broken titanium

[Brad Grimmett]

If you are serious about your craft you will eventually end up with a PRO arm.

I don't know Erwin....there are many good operators using Master/Ultra arms. Some big names come to mind. I've liked the Pro arm every time I've flown it, but I love my Master arm and I'm not planning on making a switch any time soon. Does that mean I'm not serious about my craft?

[Jonathan Labby]

 

If you are serious about your craft you will eventually end up with a PRO arm.

I don't know Erwin....there are many good operators using Master/Ultra arms. Some big names come to mind. I've liked the Pro arm every time I've flown it, but I love my Master arm and I'm not planning on making a switch any time soon. Does that mean I'm not serious about my craft?

 

Thanks very much for the insight on the Master series arms. I actually have never flown one before but hear the iso-elastic feature is very nice. I am sure that you are very serious about your craft. I think Erwin was just giving me his personal preference. I am serious about steadicam too and as a beginner, any insight that any operator can give me is much appreciated. I thank you very much Brad Grimmett for the information.

[JobScholtze]

I am using the Gold arm for almost 3 years now. Never failed me. If your in the 3a design arms and dont want to spend the big buck? This is the arm for you. Dont even try to compare it with a pro arm. Thats a HUGHE difference. I just compare it with the 3a arm.

 

I am expecting my G50 arm this week, same price range and almost same weight range.

Lets see how that holds up for 3 years of abuse :P

[Jerry Holway]

A broken spring in any arm releases a lot of force, whether titanium or steel springs. The failure rate for all springs is incredibly low. There have been thousands and thousands of arms made with 6 titanium springs in each one them for about 30 years, (and different manufacturers), with only a few failures, and tons of abuse, etc. Some of the worries here border on hysteria.

 

Every failure is spectacular, of course, as a lot of force is released. Mostly, the remaining bits remain in the arm, (and, BTW with the G-70 and G-50, even more likely to if there is a failure). Keep the arm clean and out of the sand, don't poke with a screwdriver, etc., and the springs should be fine.

 

Usually, the major damage from a spring failure is to whatever might drop as a result, and to the bearings and pins in the arm. These should all be replaced if there is a spring failure.

 

BTW, the design of the arms prevents the extension springs from "over stressing." They can only stretch so far as you boom up and down, regardless of the load, so a big load is not a cause for concern for the springs. With the Master Series and later arms, they see roughly the same load regardless of the weight of the sled and camera... they work at their optimum design all the time. If the sled weighs too much, the arm just won't lift it.

 

However, the bones and other parts of the arm may not like really heavy loads, particularily with extra long arm posts and/or long gimbal handles which impart huge torqing moments. These moments are not designed for, much like the socket blocks were not designed for the new loads imparted by the back mounted vests, so suddenly there were a lot of socket block failures, in a part that had worked just fine for years.

 

Nicking any spring will cause it to fail violently, regardless of the material. I've seen a nicked steel spring fail. Same lovely noise, very rarely heard.

 

Jerry

[nealnorton]

Jerry,

 

You are a heck of a good teacher.

 

"Keeping the sand out" of the arm can be a big problem. I have had one enthusiastic actor shower me and the 3a arm I was using with a handful of sand during a fight scene. Instant grinding followed by a 30 minute maintenance break to clean up the arm (and a full strip down after finishing the day). The PRO arm is very close to maintenance free. The sand shower wouldn't be a problem for the PRO.

 

I do look forward to trying a G50/G70 but if I buy one I would probably still use my PRO arm in wet/dusty/salty conditions.

 

Regards,

 

Neal Norton

[Benjamin Treplin]

Neal,

I had a similar situation and the PRO arm is vulnerable to sand. The sand sticks on the bolt that compresses the spring and gets carved into its plastic guide. The arm works still like a charm but makes a hell of a lot of noise while booming. Replacing the plastic solves this.

Remember when you can see the sand the sand sees you. ;-)

Best

[nealnorton]

Hello Benjamin:

 

The big difference is that with a PRO arm we are talking about 5 minutes to switch out the cans and back to work. Also I have found that a quick wipe on the extended plungers will solve most grit problems. With the wire/spring arm the cleaning maintenance issue is much tougher.

