DIY Track Dolly - works on CURVED and STRAIGHT tracks!

[sincitycyclops]

Those wheels are sexy. How much were they and where did you get them?

[musichistorynut]

@sincitycyclops I used Sonic GTS X-TRA Speed Rollerskate Wheels but standard inline wheels will work. I got them on eBay - I got two sets for like $25 I think, They were brand new, not used, but used are OK, just as long as the bearings are good.

[reo702]

Anyone know the dimensions of that triangle block that's fitted to the wheels and lazy susan?

[musichistorynut]

@reo702 You can actually use smaller blocks and smaller lazy Susans. Mine were large because I THOUGHT I needed them that big to carry the weight, but EACH of the bearings are rated at more than 150 pounds. So,  you CAN go smaller and then use smaller (and in sizes that are MUCH more available) wood. If you can find it, triangular aluminum tubing would be the best. Good luck!! I'd love to see your dolly when finished!!

[reo702]

@musichistorynut THanks! I appreciate the help, sure thing once I have it all figured out and built. I'll post it up!

[EmbraceMediaGroup]

Brilliant!

[evilbunnyreviews]

Can you mail me a parts list please.

[musichistorynut]

@evilbunnyreviews All the parts are listed in the "making of" portion of the video.

but here they are again:

2 x 1/2 inch plywood sections - any dimensions you want - Mine: 30 inches x 36 inches

8 x 4 inch long 5/16 lag bolt/screws

1 x bag of washers for spacing

8 x wheels - I used Sonic GTS X-TRA Speed Rollerskate Wheels but standard inline wheels will work.

4 x 4 inch lazy susan bearings. I am convinced you can use smaller blocks and bearings!

1x box of 3/4 inch drywall screws

4 blocks.

[ElisabethV1996]

@musichistorynut If I were to use desk chair type wheels instead of rollerskate wheels and the lazy susan would my dolly still be able to turn on the curved track? Thank you for the video it really helped me :)

[musichistorynut]

@ElisabethV1996 Not sure - that would depend on how well the desk chair wheels fit to the track. skateboard Wheels would probably give you better surface to run on, but, it all depends on the desk chair type wheels you use. Try it out and let me know!!

[musichistorynut]

@evilbunnyreviews The blocks are really the key to this working. As I said in the other reply to you, I am convinced that smaller bearings and blocks can be used. It seems that getting a true 4 inch x 4 inch board of wood is hard to accomplish. Mine was in an old barn and we ripped it down the center diagonally

I've seen people using a couple pieces of 2x4 screwed and glued together to make their blocks.

If you can find triangular aluminum tubing, THAT would be the way to go!!!

[XxEPICmovementxX]

what r the wheels?

[musichistorynut]

@XxEPICmovementxX They are Sonic GTS X-TRA Speed Rollerskate Wheels I picked up two sets (8 each) for like $30 on eBay.

[XxEPICmovementxX]

@musichistorynut wow thanks tht was fast!

[XxEPICmovementxX]

@musichistorynut Roller-Skate-Wheel-BULLET-Chic­ago-58mm-/310130158267?pt=LH_D­efaultDomain_0&hash=item483532­aabb

how bout these? ^^^

just type in cgi.ebay.com before it

[musichistorynut]

@XxEPICmovementxX Yep those will do. You could probably use regular inline rollerblade wheels as well, but you just need to make sure that they are situated at a 90 degree angle to each other, so they are able to distribute the weight load properly.

[habunami]

Wow. You are a f-ing genius sir. Thank you so much for posting this. This is by far the best design I've seen so far - the whole straight/curved design is brilliant. Most of the other DIY dolly designs are strictly straight. I also really appreciated your slide-show commentary where you explained what you need. I'm going to ACE hardware tomorrow!!! Thank you again and keep inventing cool movie stuff! Just curious: How does the washers on 5/16 screw work so that the wheel still spins?

[musichistorynut]

@habunami The wheel spins because of the wheel bearings. The washers just are added to space the distance between the wood and the wheel. Obviously you cannot have it TOO tight, but snug is fine and it works.  The lag bolts are the key there as well. The bearing is in contact with the smooth part of that bolt, so therefore you get a nice smooth action.

[habunami]

@musichistorynut

You should get like an award man for "quickest Youtube responder"! Thank you. I'll keep that in mind about the spacing between the wood and the wheel. Another question: How did you attach your dolly handle to the plywood? It looks like with a hinge, but I'm not sure. This truly is a brilliant design because you can actually stand with your weight on it which theoretically would allow for a more smooth and steady dolly pull.

