Cam Stabilizer

Here is one of the stabilizers I made recently. (Somewhat out of my “Bike Parts” bin.)

Stabilizer1.jpg



As shown here it’s really only the 1st simple version of it.

When I get parts I’ll make the mounting plate adjustable in two directions, add an outside bearing to the center shaft/handle, and give it a telescoping 2nd section. (Basically borrow the Glide Cam design.)


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I wish I did, for a bunch of stuff. (I'm waiting on either a t2i or 60D)
They won't be perfect, but typical balanced.

(I can try my other old still camera for a little video clip but I'm not sure it will work.)

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Thanks Knightly. (I’m just trying to amp up the premiere area somehow, and give everyone something to look at that maybe will set their own DIY demons into motion.)

You know, I only do a few things (I have "modes"), and when I am in that mode (Which ever one is in season), I focus on just that, like crazy. This is the build stuff mode.

(Probably literally is some kind of mental illness, but it’s fun.)


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Charles thanks for checking it out.

I never tried an underwater housing. I wouldn’t know where to begin. (A jar I guess.)

Next might be a coming together of some or all (or none) these things into some kind of up contraption (I don't know until I see it):

Next2.jpg


Next1.jpg


Next3.jpg



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Nice find Goob!

It might be able to, but usually A: You want something with a larger area of axis. B: It would have a bearing in the center.

I think it would have to be ultra precision and balanced to stay in that small diameter of movement.

Now that said, you tell ME if it will work. It could be killer, or kind of work, or be a total bust, but the sweet thing is you were hot on spoting something that might work (That is half the battle) and exploring the mechanical operations of how things like that do work.

I honestly couldn't tell you if it would work, but if I had that keychain you can bet I would be thinking about how to try to make it work, plus it's a nice example or a little gimbal to study the construction from. (Anyway you slice it, it's a win find to me.)

If you want to make a gimbaled stabilizer, one way would be to:


ForGoob3a.jpg


Start with a skate wheel bearing. (They are kind of cheap) They are usually 3/4 of an inch outside diameter and the inside diameter is close to 1/4 -20 (You add a piece of a pen as an insert in the bearing center, and it's a very nice fit for 1/4-20).

Take that 3/4 bearing and find like a piece of PVC maybe 1 inch outside diameter, maybe 1 and a quarter (I don't know) that you can file/bore out the inside diameter until you can force the bearing into it, so the PVC is like an outter shell to the bearing and the bearing is in there tight as a dickens.

(I thought of using a skate wheel since the bearings fit right into them, then you could have two bearings.)

Then find/cut a piece of PVC or something for a larger ring that your bearing piece can move inside of in all directions, then find a final larger piece of PVC for the outside ring. (See how I failed with the outside rings depth? It's cup like depth prevented the center shaft from its full axis movement, so I had to cut it down.)

The thing that is tricky is to get all of your holes centered, just deep enough, and the right size, and then getting just the right lenght of bolts to hold the rings AND to keep them in the center of each other and able to turn freely.

(I'm sure there is a way to set it up to drill easy, I just don't know it yet, or don't have the gear to do it, but it can be done, it just takes patience.)

So when you have the bearing on two pivots inside a ring with two pivots inside a ring with two pivots, then you can add a lenght of 1/4 -20 threaded rod through the center, and use two nuts to adjust where it is centered on the threaded rod.

If you look at some stablizers, to me it looks like they use a nice quality bearing with like a 3/4 inside diameter. That size of center shaft would have better stability than threaded rod of course.

Try it with the key chain somehow Goob, and see what happens. If you can mill out that center piece to fit a skate bearing (Maybe with some set srews to hold it in place), then you will have a way sweet little gimble. Get a bearing and take the two to anykind of machine shop or something and ask them to fit the two togther for you. A real machinst would hook that up in a heart beat, and you would trip out at how that balance feels. (You would then have to take on the balance of the camera in an ajustable back and forth side to side set up, but a precision gimbal is where it all begins. The key chain is a nice start and way cool find.)

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