 

Kind regards,

 

Neal

[Erwin Landau]

George still recommends to use the arm covers for situations like that... sand, rain, dirt, dust...

 

Also keeps the arm look nicer longer... I take good care of my equipment (exempt for the total destruction of my gear once in a while...) today an other operator was like: your arm looks like shit... that hurt... But it still works like it did the first day I used it. It's all cosmetic...

 

I had a chat with George today... I will be picking up one of his new Steel Sockets blocks on Monday...

 

 

Brad, I was refereeing to the Gold arm and working in the high end 35mm world. I would never put the Gold arm and the PRO arm into the same category, ever. If you want to play with the big guys you will have to spend the big bucks... being it the PRO arm or the Ultra arm, etc...

 

Also if you would be starting out right now and were looking for new equipment, would you buy exactly the same set up that you own today? Be honest.

 

 

Fly safe,

 

 

Erwin"Geez... look out what you say"Landau

[Brad Grimmett]

Brad, I was refereeing to the Gold arm and working in the high end 35mm world. I would never put the Gold arm and the PRO arm into the same category, ever. If you want to play with the big guys you will have to spend the big bucks... being it the PRO arm or the Ultra arm, etc...

 

Also if you would be starting out right now and were looking for new equipment, would you buy exactly the same set up that you own today? Be honest.

 

 

Fly safe,

 

 

Erwin"Geez... look out what you say"Landau

I knew you didn't mean anything by your comment...I was just ribbing you a bit. Maybe I should have used one of those smiley faces....

 

You're right, if I was starting out now and had to buy new gear I may not buy the same set up that I own today. But I doubt I'd be buying better gear than I have considering the money involved....for example I probably wouldn't be able to afford a Pro arm, and finding a used one is almost impossible, which is why I would probably still buy a Master/Ultra arm or maybe a silver spring arm. It's hard to say whether I'd buy the same sled and vest, because I already know that I love the gear I own, so I'm influenced by the information that I already have. But if I got the same deal on gear that I did when I bought the setup that I have now I would jump at it again. I got very lucky when I bought my rig.

 

I wouldn't put a gold arm in the same league with the Pro or Master/Ultra either. But from what I hear it's a good arm for the money and it may be a good place for someone to start, with the intention of upgrading as soon as possible.

[Gustavo Penna]

THIS ARE PICTURES OF AN ULTRA ARM I HAD TO FIX. WHEN ITS NOT THE SPRIGS, ITS THE BEARINGS, OR THE CABLES. THATS WHY ITS SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, AND BY YOUR SELF.

I GOT TIRED OF DEPENDING ON TIFFEN.

[JobScholtze]

I wouldn't put a gold arm in the same league with the Pro or Master/Ultra either. But from what I hear it's a good arm for the money and it may be a good place for someone to start, with the intention of upgrading as soon as possible.

That is what i sayd before. Dont compare them. I'll say you could compare the gold arm with the 3a arm. For the bucks its a great arm. But i tryd the pro arm a few months back and geez, thats a HUGH difference. But for now, i just keep it, and the G50. Perhaps in the future i sell those 2 and go for the pro

[Marc Abernathy]

have not seen anyone mention tbe Steady Rig Silver Spring Arm.. which i use. its a great arm.

 

im am old masters arm user for most of my professional operating years (7 years so far .. i have been blessed) and the silver spring arm was a little different to get used to but its amazing.

 

i have not YET flown a PRO arm, but im waiting to get the chance to do so...

[Erwin Landau]

I assume that nobody mentioned the Silver Spring arm in this topic because no one has seen one break yet... or did you. Please read the whole thread before you post.

 

7 years... so you have been operating longer then me... interesting.

 

 

Anyhow,

 

See you at Gladestone's

 

 

Fly safe,

 

 

Erwin"had to read and move and read and move... way to many posts"Landau

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

im am old masters arm user for most of my professional operating years (7 years so far .. i have been blessed)

 

 

Marc,

 

Quick question here. I first met you when I invited you to hang out on the set of a film I was operating on in Cincinnati back in June of 2002 at that time you had yet to operate steadicam or take a workshop iirc. That would be four years ago.

 

Maybe you made a typo?

[Brad Grimmett]

have not seen anyone mention tbe Steady Rig Silver Spring Arm.. which i use. its a great arm.

Actually, I did.