[musichistorynut]

@habunami :) thanks.

The handle is attached using two L-brackets facing each other (like this: _I I_ ) You put the PVC tube between them, drill a hole and put a bolt on loosely, so it can move. And I use some washers in there as well. Yeah - you can do a smaller version of this (smaller wood blocks and lazy susans) and you'll be just fine - I designed this to be able to hold my weight so I could ride and shoot while being pushed/pullled.

[MiniDemons]

Omg, i love this. But where would i get that piece of wood you use to make this? The triangle shaped wood.

[musichistorynut]

@MiniDemons Reed DeederV's question and my answer.

[glennDIRECTOR]

You are a legend!!

[DeederV]

You are so generous with your knowledge. These are REALLY helpful follow up comments. Thank you again!!!

[DeederV]

Thanks so much for all your videos - you have a really helpful, welcoming style I like a lot. I'm going to try building your design tomorrow. Can you tell me how/where you got the triangle shaped hardwood blocks? Did you get 4x4s and cut them yourself, or...? Also, when you put down PVC for your track, is there no need to weight it, or attach it to something, or create "spacers" like on a railroad track? Thanks again for sharing your expertise!

[musichistorynut]

@DeederV

That triangle wood piece was actually a 6x6 piece of wood that a friend had in his barn. we ripped it, then planed it so it was truly flat and that is where I mounted the lazy susans. You can't get one from the store unless it is a special order. But, and I've said this before in a lot of other comments - YOU DON'T NEED it to be so big. Mine was designed to carry the weight of the camera operator and the tripod with cam gear on it. Read more in next message

[musichistorynut]

@DeederV I am convinced that the triangular pieces of wood don't need to be so big - you can use much smaller lazy susans and still provide enough support. This would allow you to get readily available wood from your local lumber yard. The only requirement is they are big enough for your lazy susans (which again - can be smaller than mine) and accommodate your wheels. Other than that, the sky's the limit as to the size of your platform, etc.

MORE in next message:

[musichistorynut]

@DeederV

The spacing of the wheels themselves in the platform will readily space your loose PVC track. You just need to run it along them once or twice and they will be perfectly spaced. No need to space ahead of time. The only reason I could see to weigh it down is if you were on un even ground, but again - even so - the wheels will keep your track in place and stable. I am going to build a smaller version of this so you all can see.

[woodsy1234567890]

thank you so much

[dbanting6289]

Hey musichistorynut! Great design!! I want to build it right away but I'm missing a bit of information.

What are the exact dimensions of your platform? 2x4? 2.5x3? This would help me a great deal.

And also, where did you buy those wheels?

Thanks much!

[musichistorynut]

@dbanting6289 The platform dimensions don't matter. It can be as large or as small as you need (for instance, I would have made mine smaller if I had realized that sometimes I want to go through doorways, etc.). Mine is 30 inches x 36 inches x 1 inch thick (TWO 1/2 inch boards screwed together)

I got the wheels on eBay. They are Sonic GTS X-TRA Speed Rollerskate Wheels I picked up two sets (8 each) for like $30. It was worth it. I am happy with them.

[jeffrshaw]

@dbanting6289 

[cardifilms]

musichistorynut this design looks so awesome. Fair play to you for coming up with this design!!!!!!!!!!! I'll let you know how it works for me!!

[musichistorynut]

@cardifilms Thanks! Hey - check out the video responses to this. On one of them, I show it being used on curved track!

Looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

[ezgoo]

did you have to order the lazy susans online or can i walk into a home depot and grab them. also do you think i could use smaller skateboard wheels and get away with staggering them if i added an third wheel on the blocks? thanks, GREAT GREAT STUFF!!!

[musichistorynut]

@ezgoo Having three staggered wheels on the same block would probably work, but I am not sure how well it would work for use on a curved track. And yes, you can go into Home Depot or Lowes or (in the midwest) Menard's and buy the lazy susan bearings. If you try out the staggered design, PLEASE let me know how it works.

Oh yeah - smaller skateboard wheels will work just fine, you just need to make sure they line up where they almost touch together at 90 degree angles

[joelgallagher12]

hes a sexy nigga

[moekanz]

wow thats a really good idea!!! well done!

[shanokhala]

very good idea

[bbasham46]

best design i've seen so far, and i've seen a million...

[musichistorynut]

Thanks!! I am really glad you liked it!

[johnnywaynetv]

This is super sweet. I can't wait to try it. Thanks for putting this up. BTW you make that fireplace look good too!

[musichistorynut]

Thanks Johnny. 

I'd really like to see stuff you shoot using it.

