Car mount, speed rail only

[Daniel Wallens]

Hi all,

My understanding is that, when making a car mount (and not using something by Matthews or Modern, etc.), particularly a hood mount, just out of speed rail, the best thing to do is to place your starter directly to the frame of the car, where it is most secure and doesn't damage the chassis.

 

Am I off on this? Also, what kind of gear do you to use to bite the frame? A speed rail starter or something else...?

[ian mussell]

for hood mounts in speed rail i tend to build a speed rail frame that is the same basic shape as a normal bonnet beam and use some feet for the tube legs or even pags and some foam then just strap it the same as you would any other bonnet beam.

if your coming off the chassis then speed rail starters are great (i love the range from modern studio), but it's always more solid if you can find a hole right through the chassis and bolt in a half clamp, also if you're rigging an american style 4x4 you can nomally get a couple of girder clamps straight on the chassis!

[Onno Perdijk]

Most of the hoods of the modern cars are weak and plastic. Especially when rigging the "big-business-camera's" the hood will get damaged and bended.

I always try to come from the frame of the car. Most cars do have holes with treads (commonly used for the welding-robots while manufacturing) Sometimes I can get away with kee-clamps, sometimes with single-sided scaffolding clamps.

 

Good Luck

 

Onno Perdijk

KeyGrip

Amsterdam, The netherlands

www.solidgripsystems.eu

[Chad Stockfleth]

Most cars do have holes with treads (commonly used for the welding-robots while manufacturing)

 

This is true, however, check out the car that you are going to shoot. I was trying to rig to a BMW and it only had one eyelet on the front and a plastic plate covering the bottom of the car leaving very few points to hook to. We were able to make it happen for a short shot, but it took a fair amount of nerves.