DIY Camera Mount -- No Cost Version

[KCALB SIRAY]

Ok, I tossed my idea out to a few members and they have been wondering where the finished product is. Well, the first version was stolen, along with my Chocolate Milk from the Walmart parking lot....yeah, Chocolate Milk! But that's another story.

I decided to make another becasue the first one did not cost me much, about $10.00. This version didn't cost me a dime to make as I had all the parts in my garage and home. So, here you go, the no cost camera mount DIY that is easy to install and take out in under 6 seconds. That's right, "6 SECONDS".

Here's a list of the parts I used, and most of these can be found in anyones garage or parts bucket o' bolts of odds and ends.

Parts Needed:

2 -- Adjustable Shower Curtain Rods
2 -- Pieces of Angled Aluminum (may be angle iron, but the aluminum is easier to file and bend if needed, and it is lighter)
1 -- 1/4 inch threaded bolt (thread size may vary due to camera)
1 -- Washer (may need a few more depending on your application)
4 -- U bolts
1 -- 1" Rubber Grommet (left over from a project from one of my cars)
1 -- Can of spray paint (color is up to you, and what is on hand if you choose to do so)

Tools Needed (tools I used, but each will vary depending on what is used):

Drill
Hammer
Vise
File
Box End Wrench



Step 1 --- Gather and collect your items needed for the project. Like I mentioned above, most of these items can be found in the average Joe's garage or house. Just be careful not to use the shower curtain rod that your wife or husband just bought, use the ones they "ok" to get rid of or laying in the garage, otherwise it might end up "costing" you a night at a Hotel.

Here's a shot of the items I gathered in the begining

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=754

After I drew out a plan of attack on paper and found the parts I wanted, I proceeded to get to work

Step 2 --- First thing I wanted to do was start on the base for the camera to sit. My idea was to have the camera mounted in between both Shower Curtain Rods so that it could be easily taken in and out in seconds. This meant the mount had to be solid but also allow the camera to be raised up or down depending on the use for front video recording or rear recording.

Here is a shot of me shaping a piece of Angle Aluminum I had laying around

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=756

I placed the piece of Aluminum in the Vise and hammered until I was able to get the desired shape I needed to allow the camera to be mounted, but also allow the U-Bolts to be mounted and not interfere with the camera. Aluminum is very easy to work with so shaping it to your desired specs is pretty easy. Once you have your base finished, file off any burs that might cause harm. A second brace must also be made to provide the stregth needed to not allow the Curtain Rods to move freely. Photos of the second brace are below in Step 3.

Here is the finished base mounted on the Rods. Ignore the mounts for now, we'll get to those in a second

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=768

Step 3 --- After the camera mount was shaped, I proceeded to drill my holes that would allow the U Bolts to pass through and secure the mount to the Curtain Rods

Drilling holes. Using a center punch to mark your holes makes for an easy drill

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=765

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=767

Here's two pictures of the bottom brace I hammered flat out of another piece of Angled Aluminum

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=758

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=755

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=762

Step 4 --- After you have drilled your holes for both the camera mount and bottom cross brace, check the holes to make sure they line up accordingly to your design. Test fitting them now allows you to make changes if needed.

Checking U Bolts to see if they easily fit

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=764

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=763

Step 5 --- Now you are ready to assemble your custom brackets and U Bolts to your Curtain Rods.

Camera Mount plate attached to the Curtain Rods

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=770

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=769

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=773

Step 6 --- Mounting your camera for a test fit. I had previously measured the length of my bolt to make sure I would have no fitment problems. Using my rubber Grommet I found in the bottom of a bucket o' parts, I proceeded to secure it to the mount. I needed to file down the Grommet about a 1/8" to allow the threads to grab ahold of the camera before moving forward with this part of the install. Using the Grommet allows the camera to be secure enough yet allow for vibration control.

Camera mounted to mount and Grommet

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=771

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=772

Step 7 --- At this point, you are pretty much done with the project. You've measured everything, cut, shaped, mounted the camera. Now it's time to test it out. Since the rods are adjustable, getting it set to the right length is a breeze. You can easliy put this mount in under 6 seconds and take it out in the same time. It does not leave any marks on your headliner as well. This mount was designed for mounting between the seats just behind the driver. It can also be mounted pretty much anywhere you have floor to ceiling access or seat to ceiling access. The places you can mount this are endless and allows you to save time in the process.

Step 8 --- Painting is completely up to you. I chose to paint mine black since I had several cans of it on hand in the garage.

Painted Black :headbang:

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=775

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=776

Step 9 --- Install and enjoy! There was a reason my Dad taught me to save bolts, nuts, anything that could be used again...here is the end result. It works well and I have a video to show how well. I'll get that posted tomorrow ASAP. It didn't cost me a dime, and I was able to reuse parts that were just taking up space. It was fun and I hope this helps in anyones quest to do something similar. The end result might not be exact for everyone, but the end result is a solid mount that works well, easy to put in and take out, and doesn't look half bad. Thanks for reading.

