instructables

The ULTIMATE DIY Camera Slider

by Rideable Entertainment

Dear DIY Fans, might want to change, to make it fit your own
individual needs.
In this huge instructable I proudly present to you my
version of an ULTIMATE DIY Camera Slider. With I`ve made an atmospheric video, to guide you through
this fancy tool, you will be able to get dynamic the building process, give you an idea of what footage
footage wherever you are. It is compact, lightweight you can get out of it and what you have to do in post
and without any tools adjustable, so you can carry it to make it epic.
wherever you need to get the shot.
This is my biggest project so far and I can`t wait to
You can operate this slider either by hand, or by the get your feedback. If you want to support me, please
the simplest motor, most of us DIY-Heads already vote for my slider in the PHOTOGRAPHY
have at home: a cordless screwdriver. CONTEST 2017and the WOODWORKING
CONTEST 2017.
In my instructable I want to show you the hole
building process and give you an exact explanation, Thank you!
why I decided to build it in this way, and what you

The ULTIMATE DIY Camera Slider: Page 1

Step 1: DIY Video

Have a look at the major steps of the building process, get some inspiration and leave me some feedback, if you
like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu0k2UuAs4g

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Step 2: Prologue

Although I have spent many hours to make it as you? And many more.
consumer friendly as possible, this slider is still "just
perfect" for MY own personal preferences. All I want to give you in this instructable, are ideas,
To be able to build YOUR own "ULTIMATE" Slider, which worked great for me and might work great for
you have to think about your personal needs, when it you as well.
comes to your shooting style. Do you want to shoot If you find some awesome ways to improve certain
on the go, or in one static place? Do you want to use things, please share it in a comment underneath this
a lightweight DSLM or maybe a heavier DSLR post or write me in a private message.
System? Do you need slow and constant motorized
motions or is the natural motion by hand enough for

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Step 3: Materials and Tools

In this section I want to point out, what tools and Materials for the Slide:
materials you will need for a specific purpose.
On the picture above you see the majority of the - 3 Angle brackets with at least one longer hole on
materials I used to produce my slider: one side
- 1 double sided camera screw
Tools: - 6 ball bearings Type 608ZZ (ca 5€ on ebay) and 6
- Wiper hex bolts (ca. 4 cm long) and few nuts and a few
- jigsaw wing-nuts (everything Size M5), to create the slide
- cordless screwdriver wheels

Special Tools: (Useful Advice: Buy a few more to have some backup
-one thick drill bit, that matches the diameter of your wheels. They will be easily exchangeable!)
steel pipe (for me 25 mm)
- another thick drill bit, that matches the outer Marterials for the motorized Mechanism:
diameter of the 608ZZ ball bearings (which are 22
mm) - 3 ball bearings Type 605ZZ and 1 more Type
608ZZ, to create the motorized mechanism
(Both are accessible on ebay for ca. 10€)
- A few wide washers to glue them on both Types of
bearings, that leave enough inner space not get touch
the hex bolts

Materials for the Framing: ATTENTION: If you want to create my wheel

construction, you need to use these exact part Types!
- 1 wooden board from a DIY-Store (I chose "acacia" Other bolts will not match these bearings and other
wood) bearings will not match these bolts!. Both parts are
- 1thread rod (Size M5) internationally accessible on ebay for a small amount
- 4 flexible furniture feet of money.

- 2 steel pipes (diameter of 3-5cm), that have the

exact distance of your desired final slider length

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Step 4: Create the Framing

Start by sawing out the individual parts, (have a look Use some strings to keep the top and the bottom
at the first picture above) and give it a first rough panel on place and drill a hole vertically, that is just
sanding. Use my templates to get the exact thick enough, to match a peace of your M5 thread
dimensions. Download the free Templates here. rod.

Then drill two holes on both side panels with your Saw off four peaces of the thread rod to fix the
thick drill bit, that matches the diameter of your steel Bottom panels to the steal pipes. Make the top panels
pipe. attachable by drilling matching holes on their bottom
I recommend not to drill all the way through but deep side.
enough to give the pipes room to fit in. Then drill a
hole in the edges of both side panels and screw in the
flexible furniture feet.

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Step 5: Create the Bearing-Wheels

In the internet I have found these ball bearings and them to create the wheals for my slide and the
figured out a simple way, to make smooth, mechanism, which allows me to drive my slider by a
inexpensive and exchangeable wheels out of it. common cordless screwdriver.

All you need is the 4 cm long M5 hex bolt, a I bought everything on ebay for a small amount of
matching nut and the ball bearing Type 608ZZ. As money. The shipping took a while, but the bearings
soon as you tighten up the nut the bearing will find its work just fine, and it came out to be incredible
place in the center and you have simple wheel, that inexpensive.
can be screwed in a desired peace of wood.
I am excited to use these bearings in upcoming
I realized, that these ball bearings are quite projects as well.
multifunctional, when it comes to its usablity. I used

Step 6: Create the Slide

For the Camera slide, I decided to use three of those smaller hole to be able to drill it in. Be careful to
wheels on top and three more each on the opposite screw it in as even and tight as possible.
side in an angled position on the bottom, to keep the
slider on track. Now turn your slider on the backside. We will attach
The basic idea is that a chair with three legs does the bottom wheels with angle brackets and we have
never wiggle around, so it will allow maximum to figure out, how much space we need to lift it. Saw
stability. It worked out pretty good for me. matching peaces out of wood and glue then screw
them on place.
Start be pre-drilling the three holes the side of your The angle brackets should have a longer hole on one
wooden slide plate, but do not screw them in for now. side. The idea is having more some space to make
the bottom wheels sit tighter or looser on the steep
Mark the place on top, where you want the fix the pipes. Use Wing nuts here to be able to fix it later on
camera head. Create a flat hole to give your double the go.
sided camera screw some Space. Then pre-drill a

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Step 7: Motorized or Not?

