Welcome to a
new Taos Amp project. I wanted a steadycam but they all seem
too obtrusive, heavy and expensive so I built Johnny
Chung Lee's $14 design. It worked well for me but I wanted a
better camcorder release system and maybe something with
more of a professional look but without spending too much.
In Walfart's I spotted
this $19 tripod. It looked like just the thing to base a steadycam
project on. It's not as shabby as the price would imply ......
This project could be called the $24 steadycam.
Disassembling the
Tripod
Remove the plastic hook from the bottom of the center column. Be
sure the spreader ring is not locked then unscrew the center
column from the center ring (where the legs and carrying
handle are mounted) and put it aside.
Unhinge and remove the legs
by removing the three screws holding them to the center ring.
With a pair of small nippers,
remove the soft aluminum rivet that connects the lateral strut to
one of the legs. (A). If
you want to use the lock ring to hide the joint between the center
shaft and the weight (cosmetic) then remove the 3 rivets attaching
the struts to the lock ring (B)
or just cut them off since the mounts will be cut off in step 4.
A
B 
Modifying
the pan/tilt head
Remove
the pan handle (Y-axis lock) and replace it with a 1/4"
headless bolt and wingnut
Installing
the rubber grip
A
rubber bicycle handlebar grip is used to cover the top of the pedestal shaft and provide a comfortable handle. Since
the grip slides on from the bottom of the shaft; the center ring
must be removed. The crank/gear shaft assembly must be removed to allow
this
You can pry the crank and shaft out of it's mounting by placing a
flat head screwdriver between the crank and the center ring and
twisting until the little plastic locking nub releases (usually
with a loud pop). Then you can tug out the crank and it's attached
shaft.
Now you can remove the center ring from the
bottom of the pedestal shaft. Cut the closed end from the
handlebar grip and slide it up the pedestal shaft to the pan
/ tilt
head.
( Sorry, the
handle mounting section is still in progress )
The pan handle is used as the side
handle to stabilize side-to-side movement.
Mounting this is probably the only difficult part of the project.
Drill a 3/16" hole completely thru the leg mount shown.
Drill a 1/4" hole thru the side arm mount reinforcement
(leg tip x).
Attaching
the weight and
monopod adapter socket to the center column
The brain, A remarkably powerful, yet surprisingly affordable 2.5_lb computer that is
capable of calculating and aligning itself to the precise center
of the earth billions of times per second.
The black circle is a piece of mouse pad and is only cosmetic.
The
weight is a perfect fit for the monopod center column. There's
even a raised ridge (A) to provide a stop. To secure the weight, put a ring
of epoxy at point B (below)
and slide the weight over it. Stand it upright on the base
and let it dry overnight.
The
Monopod Adapter
This
PVC adapter (C above) will
provide a female mount for the monopod leg.. Side #1 is threaded
for a 3/4" pipe and side # 2 is 1" inside diameter. The
bottom of the center column fits into it snugly. Again, epoxy and
let dry.
If you
want to use the cosmetic spreader lock ring, prepare it by cutting
off the three legs. The thin plastic lock pieces are delicate so
use some tape to hold the two parts together before sawing off the
legs. You should end up with something that looks like D (above)