[HombreSully]

most people have been using skateboard wheels- what kind of wheel set up was that? thanks man keep up the awesome work

[musichistorynut]

Hey HombreSully.

They are Sonic GTS X-TRA Speed Rollerskate Wheels. I used rollerskate wheels instead of roller blade ones. I find these to be super smooth. Thanks for commenting.

[tvc1598]

Musichistorynut,

Thanks for the informitive video! I must say that your design is outstanding and after much searching, I will be assembling your design!

Great work and Great videos!

[musichistorynut]

Thanks! I am glad you liked it. Let me know how your build works out. :) I am curious to see.

[cantonboi]

Thanks a million! After 4 whole hours of searching online, I was able to find a mill that offered wood in this size....Houston....

I just have ONE last question, I promise. Does the PEX? used in your curved track double as a straight track? I can cut down on a few bucks if the PEX works both ways.

[musichistorynut]

PEX does not really work that well as a straight track - it's walls are thin and that is one of the things that makes it more flexible. I know straight PVC is very cheap, but a pain to work with as far as transporting it. (Though, my 10 foot sections can still fit in my camry if I have the seats down.) THE best solution for track I have seen is industrial hose. I still have not bought any, but you can use it straight OR curved or both. If you need something versatile, I would suggest that.

[musichistorynut]

Houston? I went to the local hardware/lumber yard and found what I needed. But I'm glad you found some!

Let me know how things go!!

[cantonboi]

Well, I had everything ready to build this thing...however, I cannot find any place that sells the hardwood block as thick as the one shown in your video. (And no tools to cut into a triangle) :(

[musichistorynut]

I found an old 4x4 piece of lumber. I used a band saw to cut it to the length I needed for the 4 inches I would need for each side (so, 8 inches), and then I used a table saw to cut it at the 45° angle I needed to make it into the triangular pieces. My table saw blade was still not long enough to cut all the way through, so I cut out one side, and then turned it over and then cut the other. I then planed the top of each to smooth out the imperfections of the table saw cuts.

[musichistorynut]

That left 4 equally sized pieces of triangular cut wood. 4 inches square at the "top" where the 3 inch lazy susan mounts), 3 and a half inches long to the point of the triangle.That left plenty of space for mounting the wheels. I could PROBABLY gotten away with using smaller lazy susans and blocks, but I wanted this to support enough weight for the camera operator, if needed.

[musichistorynut]

If you don't plan on "riding" it, and just using the tripod, you don't have to have such large blocks. Just big enough to mount your lazy susans and still have enough room to mount your wheels at 45° angles. Just make sure it's quality hard wood!!! (or better yet, if you can find triangular steel or aluminum tubing, THAT would be the way to go!! I am not sure they even make such a thing. I know they make angled aluminum, but I haven't seen any with all three sides connected.

[cantonboi]

I don't mean to criticize your invention - as a matter of fact, your video will be my basis for creating the dolly. I do however, have one question: Is the (very) slight shakiness due to the thick wheels? Your wheels are thicker than most DIYs out there. The idea is very good, and your other video with the curved track is nearly perfect. I noticed things were just a bit uneven....could it also be the lazy susan's fault? Straight tracks with steady wheels seem to have much more stability.

Thnaks

[cantonboi]

By the way, how much did it cost your for making it? I'm trying to find cost-effective methods.

Thank you!

[musichistorynut]

I mentioned that in the video at 1:17. :)

[musichistorynut]

The shakiness happened on the fireplace one because I discovered that if you use the center post on the tripod for height, it makes ANY hint of vibration amplified. It does not matter what kind of tripod you have either. I experimented with 4 different types. If you have the height adjusted by the legs vs. the center post, you have NO vibration. Yes, there is always a chance the Lazy Susan can affect it if there is not even pressure applied - but I have not found that to be a problem.

[musichistorynut]

it also happened because I had not taken the labels off the PVC piping and as I say - ANY hint of vibration is amplified with the center post up, even something as tiny as a sticker label. And that was the case for that shot. Ever since then, I have not used the center post for height and it has been very VERY smooth.

[avenstarenterprises]

Great video - very thorough! Okay... I just purchased a Letus Extreme DOF adapter for my camcorder and now need to build a cool dolly like yours - but it needs to be more portable (maybe fold in half?) and it needs to be able to avoid vibration from being in diverse environments - You are the DIY dolly Yoda so any advice would be greatly appreciated - many thanks!

