Special thanks to WestCroft for typing up the delicious ingredients needed to make the cake...I mean crane.

Bits:

• - Screwdriver bit
• - 1/8” drill bit
• - 3/16” drill bit
• - 1/4" drill bit
• - 5/16” drill bit
• - 23/64” drill bit
• - 3/8” drill bit

Hardware:

• 4- 3/16” x 1 ¼” Pan Head Machine Screws w/ nuts
• 4- ¼” x 1 ¼” Pan Head Machine Screws w/ nuts
• 6- 3/8” – 16 TPI x 4” Bolts w/ washers, lock nuts & one wing nut (and a total of 24 washers)
• 12- #12 x 1 ¼” Flat Head Wood Screws
• 12- 1/4" x 2" Flat Head Machine Screws w/ Washers and Nuts
• 3- 5/16” x 3 ½” Carriage bolts w/ Washers & Wing nuts
• 1- 6” Lazy Susan bearing(two piece)
• 1- ¼” x 3" Full Thread Stove bolt/ Machine Screw w/ Washer & Wing nut
• 4- 6” Strap Hinges (6” from end to end, 2½” wide)

Lumber:

• ¾” thick sheet of plywood 2ft x 2 ft
• 3- 8ft long 2x4
• 3- 8ft long 2x3 (at least two are STRAIGHT)

Screws (which is hardware... but dunno):

• 15 x 3” Coarse Thread Drywall or Deck Screws
• 3 x 1-5/8” Coarse Thread Drywall Screws

Now let's get started! First, you're going to cut out all the wood lengths:

From the 2 x 4's:

• 4 x 36" lengths with 45 degree angles cut at both ends (legs)
• 2 x 24" lengths (lower center support column)
• 1 x 22" length (upper jib attachment pivot)
• 2 x 12" lengths (bolt-to board for upper jib assembly & forward jib verticle/camera mount strut)
• 2 x 6" lengths (bolt-to board support column & camera plate mount)

From the 2 x 3's:

• 1 x 24" length (rear jib verticle)

From the plywood:

• 1 x 6-1/4" square (lower swivel to base attachment plate)
• 1 x 7" square (upper swivel to jib attachment plate)
• 1 x 4" x 12" rectangle (camera mounting plate)

Now let's assemble the lower base:

1. Using 4 of the 3" drywall screws, screw the two 24" lengths of 2 x 4 together to build the center column.

2. Using the end of the center column as a guide, attach the strap hinges to the column on all four sides.

3. One by one, hold a leg to the side of the center column at a 45 degree angle so the beveled edge sits flush against the column and mark the centers of the holes on the hinge to the underside of the leg, then drill 1/4" holes through the wood and push three 1/4" x 2" flat head bolts through the hinge and push the bolts through the leg and attach the nuts.

4. Center the 6-14" plywood square on top of the completed base unit and screw it down using 4 of the 3" drywall screws.

5. Set the lazy susan on the plate (use the side with the most inward holes) and mark the hole-centers.

6. Drill out the holes with the 3/16" drill bit and attach the lazy susan to the plate with the 3/16" machine screws.

Moving on to the upper pivot assembly:

1. Screw a 6" chunk of 2 x 4 along one end of a 12" 2 x 4 with 3 of the 3" drywall screws.

2. Above the 6" piece, place the 22" 2 x 4 and bore three 5/16" holes all the way through into the upper stub of the 12" 2 x 4 for the carriage bolts, secure them with the 5/16" washers and wing nuts.

3. Center that onto the 7" piece of plywood and screw that down from the underside with 4 more 3" drywall screws.

4. Place that assembly on top of the lazy susan and mark the bolt holes and drill them out with the 1/4" bit.

5. Go ahead and attach that with the four 1/4" x 1-1/4" machine screws and tighten the assembly together.

Moving on to the jib itself!

1. Measure down 2" from the end of the 24" chunk of 2 x 3 along the 3" side and draw a line across the board, then do the same 11" down from the end.

2. Make a little mark at the measured middle of both of these lines, this is where the bolts are going to go.

3. Measure 4" from the end on both of the 8' 2 x 3's and make a line across the board, then find the middle of those lines and cross them with a 5" line going from the end of the board to just past your previous line. This is how you're going to keep everything square when you go to drill your holes.

4. Set the two 8' lengths side by side, keeping them parallel. Then set the 24" piece down on top of them and line everything up like so:

5. Drill two 23/64" inch holes all the way through and pound a 3/8" bolt with a washer into the 24" piece so it sticks out about 1/2" from the other side. Place two more washers on that bolt and pound it through the 8' board. Then add another washer and tighten down a stop nut so it's just snug. Do this for both 8' lengths, these will make up the rear/operator pivot of the jib.

6. Measure in 6' 1-3/4" from the other end of the 8' lengths and make a mark all the way across the board.

7. To the left and right of that line, make marks 1-1/4" from the edge and then draw a line about 6" long connecting them (these are the centers of the boards).

8. Remove the 22" piece of 2 x 4 from the upper pivot assembly and draw a line across it 2" from the top and 11" from the top, then set it across the two 2 x 3's and align the horizontal lines and the 2 x 4's right edge to the two vertical lines. It is very important that you keep everything at exact right angles all over the place here for this to work smoothly.

9. Drill holes and run your bolts like before, but instead of using a stop nut on the upper bolt, use a wing nut.

10. Take your 12" length of 2 x 4 and repeat step 3 to add the forward camera plate attachment strut.

11. Make a 1-1/2" by 1-1/2" notch out of the end of the remaining 6" chunk of 2 x 4 and screw it into the middle of the forward camera plate attachment strut. Be sure to keep everything square here, too.

12. Screw the 4" x 12" onto the top of that notched 2 x 4 with the 1-5/8" drywall screws, this is your camera plate.

13. In the center of that plate, 4" from the end, drill a 1/4" hole and thread the 1/4" wing nut upsidedown onto the 3" stove bolt, along with a washer above it for when you want to attach the camera.

14. Reattach the 22" 2 x 4 to the base and you're all set to start shooting.