Now, in order to build your jig arm, we are going to need a couple of tools. You are going to use a compound meter bucksaw like I did or if you got a circular saw, you could get away with that or a hand saw, but it is just going to take you a while. Let’s see, you are also going to need a hammer, a drill, vise grip or socket set, tape measure, something to make a right angle with and a pen or pencil.
For bits, you are going to need a screw driver bit, an 1/8 inch drill bit, 3/16 drill bit, ¼ inch drill bit, 5/16 drill bit, 23/64 drill bit and a 3/8 drill bit.
[music playing]
When you are at a lumber store, be sure to pick up two 8 foot 2X4s and three 8 foot 2X3s. Now make sure that on those 2X3s that two of them are nice and straight and not bent and warpy, you are not making a canoe.
You are going to start by cutting out four 36-inch chunks of 2X4. Mark 45s on the end of each to them and hack them all down. Now from the side, you want these to basically look like trapezoids because they are going to come out at a 45 degree angle from the center post and then travel down to the floor. Now, cut two 24-inch pieces of 2X4 and screw them together. These are what are going to form the center column.
Now, to attach the legs, mark from underneath where the holes line up from the strap hinges, drill holes through and run your bolts through the hinge and then up into the 2X4 and that will give you a nice collapsible leg. Keep going until you got all four sides done and then here you go. One super strong quadropod. Now cut 6 ¼ X 6 ¼ square from 3 ¼ inch plywood and a 7 inch X 7 inch square again from 3 ¼ inch plywood. These are what you are going to attach your Lazy Suzan to. On the 6 ¼ put the Lazy Suzan down and mark out where all the holes are going to go and drill them out. And, you are going to run the bolts through from the bottoms of the Lazy Suzan side through at the top and then throw the nuts on there and there you go, you are about ready.
Take that assembly, find the center then measure out the footprint of the center structure. Position it until it’s nice and centered there and screw it down into the center support.
Now, we are going to build the upper assembly that the jig itself would mount to. We would now laminate a 28-inch piece of 2 X 4 to a 9-inch piece of 2 X 4 with a few screws. And then, using the same trace technique, screw the 7 X 7 plate into that assembly. Now, you can get ready to attach those. So, with the holes that you’ve drilled, run the bolts through, tighten down the nuts and there is the top mount.
Now, as a variation, you can split that 18-inch piece a little bit shorter if you want it to be able to be removed later. If you are going to do that, then drill some nice holes through there to run carriage bolts so that you could attach and detach the upper jig arm section. Washers and wing nuts will work great here because they’re easy to remove.
Now, find your straightest two 2 X 3s and set them aside. Grab your worthiest one, measure down 24 inches, chop that puppy of right about there, that is going to be the far end vertical raise lower bar. So, drill through with a bit that is a little bit slower than your 3/8 bolts, pound those through, throw a couple of washers in between the pieces of wood there, tighten it down so it is just snug.
Now, you want it to be smaller than the 3/8 bolts otherwise it’s going to be sloppy. Now for the other end, it is as easy as taking another piece of 2X4 just over a foot long and screwing it on the other end. Notice that I really have to pound these things to get them through. And then, measure 24 inches from the end of the jig arm and find the centers. This is where the middle pivot will be where it attaches to the vertical column. Now, if you make that 18-inch removable, you can just pull it out there, drill a couple of 3/8 inch holes through it and attach it directly to the jig arm there. Use a wing nut where it attaches to the top strut and you will be able to remove that so you can do a little bit of a poor man’s tilting with your jig.
And now, it is attached to the camera plate. So, cut a notch out of a scrap chunk of 2X4, screw that on to the forward and to the jig, make sure that it is a little bit level. Just put a 4-inch wide or so piece of plywood, screw that down unto the end. Drill a quarter inch hole for your camera bolt or if you have a tripod but it takes a larger size like the 3/8 and drill another 3/8-inch through there. Attach some of these grippy paper here. And you are done.
[test]
Life is like a box of chocolates, you never what you gonna get – unless of course you look at that little map on the inside top of the box. It tells you what you gonna get.
I was wondering – I mean, a friend of mine was wondering if you’re considered if you find yourself attractive. Why am I always thinking when it’s windy?
If all the information in my head can be downloaded to a computer one day, then will my memories of young love be considered child porn?
[end]
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services