Introduction: Simple Camera Slider for on a Tripod

By Technisch Speelgoed
About: I'm a social-worker, working with 12 - 23 year-olds. I used to be a printer. In 2018 I opened a small makerspace (www.imdib.nl) in my house, where I have lasercutters, 3d-printers, Arduino's, Mindstorms and ot…

For an upcoming project I need a simple slider. (The upcoming project will probably become an Ible) I found two old rails for a drawer and made a very nice slider in under a hour.

The problem is that here in Europe you can't find the 1/4 inch screws to connect the camera, so I'm still waiting for them to arrive from China and I took apart a camera stand to use the slider until the screws arrive.

Yes the camera is not digital and that is what we will need for our upcoming project.

Attachments

Step 1: You Will Need

Materials:

  • 2 Drawer rails
  • A small piece of metal
  • Some nuts and bolts

Tools:

  • Ruler and pencil
  • Screwdriver
  • Saw
  • Drill
  • Metal bender (or vise)

Step 2: Prepare the Rails

My rails had a 'stop' to prevent it from going both ways. But we want it to go both ways so I pried it out with a screwdriver.

Because it where really old rails, I sprayed some WD40 in it and it make them move like new again.

Step 3: Make a U Shape

I didn't have an U profile in the right size, so I made my own.

The U profile should be at least 50 mm x 50 mm to give the slider some stability on the tripod. I went for 60 mm wide and 80 mm long. (all approximately)

Mark the width on a piece of metal. (80 mm in my case) Use metal that is thick enough to hold the slider and a camera.

You will need at least 25 mm (1 inch) of height so the metal should be at least 60 mm + 2 x 25 mm = 110 mm long. I just used the size that the metal already was.

Mark 60 mm in the middle of the 110 mm.

Bend both sides 90 degrees up. I used a special bender for this (not the one from Futurama), but you can also do this in a vice.

Step 4: Add Some Holes

Drill some 4 mm holes in the four corners of the U shape.

Mark the middle of the top.

Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the middle (6,5 mm).

Step 5: Bolt on the Rails

Mark the middle of the rails.

Mark the middle of the side of the U shape.

Hold the middle line of the U on the middle line on the rail and mark where the holes are in the U onto the rail.

Drill 4 mm holes where the markings are on the rail.

Widen the holes from the inside.

Use M4 bolts with a V head to bolt the rail to the inside of the U-shape.

Test if the rails still moves over the bolts.

Do the same for the other side.

Step 6: The Other U Shape

Measure the distance between the two rails.

Bend an other U-shape in this size. (I was lucky and I could use a piece that I had already in my scrap drawer)

The second U-shape should be the same length as the first (80 mm).

Mark the middle of the of the top of the U-shape.

Drill a 1/4 inch (6,5 mm) hole in the middle of the U.

Step 7: Attach the Second U-shape

Mark the middle of the side of the second U-shape.

I had already holes in the middle of the inside of my rails.

The second U will go upside down on the middle of the inside of the rails.

Mark where the holes in the rails ar on the second U.

Drill 4 mm holes where you marked the holes from the rails.

I needed an extra washer to make exactly the right width.

Bolt the second U-shape to the inside of the rails.

I cut off the parts of the bolts that are to long, but you don't have to.

Step 8: Put on a Tripod

Use the correct 1/4 inch bolts and nuts to put the bottom U-shape on a tripod and to put a camera on the top U-shape.

We now have a nice and cheap and really easy to make slider.