DIY CRAB Mode Dolly - How We Built a Crab Steering Dolly Out of Old Vinten Studio Pedestals

How to build a crab steering dolly out of old cheap Vinten studio pedestals.
We purchased 5 Vinten Fulmars for $295 each with the expectation of using some of them as parts to build a crab steer dolly for our studio.
Of course, we had no idea if that was even possible, but when Mr Dog Poop tells the Maintenance Man to do something, he usually does it. Even if it seems impossible.
In this case, he built an amazing Crab dolly for just about $2000 which is less than the cost of a low end doorway dolly. The deck and frame are all lightweight aluminum, so the entire rig is under 100 pounds but it works as well as a Fisher Dolly or Leonard Chapman dolly for a fraction of the rental price.
While other studios are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment, the Mr Dog Poop Studio Team is building inventory and tools that will elevate them beyond the top studios for pennies. Well, not pennies, but in comparison to the big boys, it is a drop in the bucket.
We have plans to build even more equipment on the cheap, from lighting to camera rigs to get unique shots, different angles and better cinematography.
If you want to watch us grow and lean how to save money on your own studio, please subscribe.

[@ImmobileLizard]

This tickles my grip brain, cheapskate brain, and diy brain. Love the production value, love the ideas

[@mrdogpoopstudios]

In order to save money, we are building a bunch of our own stuff. This one was a bit insane if you ask me, but when it was completed, I was so glad I did it. Originally I was going to build something from scratch, then I started looking at the Vintens and realized most of the hard work was already done, so when I saw 5 for sale I really had to go for it. A good DIY cheapskate can build an amazing set of tools pretty reasonably. I hope you check out our video on the 360 rig, that is really cool and we did if for under $200. Having those types of tools will be priceless when we start making films. For now, we are just trying to build and learn by making KZbin videos. Glad you liked it.

[@bsandbeertahoe]

@Mr Dog Poop Studios you need to give your maintenance tech a raise! Pure genius.

[@mrdogpoopstudios]

You would not say that if you saw our beer budget. He gets paid $3/hr plus all the beer he can drink. You might think he would be too drunk to do all these things, but nope, he makes amazing stuff.

[@bsandbeertahoe]

@@mrdogpoopstudios Dear maintenance tech....California now pays $20 an hour for fastbfood workers. See you soon! :P

[@thomastrollope7896]

I actually looked at those ebay dollies. same company had some in ATL. They are piles of hot garbage. they had not been maintained in at least 50 years. booms where busted and the steering on the ones they had that could swap also where sticky and super busted up. Lots of reasons why skipping those McCalisters was the right move

[@mrdogpoopstudios]

Yup, those are the ones. The company does specialize in old stuff mostly as movie props. But they are asking Hollywood prices for old nonworking junk. The stuff is priced out of our budget and the cost of fixing, makes it that much worse.