Homemade Tray - Opinions?

[Gilligan]

I decided to build a tray that would have handles on both sides. I want to be able to take photos singlehanded with my right hand w/o holding onto just the camera housing as that puts all the weight and stress of the strobe and WAL on the tripod mount. I also wanted a more solid tray than my existing one.
The tray would have to be a specific width for an individuals hand size taking into consideration if they wear gloves. The trick is to be able to hold the right hand grip and still reach the shutter and zoom controls with your index finger and/or thumb.
I saw this design on DDN and altered it. It consists of a single piece of aluminum that is bent at several angles to complete the rectangle. It is then bolted together on the one remaining open end along with the strobe arm base.
After it is built I plan on taking it to the Rhino Lining shop to have it coated with the same material they use on pickup truck beds.
Any thoughts opinions?

(Not to scale)

 

[Dee]

How thick is that Rhino stuff? What about the rubber coating you dip tools and stuff in? Just a thought.

Looks great to me!

 

[Gilligan]

How thick is that Rhino stuff? What about the rubber coating you dip tools and stuff in? Just a thought.

Looks great to me!

I considered the stuff you dip tools in but I think the Rhino Lining will be better and I don't have to mess with applying it. I'll have the hand grip areas sprayed thicker. The trick is not to make the handles to thick so as not to be able to reach the shutter and zoom.

 

[fins]

Jim,

Just thinking out loud here but I think the fisheye dual handle tray with the optional top section and lens caddy may be very close to what you are looking for.

Look at http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/English/eStay.htm

Mark

 

[Gilligan]

Jim,

Just thinking out loud here but I think the fisheye dual handle tray with the optional top section and lens caddy may be very close to what you are looking for.

Look at http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/English/eStay.htm

Mark

I considered that setup for some time. However, you will not be able to work the shutter/zoom control from the right handle as it is too far from the housing. Yuzo said that you still have to hold the housing in your right hand and brace the back of your hand against the handle. That defeats the purpose for which I want it. That complete setup with lens dock is around $300.

 

[Eli]

How thick is that Rhino stuff? What about the rubber coating you dip tools and stuff in? Just a thought.

Good thought Dee. I tried the Plasti-dip (unsucessfully), but maybe I used it wrong. I used a layer of primer then a layer of Plast-Dip on the homemade tray I made. It readily peeled off underwater, unfortunately. I ended up using the grip material for a tennis racket which you can pick up at a sporting goods store.

http://www.pbase.com/image/25085767

I made my tray from aluminum bar I picked up at a hardware store, when the Sea & Sea tray was backordered. I ended up liking my homemade tray better than the Sea & Sea tray. The mount for the strobe acts as a pivot so I can point the stobe directly at a subject for macro. Also when I bought an oly c5060, it fit perfectly on my homemade tray.

 

[Gilligan]

Thanks Eli.
The tennis racket grip material is yet another option.

 

[TTSkipper]

Check out Herculiner, it is like Rhino Lining but you can apply it yourself. The company website is here http://www.herculiner.com and it can be bought online here http://www.247autoparts.com/store/herculiner.html in 1 Quart size for $30.

I believe that it uses moisture to cure so I do nto think that water will affect it much once it is applied.

TTSkipper

 

[Cecil]

Gilligan, nice design. One issue is that's it's Aluminium, I'd be very surprised if the Rhino-Liner stuff will work (it's made for painted steel). The normal thing to do to Aluminium is to anodize it. That's what you should do first. Aluminium will corode very quickly in seawater without that treatment. With it, it will last a very long time. You can add any other coating on top.

I did a quick search and did not find anything to do it at home, it involves some pretty nasty chemicals (Chromic Acid for one). Not sure how you could get it done, on-island. There are several companies around here that do it.