DIY Wooden Studio Stand?

[mdarnton]

I think if I were needing a studio stand, the one I'd want is the first one, with a pair of levers doing all the work. What a clever and simple design, easy for a woodworker to build

[Tin Can]

I had the TableTop design which was a little newer than the one in the book. I needed space and I needed heavier duty. It sold easily.

Now I want a street setup so I can take my Century Tailboard up on The 606 next summer when it opens. It will have to be a walking cart or bicycle based to be allowed on it.

[pound]

ok i have post a thread in the resources section on old photography manuals. No 5 in the list will appeal very much to the DIYers

[Tim Meisburger]

Okay. I just read through this thread and looked as well at the stands referenced on Gutenberg to see if my idea had already come up, and I don't see it (although one of the Gutenberg examples references counter balances.

In the old days you could get racks and gears at the local hardware store, but now such are hard to find. To me the easiest way to accomplish this at home these days would be using counterweights in rigid columns, like sash weights in old windows.

Columns could be steel or aluminium pipes, or if you wanted a more traditional look they could be box columns of wood.

The bottoms of the columns would be attached to a suitable stand (rolling or fixed).

At the top of the columns pulleys would be mounted (old sash pulleys would be perfect and are easily available).

Two sliders would be made that would slide up and down the columns, and would support the camera shelf. The sliders would have a friction screw and plate that could be tightened to fix the shelf at the desired height.

The camera shelf would sit on a frame hinged at from and with two brass lid supports at the back (to provide tilt).

Appropriate counterweights attached to steel cable or sash cord would be dropped in the columns from above, the cord run over the pulleys, and then attached to the shelf sliders. Now the camera on the shelf will be counterbalanced by the counterweights in the columns, so will move up or down with the touch of a finger, and can be fixed at the appropriate height by the friction screw or tightening knob (not sure what to call it).

If this is unclear I could sketch a picture.

[Tin Can]

Tim that's an exact description of a Deardorff Studio Stand.

I just posted pictures of mine here in post 262.

[pound]

Hi Tim. Yr description is good enough and might be doable based on my limited woodworking skills.

On another note, I found this patent , it uses a scissor lift design with springs to do the counter balance. I never see this on ebay before so I wonder was it ever produced commercially.

[Tim Meisburger]

Ha ha! So much for my patent. Here is a quick sketch I made while Randy was busy wrecking my dreams of wealth and power...

[Tin Can]

Tracy Storer of Mammoth camera made a custom camera and stand for 20x24 Polariods that is also interesting.

I think Tracy can make anything a photogragher could possible want. Especially if it's Mammoth.

Mammuth Camera is a historical name to describe big of course!

[Tim Meisburger]

Yes, Tracy's stands look simple and elegant. Pound, I looked at the patent and I'm not surprised you have never seen one, as it is a very complex way to achieve what had already been achieved using simple gear racks.

[DrTang]

Whelp.... now I need a stand


yes...that was me in a panic 6 months ago selling one

I didn't have the space then.,..I do now

and I want to use the new studio camera I picked up sans stand

so..until I find one..I need to 'make do'

one question to stand owners... what is the highest and lowest the camera platform can be adjusted to?


I figure there are decades of trial and error that went into the original ones..so no point re-inventing the wheel on stuff like this


owners: thank you in advance