So at this stage of the building process you have a THE BEST MOTOR IS THE ONE MOST OF US
fully working camera slide, with which you can ALREADY GOT HOME: A CORDLESS
already get awesome recordings. But if you want SCREWDRIVER.
some super slow and constant professional looking
motions, you would need a motorized slider. The concept: one active bearing on one side, that I
would accelerate with my cordless screwdriver and
Lets motorize our slider with a simple mechanism, one passive bearing on the other side.
which can be produced without much money or
special knowledge.

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Step 8: Motorized Meachanism: PASSIVE Side

Lets start with the passive bearing. I took the top and Project, try to figure out what are the weak points.
the bottom panel and created a 2 cm long hole in the And avoid them, by creating room to make it
middle. This will provide some fixing range later. adjustable. In case of the slider it`s pretty obviously
Take one of your ball bearings Type 608ZZ and glue all moving things, which means basically the slide
down a wide washers on each side, to keep the string itself and the string.
in line later. Afterwards saw off a longer peace of your The string will get loose with time and with the 2 cm
thread rod and fix the bearing tightly in mid-position of room you created, you will be able to tighten up the
with 2 nuts on each side. Stick it in between the long string with the wingnuts on the go within a couple of
holes of the top and bottom panels on the passive seconds.
side and fix everything with some more wide washer Keep in mind, the more time you spent to create
with wing nuts. those weak points the longer you will be able to have
fun with personally created product.
Useful advice: Whenever you start a new DIY

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Step 9: Motorized Meachanism: ACTIVE Side

Lets switch over to the active side: To achieve maximum traction between the active
bearing and the string, cut out a longer strip of
At first we need to use our thick drill bit, which sandpaper and attach it with some double sided duct
matches the diameter of our 608ZZ bearing (22 mm), tape.
to drill a hole all the way through the Top Panel. We
will create one working bearing exteriorly attached to But we do have to overcome a practical issue: We
the Top Panel and one fixed bearing, underneath that need to coil the string one time around the bearing to
will drive the string. And everything connected by a get enough traction to drive the camera slide. But as
shorter peace of the thread rod. So as soon as you soon as we start to accelerate the active bearing, the
will accelerate the thread rod with your cordless string will coil around itself. The solution are to more
screwdriver, the fixed bearing at the bottom will drive working bearings infront of the active bearing, to
the string for the slider. guide the string.

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Step 10: Create a Quick Realase

In order to be able to switch between motorized and hand operated on the go, we need to create a quick release.
All you need is another hex bolt and a wide washers (here: 2 glued together) and a wing nut. Pre-drill a hole on the
bottom side in the middle part of the slide and screw in the hex bolt, but not all the way in. Now you have some
space to put the sting underneath the washer and tighten or loosen it up on the go.

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Step 11: Assembling and Finishing

We can finally glue everything together and fill tiny Every scratch, tiny holes or any other mistakes will be
gaps with wood dust before you sanding it down, to more noticeable after oiling. So a fine sanding is
create a smooth surface. I recommend glueing necessary to get a descent result.
everything together except the Top Panel with the 2. Use a towel to cover every part of the wood with a
active bearing. Leave it attachable, just in case you thick layer of wood oil.
want to exchange the string or a bearing wheel. 3. Give the wood some time to soak the oil (10-15
minutes).
I screwed 2 camera mounting screws in the on both 4. Then take the towel and wipe it dry, that their is no
bottom panels, so I can mount it on top of two tripods. remaining oil moisture on the surface.
Finally use some wood oil to finish your Slider with 5. Give the wood 24 hours to completely dry out,
some wood oil. before you bring it into service.

OILING QUICK GUIDE:1.

1. Make sure everything is sanded down perfectly.

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Step 12: Don`t Miss the Editing

MY MESSAGE: 1. Digitally stabilize it in your editing software. Don`t

be afraid to use it, even in big hollywood films the
If you think about building a camera slider, you want majority of footage has been stabilized in post.
to get your videos more professional looking. But I
keep watching people online, who spend hours to 2. Add some color, for example by applying a LUT
create awesome sliders or steady cams, but have (Look up Table). If you don`t know, what it is. Search
absolutely no idea, how to utilise it in a proper the internet for it. Trust me: it is worth it.
manner in their final video. Great videos are done in
editing. 3. Use your slider scenes to support your desired
>>The slider itself is just a tool and will not do the job atmosphere
for you<<

Here is what I do with my Slider footage:

Step 13: THANK YOU

If you have made it to this step, I need to thank you If you want to support me and future projects,
for fully reading my biggest instructables post so far! pleasesubscribe to my Youtube channel, check out
I am sure there are a thousand different ways to get a my earlier project about a "DIY smart Monitor Stand"
nice slider, and this is what worked out perfect for me and leave me some comments.
and might work out for you as well.
Please send me a picture if you could successfully
Anyway I hope I could deliver you some inspiration rebuild your version of an ULTIMATE Camera Slider.
for your own DIY slider projects. If you got some cool
ideas and feel like you want to share it with everyone, NOTHING IS BETTER THAN HOMEMADE!
please leave a comment. Rideable Entertainment

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