I've got a couple of disk rotors lying around. It is a terrific idea. Glue some edpm rubber to the bottom, and it'll be non-scratch.
I've got a couple of disk rotors lying around. It is a terrific idea. Glue some edpm rubber to the bottom, and it'll be non-scratch.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Disk roters would be effective. Does the rig HAVE to be that heavy?
Any thoughts on adding three little thumb-screw legs for leveling?
Drew Bedo
www.quietlightphoto.com
http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo
There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!
If it's not heavy, one would have to be very careful not to move the rig when making adjustments, inserting film holders.....
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Heavy is okay by me. For leveling surf for pinball leg levelers. Go for the type with composite (rubber like) feet.Originally Posted by Drew Bedo
I used some rotors to make the base for a background stand. I just went up to the Dollar Tree and bought one of the little foam backed carpet scraps they sell as rugs. One of those makes 2 pads for smaller rotors.
Glue the rotors to the carpet backing and then cut away all the excess.
Drew, you'd need solid rotors instead of the far more common "vented" rotors. The vented rotors have spines that create air channels for cooling-it'd be really hard to drill holes in those.
The holes are already drilled. You know, the mounting holes? And since when did vented rotors become most common-place? Not yet. Regardless, irrelevant.
I have also used brake drums or tire rims for holding uprights in the studio... Has bolt holes in them...
Steve K
Jac, I've scrounged many of these rotors and the vast majority of them are of the vented type. The holes for the lug bolts are where you have to mount some kind of plate so you have a surface to bolt the tripod head to as the rotors have a hole in the middle for the hub.
If you put the leveling bolts thru the lug bolt holes, I think the thing would be somewhat prone to tipping over.
To see what we're trying to make, find a copy of Irving Penn's "Worlds in a Small Room" and look at the picture at the top of page 60 of Penn using his "floor pod" and then read his notes at the end of the books. In the third paragraph of his notes he says " For very low point-of-view pictures, I used a homemade tripod consisting of a Tiltall head bolted to an 8-inch circular steel plate on 3 spike legs."
While I could buy an 8" steel plate off Ebay ,the shipping cost is generally crazy and I can get disc brake rotors from my mechanic for free.
Most rotors around here are solid, from Chevys to Honda Civics. But who cares if they're slotted or drilled? Why should that matter for this purpose? Using some kind of pad or covering on the bottom would aid in preventing slipping on a smooth floor. Just make sure that it's not compressible to cause movement. Or one could epoxy small feet under it, drill through the rotor and bolt on feet, although that sounds like a pain, or run some wood under the rotor to give a place to mount bolts or levelers. The disk would only need to be absolutely level if you're doing stitching.
Another option, if you have them, is to run a bolt through a studio apple crate. Sandbag it if needed....
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
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