DIY Track Dolly for under $50

Some professional track dolly's for mounting cameras cost in excess of $2,000 for even 10 feet of track.  In this tutorial we will construct a track dolly using basic components available at a hardware store as well as some parts easily found at thrift stores.

Step 1

For a basic light-weight camera track dolly for mounting tri-pods you will need the following materials.

Bill of Materials:
(2) 1"x5'-0" Schedule 40 PVC pipe (for track)
(1) Pair of roller blades (for a total of eight wheels)
(16) Hex bolts for mounting wheels to wheels to platform and brackets w/matching nuts
(8) Spacers to allow for wheel offsets
(1) L-Bracket with mounting holes for wheels
(1) 3/8" plywood or MDF board for platform
(1) 1/2" dowel for spacing

Tools that will come in handy:
-A drill press or electric drill & bits.
-Nailgun or brad nailer
-Hex wrench/socket wrench
-Circular hand saw
-T-squares & rulers for lining things up

Comments

[sensoryhouse]

Noyce!

Here's mine! Different build but same category.

[wli2]

whats that camera control thing you have there called?

[sensoryhouse]

Meade Autostar Telescope Arm

[flio191]

great vid, but is there any way you can turn off autoplay?

[sensoryhouse]

Sorry man, I didn't even think this was possible. I didn't mean to hijack your page. If I can't figure out how to turn it off then I will delete the comment.

[tcallaghan]

Thanks Chris. I've just made my own based on your work. It's much appreciated.

I affixed two pieced of 18mm MDF together, and use a 40 mm hole saw on the top sheet to create recesses for the tripod legs at three different heights.

I also added a metal cleat tie and knotted a ratchet strap around it, so I can apply some downforce and stability to the mid level spreader on my tripod.

The roller blade wheels are an inspired idea. I can't believe how buttery smooth the whole things is. I couldn't find the nylon spacer, so I've just gone with triple nuts and eight washers a wheel.

All in all, I think this has cost me about £60 instead of £300+.

Thanks again.

Tim

[steinermeister]

Built this one day, and used it in a shoot the next day. For £30 total cost, I can't believe how easy it was & how great it is to use. Will be getting more PVC now to extend the track. And might also build a 2nd bigger dolly to fit both the camera (+ stand) and me (+ seat).

[roccopeterbilt]

I see this was posted awhile back. In case it is still valuable you may want to consider using steel conduit or even steel pipe instead of the PVC if you plan to hold much weight. $.02

[jholiday]

PVC works well if you choose the right size. Shot a feature last year and built pvc track and it held RED ONE with Matte Box, Tripod Heavy Duty, Operator, ect. Not as heavy as steel pipe and allows for fast setup as well. Steel would be awesome for some kind of permenant rig.

[filmnuts]

That's a nice simple design.  Some modifications to consider would be a push bar on the back of the dolly, a loop in the center of the platform to tie the tripod and camera down to the dolly and rotating bases for the wheels to make it easier to take turns on curved track.  From a safety standpoint, you might also want something to cover the bolts sticking up.

[awawawaw]

Excellent idea!!! The simple L bracket design with rollerblade wheels can be used for a lot of other projects. Quality instructable: straightforward, detailed, and clean.

[RedMeanie]

This is a great setup! Ive been working on a gate and this would make a great setup for a gate just add a drive wheel on the side.
Thanks you saved me allot of WORK!

[valhallas_end]

Fantastic idea.  Easy to build and modify.  I like it.

[kelseymh]

Very nice project!  Clear, well written, and complete.  Are you sure you want it under Workshop:Tools, rather than Tech:Photography?  I'd like to feature it at the category level; it seems more appropriate for photography to me.

[chrismathewsjr]

I suppose I should do that category instead.  I couldn't find a "film" category so I gave up pretty quickly on categorizing it.  I'll change it now.  Thank you very much for the kind words!

~jr