Machining the Grip

These are the first three grips form our new CNC fabrication process for the ergocine Grip.

After hand sculpting the grip for the past year we have moved over to the CNC 3D router.  The best from a batch of hand sculpted grips was selected and sent to be 3D laser scanned.  The file was then sent to Dennis at Egli Machine, where he and Chuck (shop Chief) broke the fabricating process down into steps and designed custom fixtures to hold the wood block at different orientations.

Everett monitoring the cut

 

These images and video are from step two of the six steps that go into milling the grip.  The first is cutting and wood block to a exact size, then it is milled oriented on the horizontal and then it is mounted on a custom bracket and rotated four times on the vertical axis.  Each grip takes 3 1/2 hr. of machine time.  After it is finished at Egli it come back to us for sanding, oiling, polishing and finally the Arri rosette is attached.

One half hour condensed down to 30 sec.

Will my camera fit?

Here are the measurement for the Lion and some of the cameras it is designed to work with.

ergocine - Lion -

External - H 9.5" (245 mm) x W 3.53" (90 mm) x D 13.5" (340 mm)

Internal Bottom of "L" - H 7.1" (181 mm) x W 3.52" (90 mm) x  D (to start of rods) 1" (25.4 mm)

Internal top of "L" before curve - H 4.44" (113 mm) x W 3.52" (90 mm) x D (to start of rods) 3" (76.2 mm)

Internal top of "L" to access port - H 4.44" to 0" (113 to 0 mm) x W 3.52" (90 mm) x D (to start of rods) 5" (127 mm)

Camera measurements - 

C300 - H 7.05" (179 mm) x W 5.23" (133 mm) x D 6.7" (171 mm)

EPIC / SCARLET - H 5.79" (147 mm) x W 3.86" (98 mm) x D 5.83" (148 mm)

BLACK MAGIC CAMERA - H 4.96" (126 mm) x 6.54" (166 mm) x D 4.49" (114 mm)

the power modified ergocine Lion

This is fresh off of the CNC router,  there are 6 possible D-Tap drop points on the power modified ergocine Lion as show by the arrows.    The power mod will have a custom cheese plate with a portal which will give you quick access to the D-Taps inside the body.

This is the 15mm rear rod mount which is part of the modification of course, plus the View Factor battery mount (not included), you can use any one you might have or want.

the Lion travels

Jon Yi sent me Intel's Ultrabook "Steven Taylor in Paris" spot and was kind enough to give some positive feedback. Also some great photos showing the Lion in the field.


Intel Ultrabook "Steven Taylor in Paris" Director's Cut from Jonathan Yi on Vimeo.

Jon writes - 

"The Lion really saved my butt in Miami actually since we were shooing nonstop for so long. 

I used the Lion in Paris mostly in the alleyway

as well as some scenes on the mountaintop.

Those shots are way steadier than the others as a result."

Toby Angwin's BWG package & the 15/15 2X sphere package

We just shipped Toby Angwin his ergocine BWG Package.  I had a chance to take some pictures before it went out the door.

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Here is a new cost effective configuration - 15/15 2X Sphere Package

BWG for the Ikonoskop remote

This is Aaron Vogel's finished BWG, modified for the Ikonoskop FK-2 Remote with 15/15 bracket.  

  

Lion with power mod field test

I sent Derth Adams the demo Lion with prototype version of the power mod.   This is how he has dressed it out.

We soon realized that there was a major issue with how the Lion's shoulder cutout fit his shoulder.  

Derth was able to shave the inside of the mag back to open it up and increase the surface contact with his shoulder. 

He has suggested that the body be full width where the mag contacts the shoulder.  

I am going to use the measurements from Derth's modifications to create a version for a larger shoulder and or heavy loads.  I am also getting proofs back from a leather smith this weekend for a new pad that will have walled sides, giving more surface area. 

Though improved there are still issues with satiability and comfort, Derth has written that he will be opening up the mag some more, and he will send pictures.

I want to thank Derth I am truly grateful for his contribution in the Lion's further development.

David Soll's Black Walnut Grip

It went out so fast on a job I did not get a chance to take pictures of my own, but here is one the David took with his iphone.  It is off on a rental with his F3.

Black Walnut Grip w/Arri rosette, 15/15 bracket anodized black, black walnut sphere.

On Aaron's suggestion

Aaron was concerned and rightly so that the cable would hit the lens, my concern was that it would impinge on the hands contact with the grip, which proved not to be an issue.  It was as simple as twisting the 15mm clip on the remote.  At this point it sits a little to far back so I going to move the 15mm rod 10mm +/- 1.5mm towards the front, this will give a better positioning on the button and give me a little more clearance between the clip and the 15/15 bracket's rosette.


*Note the wood and aluminum are unfinished the fished product will be black on black. 

Custom work for Aaron Vogel

This a first pass at mounting the IKONOSKOP a-can FK-2 remote, on BWG, the wood is untreated and the bracket is not anodized but in the end it will be black on black.

 
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The 15/15 bracket w/ ball and power mod refined

We just shipped this working demo out to Derth Adams, hope he likes it.  I chopped down the Anton Bauer multi taps, which have a lot of dead space inside, this almost halves the size.

This is the new bracket with a Black Cherry Grip and a 2 1/4' ball which levels the camera when you place it on the deck, it is very solid handheld.  Dennis at Egli Machine did wonderful design work on this piece, I am very grateful for his help on this.