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January, 2025

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$10 dolly i made...really easy so make

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Jacuse
Posts: 1792 - Karma: 1,549
Here's the set up:

For the first video i added oil to the gutters, so it slides a lot nicer than the shots in this next video. You will notice some of the shots are a little jerky, but that doesn't happen anymore.


If you are interested in how to make it, click the second video and read the description. And if you were wondering i came up with this design myself.
Apr 29 2009 9:13PM
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Jwenz
Posts: 8893 - Karma: 7,634
Looks real sick. Especially for 10 dollars. Nice work!
Apr 29 2009 9:22PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
Hm, id rather spend 10 more dollars and have pvc and wheels.
Apr 29 2009 9:43PM
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Jacuse
Posts: 1792 - Karma: 1,549
i looked at doing that, but it was going to cost me about $40.
Apr 29 2009 9:52PM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
damn, i might need to try that.
Apr 29 2009 10:10PM
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m.brus
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 103
good job! I would make that if I had a camera...
Apr 29 2009 10:17PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
Yeah, total mine was about 35 bucks, worth it though, once again IMO.
Apr 29 2009 11:29PM
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ja.
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 144
shhhhh evan.
Apr 30 2009 1:02AM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
you feel like posting a plan or a how to build guide?
Apr 30 2009 1:12PM
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
ditto.. a link to the plan and Id be fairly appreciative!
Apr 30 2009 2:02PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
its quite easy ill explain it:

Get yourself a 2X2-3X3 piece of plywood

acquire two pieced of angle iron that has hole in it to the bottom of the plywood. You can use two long pieces that go for the whole piece of wood or you can cut up 4 pieces and put them on each end, either works.

Acquire 8-16 skateboard/rollerblade wheels, newer the better, and then use bolts and nuts to attach them to the angle iron. Put two on each end, staggered, so that they will make a groove for a pvc pipe to fit in. If you use 8, do 2 on each end, if you do 16, put 4 on each end. You really only need 8 but some do 16.


Then, after you have the wheels attached, then use screws to attach the angle iron to the plywood. Depending on your wheels you may need to put some sort of riser between the plywood and angle iron. Smalls scrap 2X4s work well.


After that it should look likes this.

Click for larger image

then simply buy two pieces of pvc and place them on the ground so that the wheels will be sliding on them. Then boom, dolly made. Wood and angle iron is like 10 bucks, if you get real cheap wheels and barrings or have old ones is pretty cheap too. PVC is like 5 bucks for 1 10ft tube. If you have anymore questions, shoot.
Apr 30 2009 3:25PM
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thisandthatfilms
Posts: 7714 - Karma: 526
put more weight on it so it dosent shake as much. get like a 10 pount weight and throw it on there and it will make it so much smoother
Apr 30 2009 4:24PM
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KarmaInitiative
Posts: 2028 - Karma: 174
This is so great, im shooting something that i wanted to use a dolly for, but i dont want to make a dolly with skateboard wheels. This is so much easier, karma++
Apr 30 2009 6:49PM
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connoroh
Posts: 2333 - Karma: 246
cool, but you aren't the first person to do this.
Apr 30 2009 7:11PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,017
definitely sick
Apr 30 2009 7:47PM
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egeezy14
Posts: 305 - Karma: 36
cool but not doing it
Apr 30 2009 8:11PM
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japollner
Posts: 1699 - Karma: 459
I actually really like the idea.  If you were to rig up some sort of winch or pulley system (maybe using an old fishing reel) you could possibly obtain more consistent dolly moves than with the home made skater dolly.  The added drag that the friction has on the tennis balls is actually a plus if you were to do something like that.  It wouldnt be as portable, but all you would need is a clamp, a pulley and an old fishing reel.
May 1 2009 9:59AM
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T_LEX
Posts: 149 - Karma: 110
Looks SIck jared. y would u want to spend anymore money when u could get this for 10$. Best bang for the buck rite there
May 1 2009 6:49PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8809 - Karma: 6,348
thank you

threads.
May 1 2009 7:02PM
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ski8990
Posts: 5961 - Karma: 19
chea. my threads
May 1 2009 7:31PM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
both sick ideas! the first idea of the thread is very origional and easy... good stuff
May 1 2009 7:48PM
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Mooserz
Posts: 2945 - Karma: 32
if thats al your property in the video i seriously envy you. great build btw. def gonna use it
May 1 2009 10:18PM
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mattytru
Posts: 2789 - Karma: 5,628
i want to build a dolly, my threads
May 1 2009 10:43PM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
Thanks!

