Quite simply a bonded tube assembly consists of two or more carbon tubes that can be connected by way of a bonded interior or exterior ferrule (tube) to create one long tube. Typically one end of the ferrule is bonded while the other end will accept a slip fit to the next tube in the assembly. This offers the capabilities of a long tube with the benefits of being able to break the assembly down into small sections for ease of transport.

We build most of our bonded assemblies for customers in the photography field including professionals and hobbyists. Due to the expense of professional camera boom systems many individuals find it more economical to build their own system from off-the-shelf parts. Once you have selected the pan and tilt system, required boom length, and the camera you wish to use we will quote and fabricate an assembly to fit your application. Most of the other components can be found online and you can have a machinist fabricate the other parts without a lot of expense.

Click here to see how one of our customers, writer and professional photographer Stefan Sargent (RIP Stefan) built a complete system and wrote about his experience in the December 2008 DV Magazine. Below you will see pictures and technical specs for some of the different assemblies we have built in the past. Email or call us today to discuss your project.

AUTOMOTIVE BOOMS


Our static booms have been so popular we decided to offer a boom designed for automotive photographers. The boom featured above features a combined length of 15ft. This super stiff boom has an outside diameter that measures 2.00". The fiber orientation and wall thickness is optimized to resist bouncing which will improve your shots. This boom will work well with a 5-10 lb. tip weight. We offer options such as extended 20ft length and a sanded smooth matte finish. We can supply you with the carbon boom but all other hardware must be purchase separately. A great source for clamps, cups, and other accessories can be found here.

The automotive boom images are courtesy of Ken Cravillion of Ken Cravillion Photography. You can see more of Ken's work on his blog at: http://kgcphoto.blogspot.com The images you see below were taken with our 15ft boom. After the image is shot the boom itself is edited out. Thank you for the great pictures Ken!





How well do our carbon fiber automotive booms work?

Professional photographer Jim Davis shares his experience using a CFTS camera boom after using an aluminum boom from another vendor. He wrote, "I've used it on a dirt road mounted to a truck, mounted to a car doing a slow moving burnout, and it has accidentally come in contact with a large tree. It has proved itself time and time again. Light weight, durable, stable, easy to assemble and disassemble, and easy to transport. It has passed my test and recieved my stamp of approval. I couldn't be happier with it."

Read the rest of his review here.

  

VIDEO BOOM CASE STUDY: 20 ft long video camera boom for Italian TV station
Number of sections: 4 / plus 1 extra
Length of each section (excluding ferrule): 60"
Material: Upgraded Intermediate Modulus Carbon
Outer tube diameter: 2.00" (stock tooling)
Section 1 weight: 675 grams (Double wall thickness the first 4" to accommodate counter weight)
Section 2 weight: 601 grams (8" inner ferrule bonded half in half out of one end)
Section 3 weight: 602 grams (8" inner ferrule bonded half in half out of one end)
Section 4 weight: 532 grams (No ferrule in tip)
Spare section weight: 600 grams
Steel push button pin with detent weight: 18 grams x 5 = 90 grams
Total weight of system not including spare section, including pins: 2500 grams (5.51 lbs.)
Total horizontal deflection under 5 lb tip weight: 7.5" from base to tip assuming first section is fixed in place. In operation there are 3 tube sections (15ft) in front of the tripod or pivot point. At 50-60 degrees the camera boom will have much less deflection given the same weight, horizontal positioning shows worst case deflection. Each section was precision drilled and deburred. All interior and exterior tube ends were micro contoured for operator comfort and rapid setup.




Standard modulus sanded smooth camera boom
5 sections 49" long including ferrule. Shorter lengths used to avoid high airport transport fees.





To keep the sections together in down shots we chose these very precise push button through pins with a detent ball near the end. We drill holes through the mid-plane of the tube to keep as much rigidity to the assembly as possible. Boom is designed to be used with the pins in the horizontal position. Some of our customers have used velcro to keep the tubes from sliding apart since the sections are so light weight as shown in the picture below, far left.



Standard modulus carbon fiber field boom (vertical use only)
We painted these for the customer to protect from UV exposure.



3 pc / 15 foot sport fishing boom with outer bonded ferrules
The customer requested that we use stock tubes and keep the OD below 1.00" for the main body of this assembly. At the time we only offered .037" wall thickness in the stock size below our .995" OD so we elected to use an outer ferrule for structural reasons while keeping the max 1.00" OD in mind. We make a great effort to work within the customers budget and technical requirements.





With each of our bonded assemblies we ensure that everything fits before leaving our shop. The inner ferrule must be sanded to a specification that will maintain an adequate bond gap while at the same time holding a tolerance tight enough that you experience very little side play on the slip fit side of the ferrule. Each assembly section is micro contoured on the inside and outside of each end to make handling comfortable.

We do this to avoid any chance of a carbon sliver coming off in your hand. This also aids in faster assembly time. If we drill holes they will be deburred inside and out prior to cleaning and shipping your assembly. We believe the little things do matter! We can also assist you with a quote on collapsible tubing assemblies where each tube fits into the next which eliminates the need to use of ferrules and makes storage even more compact. We await your request!