balancing bracket?

[Wade Francom]

Part of a rig runner's required inventory is a balancing bracket, such as the one on Jerry Hill's website or others. You know, the mechanism you place your sled in to balance--mounted atop a c-stand- with a collar clamp on one side, a post on the other, and possible places for tools...

Does anyone have any handy pointers or designs on how to build one of these? I have the c-stand, but no balancing bracket, and I need one!

Help!

[Tom Wills]

Basically, cut this shape out of Aluminum with a bandsaw. Obviously, tailor the sizes to your post and bolt sizes. Then, just use a big shaft collar and a bolt across the "U" part to lock it in.

[Phil Kindred]

It is not quite as simple as Tom indicates.  You need a good strong plate--mine is steel and a collar on your post to rest on the
bracket.  If you look at my rig pics, you will see something I found in a boat shop.  It is an oar lock that is the perfect fit for a 1.5 post.    The collar rests on top of the lock.  All you have to come up with is a pin and chain.  You can get 2 for about 6 bucks.
You will also need a way to fasten it to the C-stand.  I would caution against trying to  use a threaded hole on the plate  and use a collar system over the C-stand.  I tried  the threaded gig and it snapped the threaded section of C-stand off.  Not a pleasant
experience.

[Trevor Crump]

Part of a rig runner's required inventory is a balancing bracket, such as the one on Jerry Hill's website or others. You know, the mechanism you place your sled in to balance--mounted atop a c-stand- with a collar clamp on one side, a post on the other, and possible places for tools...

Does anyone have any handy pointers or designs on how to build one of these? I have the c-stand, but no balancing bracket, and I need one!

Help!

Maybe these will help

[Phil Kindred]

Fuel hose?

[Wade Francom]

Trevor, thank you. Thank you all, in fact.

I was thinking about just threading it into the top of the stand, but since Your experience, Phil, I decided to go Trevor's route.

By the way, Trevor, is that aluminum square tube, or steel?

[Wade Francom]

I bet the fuel hose is a protective cover for hooks to hang the vest on.

[Wade Francom]

An oar lock, eh? Is that a standard item you'll find at any boat shop?

[Phil Kindred]

Any boat shop.   Aluminum  should be fine.  I happened to have the steel plate.

[Wade Francom]

Sweet. I'm going to check it out tomorrow.

I have my whole rig together now. I have a 15 lb. sled, a sweet arm, a vest that's bulletproof, and a temporary socket block. We even shot a commercial last weekend involving a crane and my rig. The only thing is, I can't balance on-site. I have a post drilled into my workbench at home, but no way to balance on-site until I construct the balancing bracket. I've got a pretty good start now, thanks to you guys.

[Wade Francom]

Now that I think about it, I have some extra steel plate in the garage that may work.

[Trevor Crump]

Trevor, thank you. Thank you all, in fact.

I was thinking about just threading it into the top of the stand, but since Your experience, Phil, I decided to go Trevor's route.

By the way, Trevor, is that aluminum square tube, or steel?

Made by Magiqcam, the whole thing is steel... the fuel tube is for the vest hanger. simple but efective item, you may need to look into the back hole, depending on your gimbal to arm system..

The front fork is for parking, the sled, the rear hole is to mount the gimbal system into for balancing.

[Brett A. Noe]

I basically used the Magiqcam desin for mine. Welded a post for balancing.

Be sure to use a steel stand to set it on. I've been using an aluminium one and it has too much flex.