A click on mini arm

[MarceloKron]

Hi all..

First sorry for my bad English... I'm a operator here in Brasil, Sao Paulo and last week I'm a operating a rental Steadicam Mini, and always when I put the arm all the way down I listened a very load click sound... I saw when the click sounds starts the knob to adjust the spring goes a little up... and the arm make a little jump down...

This is normal?? Any easy way to fix that? I was all ways thinking that all gone break.

PS. I was just using a Pd170 whit Wide angle was not over loaded...

Thanks For any help!
Marcelo Kron

[Richard Lewis]

:unsure: I can only suggest that you make sure that the springs are properly seated, and that they aren't twisted. Take the spring bag/cover off and have a look to see if anything is loose.

-Rick

[RobinThwaites]

Hi Marcelo

It could be from the tension adjuster screw moving if it occurs halfway in the range. There is a lock nut on the bottom of the adjuster shaft if you want to look at it but mind your fingers.

Robin

[Bill Powers]

Hi folks,

Robin is correct. The snap won't last long. Then the whole business heads south at once. I know. My son is probably the youngest person to drop the sled. I caught it though. After trying to fix it ourselves it started snapping again and we put it back in the case and sent it back to Tiffen for repair. BTW it was Frank Rush's demo at the Ithaca Workshop.

[RobinThwaites]

First time I have heard of it coming away completely, normally much less dramatic.
Robin

[Bill Powers]

Hi Robin,

It's not like it snapped off entirely. When the little nut and washer come off the pin stays put and the shaft it goes through comes loose. We were flying an XL-1 and I had my hand on the handle when it let go. I knew what was going on. The day before the nut had slacked off. I suspected something was wrong and I took it back to our shop to find out what was going on. Our technician loctited the nut and added a second nut to make sure we were good to go for the rest of the workshop. The next day I brought my 13 year old son to the workshop to see what his old man thought was fun on the job. Don't worry. He was about 5'10" and 155 Lbs. Big enough for a ProVid at the time. Anyway, about four minutes into operating the clicking started again. I don't think it was 30 seconds until the arm dropped. No tension on the springs at all. We didn't even have time to make it to the docking stand. I'm pretty sure the threads on the pin were stripped. Lastly, I've been keeping an eye out for this subject since it happened. I haven't heard of it happening to anyone else until now either. BTW, this is in no way a dig on the Mini. It's the best little rig I've ever operated. (Okay, exclude the Flyer.)

Cheers,

Bill

[RobinThwaites]

Actually my mistake, I should have read better. I was reading Mini and thinking Flyer anyway.
Robin

[MarceloKron]

Thanks all you guys for the answers! Help me too much! I will call for the rental company to fix that!

Thank you!
Marcelo Kron