Introduction: Articulated Camera Swing Arm - IKEA Hack
Hi Everyone,
Since I want to record videos of the projects I’m building on my workbench for my YouTube channel, I needed an overhead rig that will be easy to setup and provide decent results. I’ve managed to build this rig out of an IKEA “Tertial” desk lamp and a GoPro style mount for relatively cheap.
Step 1: Remove the Light Fixture
First remove the lamp out of the packaging and put aside the light reflector as we will not use it on the project. Then, we need to remove the light fixture and the cable.
Start by removing the tightening screw on the head of the lamp and use a screwdriver to pry it out of the clamp. This is a really tight fit so you will need to use a bit of force to remove it. The cable is held in place with a plastic screw in the back of the lamp holder and the holder itself is kept in place by two plastic retainers that we need to press with a flat head screwdriver.
Step 2: Remove the Cable (optional)
This step is optional as you might want to place a lamp on the holder to light up the area that you are filming. I did not need that since I have other lights set up already.
The cable is pressed in the light socket so we need to release it by pressing the pins inside the socket. Once the cable is released, we can pull it out of the lamp one section at a time.
Step 3: Attach the Camera Mount
The mount I’ve used is the same width as the space between the arm clip where the lamp holder used to sit. In order for the screw to be able to hold and clamp it, we need to add some support in between the two legs of the mount. For this purpose, I’ve added two washers, one larger and one smaller to make it fit the full width of the opening in between.
The original screw from the lamp is then returned in place to hold the mount in place and be easily adjustable.
Step 4: Enjoy Filming!
The mount can be used to attach action cameras, mobile phones with the proper adapter or some smaller camcorders. Because the arm is not strong enough if won’t be able to hold a DSLR.
If you liked this project than please check out my other Instructables and also make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for full videos of my projects.