So I thought up another design based on Eheath's.

A couple requirements for me are that it is portable enough that I can hike it on the hill easily, preferably in a backpack. So it has to be light, not too big, but still function properly.

With that, I thought I could get rid of the plywood and just go with a "T" shaped frame. I mean you're going to be using a tripod and it only has 3 small points of contact so why the large, and heavy base? Cut the angle iron and attach the wheels on, then put that on the frame. The "T" has to be able to be taken apart, so I'm thinking like an aluminum piece with holes in it to screw together. Then just tie a bunch of PVC to your bag and voila! a portable and cheap dolly?

Give me some feedback on my design, I'll post up a picture of what I have in mind in a bit
May 1 2009 11:51PM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
Click for larger image
May 2 2009 12:46AM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
Seen it done alot, i would have one like it but it costs much more money to fabricate a T out of metal.
May 2 2009 5:12AM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
use small pvc for the t
May 2 2009 5:32PM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
what about this?

pvc tracks, use a little large pvc and cut in half. somehow attach the tripod to the top of the cut in half pvc, and then oil it up and slide on the smaller pvc?
yes, no? would that work?
May 2 2009 6:01PM
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MAC.D
Posts: 5654 - Karma: 345
my threads
May 3 2009 8:17AM
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sklermang
Posts: 2981 - Karma: 1,954
threads

May 3 2009 9:50AM
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Alkyy
Posts: 2839 - Karma: 149

instead of the t its better to do a colapsoble triangle, We have one excatly like e heaths right now except 16 wheels(a little overkill but its super smooth).  this summer i plan on making a colapsoble triangle that i can mount a camera only a few inches off the ground.  I was thinking taking my old fluid head that the tilt got mesed up and is no longer smooth, and mounting it straight to the dolly.  Only problem with that is that i still wanna be able to use a normal tripod.  Any suggestions to get both? (if you put the camera right in the midle of the triangle you get the front of it and the pvc in the shot so thats a no go.

May 3 2009 10:15AM
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Zent33zy
Posts: 1546 - Karma: 389
thats sick
i made one similar to Obsessedwski's dolly but with a ladder
May 10 2009 8:45PM
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Dr.D-Sag
Posts: 212 - Karma: 374
anybody got any ideas for one that could go good on snow?
May 10 2009 9:00PM
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ct_steeze
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 153
sweet dog
May 10 2009 9:06PM
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cashdebt
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 349
this is good, my threads
May 10 2009 11:40PM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
me and eheath's would work fine on snow, just flatten an area and raise the pvc with something.
Think along the lines of a train track, like with the wood going across underneath
you kinda get what I'm going at?
May 11 2009 1:12AM
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horner
Posts: 2439 - Karma: 1,578
Allen speaks the truth.  Dollys are out and sliders are in!
May 11 2009 1:17AM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
that's sick man!
Reminds me of my cheap ass steady cam
May 11 2009 1:19AM
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MostHated
Posts: 102 - Karma: 1,312
Where is it possible to by a slider? and what should i search for? there sooo much easier then a dolly!
May 11 2009 10:41AM
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BigM1218
Posts: 998 - Karma: 13
Dalmatians are awesome
May 11 2009 4:52PM
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MNBlake
Posts: 658 - Karma: 34
i just tried to make your design and the tennis balls got caught on the halved gutter pieces i used. any suggestions? (i already tried silicone spray)
Jul 24 2009 9:32PM
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1337
Posts: 31064 - Karma: 29,404
Dude thats sick. my threads
Jul 24 2009 10:49PM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,355
First shots look epiccccc.
Jul 25 2009 12:44PM
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Leafman
Posts: 2178 - Karma: 251

That thing has a ot of potential, good job man

Jul 25 2009 1:50PM
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king.of.gnarnia
Posts: 118 - Karma: 215
clever
Jul 25 2009 3:13PM
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CreamSteez.
Posts: 299 - Karma: 81
COOL
Jul 25 2009 7:15PM
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HamFaceGirl
Posts: 5242 - Karma: 2,684
thats cool nice dog too
Jul 25 2009 8:39PM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
I made one today, It's so nice and smooth. The only problem is that my dog always tries to steal the tennis balls.
Jul 25 2009 10:07PM
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camohard
Posts: 343 - Karma: 22
Sick air compressor in the background. Cool idea, but I think something much better/more versatile could easily be made for the same price or a little bit more. It's a pretty dope idea though, and seems to work for you.
Jul 26 2009 5:30PM
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alexat955
Posts: 2732 - Karma: 112
my threads
Jan 7 2010 8:07PM
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