two used 100" THK SR15 linear slide bearings with SR15H bearing blocks -- $256 on eBay
3"x2" Aluminum Rectangular Channel -- only 102" needed, but minimum length was 24 feet for $158 (Bayshore Metals, SF, CA)
used O'Connor 515 fluid head with plate -- $116 on eBay
two used Bogen tripods, models 3036 and 3046, 26 pound capacity each -- $142 and $182 on eBay
two 3" Grade 8 3/8-16 tap bolts to lengthen the mounting stud of each tripods -- $1 (Harrison & Bonini, SF, CA)
various screws and aluminum stock -- from my Dad's basement
Tools:
Drill press -- for drilling most holes
Cordless Drill -- for tapping holes in beam to mount slide
Radial arm saw -- cutting aluminum stock for mounting plates
Belt Sander -- for finishing edges of beam and mounting plates
various drill bits, taps and deburring tools
various wrenches, screwdrivers and allen keys
Total time to build: 16 hours
Known Issues:
Noise from the bearings
I designed this primarily for pick up shots for in my compositing work.
It may not be suited for dialog scenes or where ever audio from the shot needs to be really clean.
Positives:
Over 8 feet of movement
Easy to set up
Options to use either raised on tripods or on the deck with appleboxes
Easy to level on irregular surfaces using tripod legs and geared center posts
Slide and head weight 37 pounds, one person can carry
Two people can reposition the full rig including camera and tripods