[musichistorynut]

With a DOF adapter, I might suggest a slider/glider rather than a full sized dolly. You can actually get a lot of motion. But I know that I have seen suitcase-styled dolly systems before(B&H sells them)which fold up. I think my design could fold in half, with hinges in the middle, and swivel-supports for weight support but I haven't thought about it. As far as avoiding vibration-the PVC and wheels do most of the work there. You may want something more Pro-level for your rig than my dolly

[mcfly1954]

Nice work mate. I have just discovered your series of DIY videos.

I have also be looking for ways to make dolly wheels swivel. You have a fantastic design.

Keep up the great work; I am looking forward to discovering more of your videos! :)

[musichistorynut]

Thank you! I hope these help people. I know I have received a LOT of help on many things via YouTube, so I just try to return that if I can.

I'll post some more soon on different things I have been learning lately.

[JGF08]

What brand of wheels are you using?

[musichistorynut]

Thanks for asking.

They are Sonic GTS X-TRA Speed Rollerskate Wheels

That is what they were called on the ebay auction I won.

[JGF08]

I really like your video. You're very thorough and that's important on any diy video. I think you mentioned the dims...and that's a good thing!!!! Keep it up!

[musichistorynut]

Thank you. I certainly hope these are helpful. I know I have been helped a lot by various YouTube vids as I have tried new things myself.

[tanktnt]

love your design, I'm going to try this soon!

[musichistorynut]

Please do! I would love to see what you do!

[djtowo]

does the wood works as good as the alliminum ?

[musichistorynut]

if you can find a way to mount aluminum like that, that would be just fine. My trouble was finding a triangular aluminum tube. You can easily find the angled aluminum, but you are missing the third side for mounting to the lazy susan bearing. I suppose if you were really inventive you could do it, as it would be the better method. But wood works well, and was an easy solution.

[DirectorJavaun]

may you please make another pdf tool list like you did on the jib/arm one this idea is very clever!

[musichistorynut]

Well, I think of all my videos this one does a decent job at telling you what I bought and how I put it together. Just take notes as you watch the slideshow portion. The dimensions of the actual platform will depend upon two things: Your tripod leg's spread width (where it still feels stable) and then what you plan on having on it. Some are big to allow for cam operator seats, others are small enough to go through doorways. Mine allows for my tripod.

[StephenBanham]

Very clever! One of the better videos out there as it actually shows how it is done thoroughly.

Test footage is a little jerky, but that's probably just down to lack of practice more than anything.

Thanks for putting it up!

[musichistorynut]

Thanks for commenting! I discovered something VERY early on. You CANNOT use the center post of a tripod for height when using this. THAT is the real reason there is shakiness. Whatever height you need, you MUST use JUST the adjustments on the legs. Otherwise... it is terrible. I was really disheartened about my design because I was always getting results like that, till I discovered the real issue. Now - SMOOOTH sailing!

[StephenBanham]

Nice tip. Thanks!

[davejames6]

Hi

Great ideas. What about adapting a rolling spider dolly for use on a track and flat surface?

Dave

Red Button Media

[musichistorynut]

That would be cool. Have you done something like that? I'd like to see it.

[musichistorynut]

Hey everyone! I posted a new vid that shows my dolly using a curved track! Check it out and tell me what you think!

[clubbinmag3]

where did u get the wheels? wally world (wal mart) dont sell skates at all, or wheels by theyself.. gotta buy a skateboard (30 bucks)

[musichistorynut]

I bought mine on eBay. They were actual rollerskate wheels, vs. skateboard ones. Really, you can use pretty mich any such wheels, (inline will work too) but you just need to make sure they ALMOST meet each other when mounted on the wood block. That way you have decent surface area touching the track and sustaining the weight. Just do a search on eBay., You will find what you need.

[clubbinmag3]

thanks man.. your a good dude,, for sharing this information, bless you

[musichistorynut]

You are more than welcome. I am close to testing this out on some curved track. I found some curved tubing at the local hardware store. I would prefer some industrial hose or something - but that stuff costs a lot.

I'll post soon.

[peacefulwarrior]

that looks great man 5 stars

[musichistorynut]

Thanks for the rating! I would love to see what you have done with this design!

Hope to hear from you soon

Jerry

[ashman421]

Well done. Can't wait to see it on curved track. How much resistance is on the wheels? What music did you use for the fireplace shot?

[musichistorynut]

Thanks!

You must know these kinds of wheels! The wheels have a TAD more resistance than the ones I have seen on YouTube. This actually gives a more even and consistent travel along the PVC pipe.

There was a bit of jitter in my Fireplace test footage, and that was because I forgot to remove the labels first off the pipe.

The music, both in the fireplace testing shot and the slideshow, is my own. I am also a composer. Thanks again for watching and commenting.