How long has it taken to build your system???

[Charles King]

I like to find out out how long has it taken many of the HBS members to build their rigs? Please state weather you have built a crane, jib, full rig, handheld stabilizer or a dolly system. I like this to be a sort of tally of how long people devote themselves to their project. It will also be good guide for other newbies to know how much goes into such projects, regardless if it is a small or large one. I know people are different. Some work fast others like the work under pressure while others, like myself are taken the safer route. Everything depends on an individual's set goals and determination. So please indulge everyone and share your stats.

I'll start. I am still in the on going phase as it has taken about two years so far to get to where I am. This is simply due to trail and errors and using an advance program that takes time to learn and master. Trying out different methods and making sure that all stress points are ironed out is a time consuming issue. This is why technology cost so much. Since I'm building a professional system that can be on par or close, to  some of the high-end commercial systems, I have to make sure that all aspects of the design are covered. Weak spots have to be taken out. Finding the right material at a price but maintain quality is always a hit or miss procedure. Since I'm using High-end professional CNC machines to build my system, I have to make sure there is no room for error, in the CAD program. As I mentioned before, I'm using Inventor, the same program that the steadicam system is design on. So I like to cover all aspect to make sure, when it finally goes to the machine shop, everything is calculated correctly. Tolerances are also taken into consideration.

This whole process as taken me over two years now and we have just one more item  to complete before seeing the end results. The parts I'm machining are.

1. Female socket block
2. Vest Bracket plate
3. The entire Sled
4. Arm
5. Gimbal (in the near future)

Not so many things but trust me, they are more than enough work. So there you have it. Let's hear from you others.

[Jake Danilchik]

Hi,

My "Cody Stage II" steadicam rig has taken me about 1.5 years to "finish".   The last few months I have not worked on it much other than to make refinements.  It was a thrill to fly it for the first time ( at the 1 year mark ) but decided I needed a sled with a 1.5" carbon fiber tube and a more capable gimbal, became impatient so I purchased an unfinished sled from a fellow here on HBS.  I have replaced a majority of those parts to refine the sled ... and keep tweaking things very often.   It has been a much bigger project than I anticipated but the result is very much worth it.   Now if it would stop raining here in Seattle I might be able to practice more often :-)

cheers,

Jake

[Charles King]

Nice to hear, there are people who likes to take their time to get the results required. 1.5 years. Not bad. Refining and tuning is one of the keys to getting a system to behave it's suppose to. Like the monitor support.

Hope to get more replies here. Thanks Jake.

[Bob Hill]

Hiya Charles,

I have a really good idea of the amount of shop time it took to make everything but I haven't a clue as to how much time I have spent researching and designing.  I am guessing I spent anywhere from 2 to 10 times the amount of time designing things before I even began fabrication. That said here are my shop hours on my finished projects:

Camera Stabilizer Rig- 38hours
Simple track dolly including track joints and spreaders - 7.5 hours
4 wheel steerable pneumatic wheeled dolly - 18hours

Here is some other somewhat interesting information:
March-15-06   Found and registered with the HBS Group
April-5-06      Received my milling machine and necessary tooling
June-24-06   Finished working model of my camera stabilizer

Charles you aren't kidding when you say "Prepare to be inspired!!!" When I found HBS in March of '06 I had never even seen a camera stabilizer but once I saw everyone's rigs and clips I knew that I had to build one. I need to again give a profound thank you to everyone here for all their support and inspiration.

Bob Hill

[Charles King]

Bob, I'm glad the HBS site had inspired you to build.   It's good to see that people still do research and preparation before jumping into something of this size. I guess it's inevitable. A good preparation is necessary to get the results needed of a descent system.  Nothing is easy as it seems, is it ?

[Phil Kindred]

I have been working on mine for about 4 years, I would guess.  That is not constant building.  I tend to plan or think alot, then do whatever piece I am working on.  My sled evolved through many variations.  I'm now on my second vest and planning a second GEO style arm.  There is a lot of "wait" time when you use a machinist, so that factors in.  I look at some of the pics of mine in the Rigs section and can see what I've learned over my time here--from many really good minds here.  I regard the Geo arm as a great challenge (and expensive), but a real learning experience.   Plus I want it to be the best I can do.  I'm pushing into old age, guys!

[Charles King]

Phil, you're never too old  in my eyes. You are extraordinary at what you do. Look at Garrett. Still going strong. It's always nice to see him operate a rig at shows. It will definately be nice to see that geo-style arm

[Mike Mann]

It's taken me about 6 months to build my full rig.  The only thing I'm waiting on are the socket blocks.  I never kept track of how much time I physically worked on it, but I can see i spent a lot of time researching as shown on my log in time here at HBS.  These projects will take far longer than you might expect if you want a quality product.  Unless of course you are skilled in machinery and have access to the tools required.  I wanted to make everything, but it began to eat away at my family time and sleep time.  So do like Charles has said and take it easy.  You will have a better experience and you will do it right.

[Alan Dague-Greene]

Great thread! For me, it was a couple of years of casual research, building to obsession. Then a little less than two more years to finish my full rig. That includes the dreadful verisons that I built before arriving at the one I currently have. It also includes the time between my first fully-functional rig being finished, and me realizing, "wow, this sucks."

I started the process all over again in September 2005 and was finished May 27, 2006. That's the time it took to build the rig I have now. However, I was still tweaking, buying new springs, and adjusting my end blocks up to October this year.

"Prepare to be inspired" is right! What a rush, learning all this stuff from great people. It does feel good to be done, though. I'm not a builder at heart, just a hardcore Steadicam buff who can't get enough.

[Phil Kindred]

I look at it this way--once you have a working rig, it's ok.  But then comes the "What if" factor.  It's never really done, guys.  You keep tweaking and finding new things to improve the rig.  That is as it should be--my current favorite word--evolution.     And then those new guys show up on HBS with an idea and you go--man, why didn't I think of that.  New blood brings new ideas and THAT is as it should be.   Thanks, Charles for the not old comment.  The cold here in the Pacific Northwest just brought me down.

[Charles King]

I look at it this way--once you have a working rig, it's ok.  But then comes the "What if" factor.  It's never really done, guys.  You keep tweaking and finding new things to improve the rig.  That is as it should be--my current favorite word--evolution.     And then those new guys show up on HBS with an idea and you go--man, why didn't I think of that.  New blood brings new ideas and THAT is as it should be.

Nicely put Phil. so true. Nice feedbacks everyone.

[MikkoWilson]

My Jib took me a couple of evenings. But that's prety darn simple.

My Dolly took me almost a week with a few hours a day.

My Stabilizer took maybe 2 weeks of tinkering before maybe another week of busy buidling to make. Plus a short delay in getting springs and a coupel of hours of installation before it flew properly.  Then again, it's not very good.

I spent more time on the "Player" than the other rigs combined.

- Mikko ... tinkers with his Archer all the time.

[Charles King]

Thanks Mikko. BTW, speaking of the player, what happen to pics you were going to send me...?

[Damien Quick]

My Jib took 3 weeks.. a couple of hours a day at work during breaks etc etc. Only just finished it3 days ago, but it needs some tweeking.
ill upload some pix of it soon.

As for the rig, i  will be starting it in january.. i ordered one of Codys books, so i can work it out,  because the whole concept still blows me away..