Microfilmmaker Magazine - Tips & Tricks - Rollerblade Dolly Design, Pg. 1


	Rollerblade Dolly Design

by Chuck Skinner

This design is for a very effective self-levelling Dolly made for about $180.00. It uses standard rollerblade wheels and runs on Plastic PVC piping which is connected like tentpoles. The drawings are by Cinematographer/Lighting Director Chuck Skinner.

The width of the dolly should be 28" to allow for it to fit through doorways.

What you will need:

4 Aluminum Angles with equal distance on each side (each with five drilled holes as seen in the picture below)

[Note from Editor: While no official dimensions are given here, a 2" aluminum angle is one that has worked in the past.]
16 rollerblade wheels
32 bearings
16 bolts for the wheel assemblies with 16 matching washers and 32 matching nuts
4 long bolts with washers that can fit through two thicknesses of 3/4" plywood
2 identical pieces of 3/4" plywood (no wider than 28")
1 paint roller handle or a pipe cross bar for handle (look at the illustration on the next page)
PVC pipe for tracks