Sima Quick-Connect version of Caleb Pike's "Top Handle Rig"

For those of us that were perusing the DSLR websites you might have come across Caleb Pike's DSLR Video Shooter  tutorial on making the "Top Handle Rig". However, for those of us who could not afford to set up with the Manfrotto base plates, and had set up our rigs with the Sima Quick-Connect there really wasn't a way to duplicate his rig.
I did, however, come up with an alternative using the Sima Quick-Connect. I have dubbed this ,with an enormous amount of  creativity in the naming of it, the  "Quick-Connect Top Handle Rig".


       

Materials Needed:

1- 1/4-20 Coupling Nut

1- 1/4-20 nut(standard)
1- Black spray paint

1- 1/4-20 Coarse/Standard Hanger bolt

 

Tools Need:

1- Drill with a 3/16 Drill bit

1- Crescent wrench
1- Oven
1- Hack saw(or other way of cutting the bolt)
1- Bastard File ( for cleaning up the threads)

Here is Caleb's Tutorial

          


Note: The Sima Top Handle Rig does not sit nicely like the Manfrotto/Cinevate base plates due to its smaller footprint. Should you want a way to stabilize the Sima Top Handle Rig add a small sheet of 1/8" aluminum (4 1/2" x 2 1/2" ) screwed to the 1/4-20 theads of the Sima Quick Connect (center the hole approximately 1/3 of the way towards the back of the sheet) and add 4 rubber bumpers on the bottom.