Introduction: Kitchen Timer Panning Mount Using Styrofoam for Smartphone

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As a time-lapse animation lover, I've always wanted to create a panning effect to my videos. According to Wikipedia, a panning in photography refers to the rotation of a still camera from side to side horizontally. When capturing a bunch of photos at a time interval while panning occurs, this will create a side-to-side effect to the time-lapse video. Of course, the rotation of the camera must be in a slow motion in order for the camera to capture the slow moving object. That is why we use a kitchen timer that rotates at 360 degrees at an hour rate.

For this instructable, we'll be using two sides of styrofoam which is the holder part and the base part. We will put the timer in the middle of those two parts.

Step 1: Building the Base

  1. For this step, we will need a 6x4 inches of styrofoam for the base.
  2. Cut the styrofoam as shown in picture A. The length must be the same with the timer's handle as well as its depth.

Step 2: Building the Holder

Step 2A

  1. As shown in picture A, cut through a 5x4 inches styrofoam to fit the timer in.
  2. This will be glued to the upper part of the holder in Step 2B.

Step 2B

Luckily enough for me, I got the styrofoam to be shaped as the one in picture B. So, if you have enough styrofoam, try to get the shape as exactly as the one in the picture.

I've cut a square hole at the back for an easy view of the phone screen. I called it The Viewfinder.

Step 3

Glue Step 2A together with Step 2B

Step 3: Put the Things Together

... You will get this.

Step 4: In Action

Picture A shows how you can capture a timelapse video in a static mode.

Whereas in Picture B, you can capture it in a panning mode.

The video shows the demonstration of this panning mount.

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One problem for this kind of design is the portability. You must handle this with care or it will break because the material that we used. Then all we have to do is to strengthen it by dipping it in some glue or whatever.