Help ID Gimbals

[Beau Cuizon]

Hi All,

 

I recently got my hands on a couple of "mystery" gimbals, and I'm wondering if any of you guys would be able to identify them by what they look like. They're no brand name labels, or marks or serials on them, but I'll share some pictures, and some details below...

 

This gimbal is for a 1.5" post, has a six-inch gimbal grip with a blue anodized quick release latch. The handle is pretty long, about 7 inches. The outer bearing ring is actually silver, although it looks black in this pic. It's missing some trunion caps, as you can see in the pics, which expose the trunion bearings...i'd like to get some caps for it, but I don't know what brand this is. Don't even know if it supposed to have caps. The yoke action is smooth and fast, as are the trunion bearings. The pan bearing is smooth, but "noisy"...kind of hard to describe...it spins freely, but you can feel friction transmitted through the grip, and it makes the kind of sound a lazy susan might make when you spin it?...might it help to know the make of the gimbal so I can properly clean/lube the bearings? Or maybe it's shot?

 

 

This gimbal is also for a 1.5" Post -- the grip is 4" long or so, and has a kipping handle on the bottom for a lock. The locking part can be unscrewed from the grip itself. The handle looks like your standard size handle, and is textured with an aggressive knurling. No rubber O-ring. but there is a space for one. The trunion caps are sqared off, and without spanner tool holes. You basically just twist them off. I took the gimbal apart, and on the pan bearing, there are some manufacturing marks as follows : JAPAN/KOYO/6809Z...I'm assuming this is the make and model of said bearing...perhaps a good clue to what make and manufacturer this gimbal may be? This seems to be the better of the two, as all movement is silky smooth and silent.

 

...and that's all I got! Any help or advice is much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to look through. Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

 

Beau

[Richard James Lewis]

Second one is a "Pro Gear" gimbal (essentially a copy in part of the PRO gimbal) I can't imagine the company still exists, people had lots of issues (about 10 years ago)

First one is on the tip of my tongue, but it escapes me at the moment.

Good luck.

Rich

[James Davis]

First one looks like it could be an archer 2 gimbal

[Beau Cuizon]

So, here's a small update -- took the first gimbal down...inside, it's a Kaydon bearing, and it's busted. The brass bearing separator ring is visibly deformed, and cannot seat itself correctly in the channel...which is also preventing the inner racer from moving freely, and causing the above mentioned sound and friction. Ugh! Oh well. Time to search for a replacement bearing!

 

Also, thanks for your comments...let me know if you have any other ideas as to what make these gimbals could be.

[Richard James Lewis]

I've realised the first one is a "Steadyrig" gimbal from Australia.

Neither of these are made anymore.

Rich.

[Beau Cuizon]

Thanks for chiming in Richard -- good to know.

[Osvaldo Silvera SOC]

Good thing is if one is a Steadyrig gimbal, Hugo should be able to service it. Give him a ring.

[Beau Cuizon]

Just an update for those who may be curious, and for archival/informational purposes -- I was able to speak to Hugo about the possibility of the first gimbal (in my original post) being one of his, and he has confirmed that it is a Steadyrig gimbal. I mentioned that there is no serial number or brand markings on the yoke, and he said that this gimbal could in fact be the very first one he made...I told him that I won it in an eBay auction from a fellow who lives in Seattle, and Hugo was able to confirm that he did sell a gimbal to this person, many years ago...looks like the mystery is solved, thanks to Hugo and Richard James Lewis!

 

As for the gimbal itself...per Hugo, the bearing housing is silver because it is made of titanium and cannot be anodized. The trunion bearings are uncapped, because they are sealed bearings, and do not need to be covered. He said that is highly unlikely that they will become dirty through normal use, and can be cleaned or replaced if they do become worn, dirty or damaged, as they are off the shelf parts. Everything on the gimbal is field serviceable and can be taken down and cleaned by the end user. He did stop making them a few years ago, but there are parts available, so if you have one, it can still be serviced by Hugo.

 

In all, he believes that there are no more than thirty ever made, possibly closer to just twenty.

 

Anyone else out there own one of these Steadyrig gimbals? Just curious...

 

It was an interesting conversation with Hugo...he remembers many details, even down to the model number of the bearings he put into the gimbal.