Versatile Camera Boom

I desided to Make this Instructibles because I wanted a better way to take pictures as I worked on my Instructables. Not much elts to say, I was talking past my work bentch and saw the scrap piece of T-slot sitting there and was inspired to make this.

Components for Boom:

• 1 Furniture Cot Bed Bolt Allen Head, 3 inch
• 1 Furniture Cot Bed Bolt Allen Head, 4.5 inch
• 1 Furniture Cot Bed Bolt Allen Head, 1 inch
• 3 Barrel Nuts
• These can be used instead of all of the specific Cot bed bolts, I picked mine up from Ikia's bulk parts a while ago
• Allen wrench for bolts
• 2x2 aluminum T-slot, whatever length you may want to use
• Rod, I used one I pulled from a printer a while back.
• Clamp, This is a good one
  

Componetns for Go-pro Set up:

• Rubber thing that slides onto rod (picked up from Ikea)
• Go-Pro or AKASO like I used
• Clamp setup for go-pro usually used to clamp it onto a bike
• Any other fittings you see fit to use

Components for Webcam, that bolts onto 1/4 20 bolt Set up:

• Webcam (I picked this one up at a Thrift Store for very cheap)
• Bendy part of a barbecue lighter (found one in my junk drawer)
• 1/4 20 bolt & 2 nuts, or 1-inch piece of all-thread
• End nut thing, from Ikea
• Small chunk of wood
• Small grippy thing, I used a scrap of roofing membrane

Tools:

• Drill, and drillbits
• Channel Locks
• 2 7/16 wrenches (hacksaw can be used instead)
• Hacksaw

Simple Step, take the 4.5 bolt and make a bend about 3/4" in. after this spin the barrel nuts on slightly

So this step is not necessary, but I like it because it will allow you to tighten a bolt so that the T-slot will not move along the clamp.

Drill 2 holes in the T-slot, each in the middle so that a bolt can go all the way threw. Have one on each side so you can bolt the clamp on any side you choose to put it on.

Next slide the Barrel nut into the T-slot and put the bolt all the way threw. when you slide the bar of the clamp into the grove of the T-slot, tighten the bolt so that it presses onto the bar and keeps it there.

Note: you can use one of the bolts and barrel nuts to punch a place to drill. All you need to do is over tighten the bolt so the point is driven into the aluminum T-slot.

Last important part on the Camera boom, the bar. the bar I used was from an old printer I took apart a while back. about 1 cm in diameter it already had a couple of holes into it so I just widened one of the existing ones.

Next slide the bolt into the bar and but the nut loosely onto the bolt. Slide the barrel nuts into the T-slot and tighten. the bar should be held by one bolt and rest on the other. To adjust the height and angle simply adjust the position of the two bolts.

This is the last part specific to the boom part, go to the steps the are associated with your camera

• Webcam Steps 5-7
• Go-pro/AKASO Step 8

So this is where you need either a hacksaw or 2 wrenches. Take whatever size bolt that will screw into the base of your webcam and cut a 1-inch piece of it. I did this by putting 2 nuts onto the bolt and overtightening them. this gives you a fairly neet cut and does not bugger the threads. If you don't want to do this or prefer other methids of cutting a bolt go for it.

After you have your bolt peace screw it into the bendy end of the lighter part. I made sure that it went in at least 3/8ths an inch.

Note: I used 1/4 20 because that is what worked for my webcam, but for your's, it may be different. if it is you may need to glue it into the lighters end so that it does not come out. Mine happened to be just the right size so i could just screw it in.

Next, we need to make a connecter so that we can connect the lighter part to the bar. To do this what I did was took an end nut? (don't really know what else to call it) cut off the flange part so that it slides into the other end of the lighter.

After that to make the glue stick better I took a set of channel locks and marred up the surface to have a better point to glue to. next I put glue into the end and slid the piece into the lighters end. added a little more glue around the front and into the holes on the sides. I used superglue so I could spritz it with the insta-set to make it harden.

Lastly to make sure that it did not come out I crunched the tube with the channel locks to make sure it stayed. this finishes up the lighter peace and we move onto the next part.

So this is the last part needed for the webcam set up. all you need is a small piece of wood that you drill 2 holes in, one on each side and don't let them connect. one-hole should fit the bolt and the other larger one fits the bar.

Cut a notch into the wood, like in the second picture. Then if needed reinforce, my piece of wood started to brake so I reinforce with superglue and staples. then I glued a small, barely 1/8" long, piece of roofing membrane in the larger hole. this should help the clamp grip the rod.

the small bolt is then threaded threw the wood and the lighter piece is connected. this is then put on the bar, and then you have finished the set up for your webcam.

Go-pro set up is easy, using the bike clamp attachment you replace the grip strip with the rubber piece from Ikea. Then simply add whatever connecters you want to make it sit how you want it.

Note: The pictures from this step were taken using the webcam set up of the camera boom, I had finished it and was using the AKASO to take the other pictures. these where the first pictures were taken using the new setup.

Now that it is finished here are some of my thoughts on it. I like the fact that I used a clamp as how to mount it because that makes it so that wherever I can put a clamp, this setup will work. Then because of the bolt that holds the clamp, you can hang it from a cabinet or something similar.

Overall I am happy with how this project turned out. This is something I have been planing on making for a while, mostly so that taking pictures for Instructables in the future will be easier. This Camera boom I feel will be very useful to me next time I make an Instructables