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The homegrown GH2 Specific Cage
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    VK: Please note that this topic had been closed and do not take it seriously!

    I have been figuring the best way to make a GH2 cage for cheap, based off "REWO" cage design (keeping customer cost around $300). I decided to do a prototype, and make a negative mold off of my prototype. So tomorrow I have an appointment with my old college art professor, we will be going over casting. Then the cast product will go to my machine shop and be finalized (milled down smooth, holes drilled/threaded and final design made). If all goes well and I can get enough pre-order for this one the prototype and possibly a few backers cages are made. This is going to be a permanent solution (no reason to ever remove your GH2) but obviously you can.

    Here is the pre-cast design, dont be worried it wont be this thick, I made it an inch all around so it can be milled smooth afterwards
  • 74 Replies sorted by
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    here is the first pre-cast
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  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    you guys tell me what you want most, Ill try my best to make it happen
  • andresandres
    How about inner space for a battery for powering the camera, hdmi locks would be good.
    Space for removing the sd card and flipping the lcd.
    Cool idea by the way.
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    I will be cutting the bottom and sides and top for access to key things... plus I use external power so I will surely be making that happen... and yeah I'll be looking into an screw HDMI lock loth the TrusMT one. I cant gut those access slots until it is cast for sand packing reasons
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @PerryWilson

    Can you show me actual 3D design of the cage?
    How about cost calculations?
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    I have no 3D design, sorry Vitaliy Im a machinist and a fabricator, not a computer aided engineer... wish I was lol. If you want to see what it will look like look at the REWO cage plus my own stuff ;) hoping to be able to sell the product in the 300 range if I can go lower I wil... this is a cage you y'all not a big company... just one guy here try to make what I and everyone else wants
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @PerryWilson

    And how you want to produce it?
    Both ReWo and TrusMT use CNC machines.
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    I am doing a casting, I will then have a starting shape, mill it down, fit finish, them make a negative mold off of my prototype. then continue casting using that mold for mass production, in the most part they will be hand made...
  • chenopupchenopup
    Interesting to see what you come up with, Perry. We're looking to have a local CNC guy do a couple of cages for both a GH2 and 60D - Gotta love experimenting with these. Love the ReWo and the Ghost cages, but waaayyyyyy to pricey for realistic sales.
  • brianlucebrianluce
    +100 on HDMI clamp system. I consider it essential.
    threaded attachment points/holes starboard, port, topside and below the waterline for handles...
  • HucksterHuckster
    This is great news. The ambition shown on these forums is inspiring.

    One thing that is critically important is how the spacing of the 1/4 20" and 3/8" attachment points on the cage will be handled. How will you determine the placement and spacing?

    For those of us that already have 15mm rail blocks - how can we ensure that our rail blocks can mate with the GH2 cage? (and thus get our rods both below and above the cage if needed?)

    For example, the universal rails blocks pictured below have two 1/4 20" holes spaced 1.25" apart. Hopefully the cage could accommodate this spacing, centered both on the bottom and top of the cage so a set of 15mm rods would line up correctly to the camera.
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  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    your wish is my command :)
  • HucksterHuckster
    Awesome! Should the 1/4 20" holes on the cage that would be underneath the camera be countersunk so the bottom of the camera could sit flush against the cage? In fact, perhaps all of the attachment point holes should be slightly countersunk? What does everyone think?

    Also, perhaps the inner bottom of the cage (the part that the underside of the camera would sit on) should be lined with some sort of thin rubber grippy lining? Because the GH2 only has one tripod screw hole, it could rotate/slip if it was just sitting flush against smooth metal.

    For example: the topside of Zacuto's Gorilla plate is lined with a grippy rubber material (see pic). This totally prevents the GH2 from rotating or slipping.

    Also: note how the tripod screw attachment on the Gorilla plate is oblong and not just a fixed hole. This enables you to adjust the camera fore and aft. Could the camera attachment point on the cage be oblong like this to allow this kind of fore/aft adjustment of the camera within the cage? And along that line of thinking: the all-important hot shoe attachment point on the top of your GH2 cage would have to be oblong as well.

    Would this be possible?

    Perry Wilson, THANK YOU!
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  • bannedindvbannedindv
    Interesting.

    I think if I was in the market for this shit I'd just buy the CNC milled professional Cage from ReWo
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    good well thats $900 I dont have to waste right now
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @PerryWilson

    You you show your available equipment?
    Your material and manufacturing process and calculations?
    Because many things you say sounds strange.
  • RetinaRetina
    @Vitaliy_Kiselev: Perry is doing actual solid modelling, like people have done for centuries, before there were computers, let alone CAD software. :-)
    I don't see what there is to be calculated?
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @Retina

    I want to be sure that this won't be another mad topics about DIY guys talking for years.
    So, I want to know about available equipment and see it, and all economic calculations.
  • RetinaRetina
    @Vitaliy_Kiselev:

    It doesn't sound like a mad topic, and I'd rather risk someone posting about something that doesn't actually get made than demotivate someone who is capable of creating something cool?
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    >I'd rather risk someone posting about something that doesn't actually get made

    Sorry, not here.
    I won't allow any "fantasy" things here pretending to be something real.
    About demotivation - I don't give a fuck.
  • RetinaRetina
    @Vitaliy_Kiselev:

    'About demotivation - I don't give a fuck'

    Haha, it shows. :-)
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    @Vitaliy I have a meeting today please chill damn, im a cinematographer who happens to also be a fabricator, Ive built everything from circle track cars, to e46 M3 racers, to $250k choppers that have taken first place at daytona bike week. Its a simple casting, if you dont understand then IDK what to tell you. Perhaps its a breakdown in your or my English? But for christ sake relax. Im making this product for the masses, not a DIY stupid fucking nut and bolt piece of shit... You still dont believe my dedication to my craft here...

    MY ARM... MY WORK
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  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @PerryWilson

    It is not some breakdown.
    I just want to see equipment that you'll use, and see real calculation of production and associated costs.
    IF you really did many things you must clearly understand that I mean.
  • PerryWilsonPerryWilson
    wow now your doubting "IF" ive dont things or not... I thought this was "Personal-view" not "vitaliy's-view"

    Dont get me wrong I appreciate everything youve done for this camera and this community, but relax... if you want to know how to cast (like humans have done for thousands of years, there is a great place called "youtube" I dont have pricing yet, because I havent even had the initial meeting with the caster. Thats like saying hey panasonic, I know you have a camera design drawn on a piece of paper "TELL ME WHAT IT WILL COST NOW OR I WONT BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY OR IF YOU HAVE EVER EVEN MADE A CAMERA!!!!!"
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @PerryWilson

    This is not (and never will be) a place to talk on such level, Perry.

    I have strong feeling of another endless talks here. I'll keep it watching for few days and will close if it will be so and I won't see things I talked about.

This topic is closed.
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