Mike

[eTiMaGo]

10000 YW points for ghetto ingenuity :biggrin:
Seriously, great job!

[LtNoogie]

How do you handle adjustments for pan or tilt? Move the legs?

[eTiMaGo]

seems like it, yes... or you could screw in a regular swivel/ball tripod head like Matt did...

[m911gt]

Can you snap some pics of it in the car? Great work Mike!

[KCALB SIRAY]

How do you handle adjustments for pan or tilt? Move the legs?
It was mainly designed to be a fixed mount, but like you mentioned, all I need to do is release the tention on one side of the bar slightly and swival the mount left or right and tighten back up. Still a 3 or 4 second job
seems like it, yes... or you could screw in a regular swivel/ball tripod head like Matt did...
This would work as well
Can you snap some pics of it in the car? Great work Mike!
I shall do that later today. I'm meeting up with Long for dinner tonight so I'll have it installed for him to view and review. :thumbsup:
10000 YW points for ghetto ingenuity :biggrin:
Seriously, great job!
Thank you :thumbup:

[m911gt]

very cool! you guys have fun, but not too much

[SailDesign]

Cool! Nice work.
Now, where is that jar of old hardware?....

[KCALB SIRAY]

very cool! you guys have fun, but not too much
lol, psssh, he's paying! I have the thread saved saying so, :laugh: Brazilian food FTW. All You Can Eat! Need I say more? :biggrin:

Cool! Nice work.
Now, where is that jar of old hardware?....
Thanks. It took me about 35 minutes to put it all together. Real easy

[supmet]

Awesome...... To the compilation thread with this one :D

[eTiMaGo]

already done :biggrin:

[KCALB SIRAY]

Can you snap some pics of it in the car? Great work Mike!

Here you go. Long had a chance to check it out before we had dinner. I'm having trouble right now getting the video downloaded to the computer. Once I get sorted out, I'll post it. The camera does a real nice job with the internal vibration dampeners. Almost like the car is floating along skipping the bumps.

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=781

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=780

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=779

[Darb]

Looks good. Excellent idea with the curtain rods. :thumbsup:

[eTiMaGo]

hmmmmm you also need to have a pole dancing barbie doll on there somehow :laugh:

but yeah I agree with PK, some kind of a flat board against the headliner might be a good idea...

[supmet]

hmmmmm you also need to have a pole dancing barbie doll on there somehow :laugh:

but yeah I agree with PK, some kind of a flat board against the headliner might be a good idea...

I'll bet if you did that, and stuck a little piece of rubber or memory foam in between the boards and the floor/ceiling, it would help stabalize the shot a tiny bit.

[KCALB SIRAY]

mike a little suggestion make the ends on the top of the rods larger , you will reduce the print on the roof trim and make it more stable. gret job BTW very clever.

hmmmmm you also need to have a pole dancing barbie doll on there somehow :laugh:

but yeah I agree with PK, some kind of a flat board against the headliner might be a good idea...

I'll bet if you did that, and stuck a little piece of rubber or memory foam in between the boards and the floor/ceiling, it would help stabalize the shot a tiny bit.

Thanks guys, I'll keep that in mind. No vibrations at this time and it's pretty solid as I can control the tension and stiffness by twisting the rods. I found out quickly that the headliner has about a 1 inch play area between the roof and the liner. I'll get that video situation worked out soon. Long had a chance to see the video so he can give you a first hand review of the it until then. Thanks again for the kind words and suggestions.

[irfankhan]

What is the purpose of this camera ??????/

[KCALB SIRAY]

What is the purpose of this camera ??????/

Two purposes really. One -- To build something out of nothing. Two -- The purpose of a video camera is to record life events. My life events to be captured on the camera, on this mount, will take place on a track both Auto X and Drag. The recordings can help determine what steps I can take to improve my times and correct any mistakes during an event. The list is endless.

[CtrlAltDefeat]

This looks really dangerous. without any thing bolting them down, even a small accident would knock this loose, I think. I would think, with the weight of the camera, that even sideways forces of hard turning would dislodge it. One hard right turn and you get a metal bracket upside your head...

[KCALB SIRAY]

This looks really dangerous. without any thing bolting them down, even a small accident would knock this loose, I think. I would think, with the weight of the camera, that even sideways forces of hard turning would dislodge it. One hard right turn and you get a metal bracket upside your head...

You do have a point, yes, but like all after market (sorry most aftermarket products:laugh:) I tested it in many situations so far and no problems with a dislodge. Same could be said for anyone driving home from work with a laptop computer in the bag or coming home from the store with 3 cans of corn or beans. The same idea is present here; it will not be mounted in the car at all times and for the most part be under a controlled situation to minimize the risk of any potential problems that could lead to an accident.

[CtrlAltDefeat]

yea, which is why you shouldn't auto-x with your groceries and laptop in to car :biggrin: but with this specifically for things like that, I would be a bit worried. So, not for me, but more power to ya, if you want to use it :respekt: