kit, you should check out some important information about the slider over at the JuicedLink website. He's started a 'CookBook' of ideas and tips about using the slider, and pointing out a few things to keep in mind when going to a longer set of rods. You can find more information and pricing on the JuicedLink sliders (click here).

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find-price-button JuicedLink DIY Slider Kit

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Don't get me wrong. I'm still loving my little 5V USB / 12V Battery packs that can power many things, but it comes up short if I need to power up the 900 LED video light panels at full brightness. The 900 LED video light requires 14V DC. There's a number of different DIY battery packs I can make but that would limit me to just one voltage. Instead of going straight into the expensive V-Mount batteries, this Tekkeon universal batttery pack (a cheaper solution) allows me to power up virtually anything between 5V and 19V. All it takes to power up any accessory is flip of a few dim switches and select one of the many universal sized power tips. I'm going to give this battery a full charge and then test the run time at full brightness.

These batteries have been fairly popular with DSLR rigs too. If you're looking to mount this battery on to your rigs, maybe to power up your audio recorders, LED video lights, or even find a way to power up your camera, CPMFilmTools has a snap package specifically for these batteries. Purchase the batteries from CPM and the snap package is free.

cpmfilmtools tekkeon snap package
CPMFilmTools Tekkeon Battery Snap Package

There are many versions of the Tekkeon battery, and I purchased the 3450i specifically because of the features it offers. The best price I could find online was over at B&H (click here).

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find-price-button Tekkeon myPower All Plus Battery 5V-19V DC

600 LED 900 1200 Video Light Panel
find-price-button Dimmable LED Video Light Panels

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eboboo body mount supporter

Thanks to Erik for a refresher about the Eboboo Body Mount Supporter. I've seen this little harness a few years back, but I'm not the type to wear something like this just to hold a camera. Silly idea? Well now that Cotton Carrier has finally created an adapter to support DSLR video (here), this 'Body Mount Supporter' idea (that was fetched long before DSLRs were doing video) doesn't look so far fetched anymore.

The Eboboo Body Mount Supporter is even offered with a hands free Umbrella holder should you need to shoot outdoors. Might be worth looking in to if you're on the same DIY path for some odd reason. Website found at Eboboo.com, and you can find information on the product and an entire 8 part series of videos over on YouTube here. [Thanks Erik]

Screen shot 2011-09-14 at 10.00.45 PMScreen shot 2011-09-14 at 10.00.59 PMebobooeboboo body mount supporter

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Not a cheap solution since i'm using a rail set and clamps, but something like this can be done using other techniques. It doesn't take many of these large washers to add up to about 8lbs. and the further you can position the weight, the less you'll need to counter the weight in the front. Much easier than carrying around workout weights, making this portable Jib truly portable. I guess something like this can be used in the rear of your Shoulder rig too, if you can live with the aesthetics.

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Radio shack has a few adapters, but nothing as nice as these cheap little end terminals. This one is the correct size to fit most of your camera accessories with a 5.5mm OD and 2.5mm ID barrel. You can use this to make a cable to power up your Z96 LED lights, 312 LEDs, 600/900 LED Light Panels, and the list goes on and on. If you want to see an example of this cool little battery pack in action (click here).

Not long ago Luca did a test, and this battery should run the 352 LED ring light for at approx. 1.5 hours in full power. These batteries are cheap and you can get multiple ones if you need to swap. For these little end plugs, there's clear markings to show positive and negative (posi-in) and does not require any soldering. Grab two wires, strip the ends, and tighten up the screws. Make your cables as long or as short as you need.


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find-price-button 5.5 OD 2.5 ID Power Plug End Adapter

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A quick update about the Pico Flex Dolly. The first batch of pre-orders have already been completely purchased and should begin shipping (estimated) September 12th. The website is still taking orders for the next batch that should ship about 5-7 days after the first batch.

Here's some important information. The wheels might be a bottleneck for production until the supplier can catch up. We were able to make another small volume batch order very quickly before they ran out. So as of now, there is a limited quantity of complete Pico Flex Dollies available in the second batch. They are moving pretty quickly, so consider getting an order in while it's there. We are also hoping to make International Orders available this week. Found at https://photographyandcinema.com.

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find-price-button Pico Flex Table Dolly - PhotographyandCinema.com

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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.

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Just thought i'd string up the 360VM Crank slider with some 30LB Fishing line and see what type of movement I could achieve with a basic battery powered Rotisserie motor. There are some great examples of these rotisserie motors being used on DIY projects like this one here and here.

It might look like things are standing still, but if you look closely the carrier is slowly inching it's way across. These very slow speed rotisserie motors are great for simple motion control on a slider because they can probably pull a full sized turkey. To speed things up I could possibly add a larger spool. The larger diameter will pull the carrier down the rail at a much faster pace. Or if you're up to it, start looking into servos or motors and speed controllers like the one Gordon has used on his Konova.

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find-price-button Rotisserie Battery Powered Grill Motor