Cheap, long Arca rail extrusions

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ray_parkhurst
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Cheap, long Arca rail extrusions

Post by ray_parkhurst »

Anyone know of a cheap source for long (400mm and longer) arca rail stock? I'd be interested in just the extrusions, no machining.

dickb
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Post by dickb »

I came across an old post of genera on using 80/20 extrusions, 1.5" wide profiles with grooves, as a makeshift arca rail:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... f8b097e274

https://8020.net/shop/1515-lite.html

Not the nicest solution, but depending on your project it may work. Otherwise ebay has some 40cm rails, but I'm sure you are aware of those.

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ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

Thanks, good link and info.

The 400mm ebay rails are pretty expensive (even the cheapest ones), and I don't really need or want any of the machining. Just need edge grooves. I wonder if most rails are machined from solid or extruded? I assumed extruded but the dearth of available extrusions may mean all arca rails are machined.

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joeD
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Post by joeD »

Hi ,maybe this ?
https://www.ebay.es/itm/PU480-lengthene ... SwnNBXYRnB
i bouhgt one and i'm prettyhappy with it

dickb
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Post by dickb »

ray_parkhurst wrote:I wonder if most rails are machined from solid or extruded? I assumed extruded but the dearth of available extrusions may mean all arca rails are machined.
Most rails seem machined to me, some with many large holes to keep weight and amount of material used to a minimum.

The PU480 rail looks interesting. I doubt the drylin rails will be a great Arca substitute, with their 35mm wide track with 5mm square edges. My guess is the 4mm deep arca clamp won't get a good secure grip, but I haven't tried it myself.

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Post by rjlittlefield »

joeD wrote:Hi ,maybe this ?
https://www.ebay.es/itm/PU480-lengthene ... SwnNBXYRnB
i bouhgt one and i'm prettyhappy with it
In U.S. eBay, this looks to be https://www.ebay.com/itm/480mm-Double-Q ... 2429194163 .

Searching for "PU480" finds several others.

--Rik

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ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

Thanks everyone! I had not seen the 480mm rail with double QR before. That is interesting and gives some flexibility, and is cheaper than any of the 400mm rails. I'll need to look into the picatinny dimensions and such to see if it would work out. I see picatinny rails used for firearms accessory mounting but had not considered them for photography. Interestingly some of the longer arca rails are being advertised for firearms as an alternative QR system. You use what you can get I suppose!

dickb
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Post by dickb »

I bought the jaceelectronics2013 rail and they sent me a single dovetailed rail. They claim they don't have the double dovetailed ones (anymore?) So doublecheck with the seller, even when the title of the auction, the description and the photos all mention or show doubledovetailed rails...

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Post by enricosavazzi »

dickb wrote:I bought the jaceelectronics2013 rail and they sent me a single dovetailed rail. They claim they don't have the double dovetailed ones (anymore?) So doublecheck with the seller, even when the title of the auction, the description and the photos all mention or show doubledovetailed rails...
I wonder if the "double" in the item description refers to the two clamps, rather than to double dovetail, and that the latter has just one groove on each side and never was a double rail. If so, it is not a correct or unequivocal item description, but I have seen worse.

I have a shorter one of the same type, and the (single dovetail) rail works reasonably well with my third-party "Arca" clamps. The clamps that came with the rail are instead the cheapest possible ones, with the rubber coating on the knobs loose and easily coming off (and the obligatory inset compasses added just because they could).
--ES

dickb
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Post by dickb »

enricosavazzi wrote:
dickb wrote:I bought the jaceelectronics2013 rail and they sent me a single dovetailed rail. They claim they don't have the double dovetailed ones (anymore?) So doublecheck with the seller, even when the title of the auction, the description and the photos all mention or show doubledovetailed rails...
I wonder if the "double" in the item description refers to the two clamps, rather than to double dovetail, and that the latter has just one groove on each side and never was a double rail. If so, it is not a correct or unequivocal item description, but I have seen worse.
Well, the title of the item I bought was:

PU480 lengthened Double QR Quick Release Plate Dual Dovetail for Tripod BallHead

That doesn't leave much room for your interpretation as I see it. So does showing photos of a dual dovetail rail and sending a single dovetail rail.
enricosavazzi wrote:I have a shorter one of the same type, and the (single dovetail) rail works reasonably well with my third-party "Arca" clamps. The clamps that came with the rail are instead the cheapest possible ones, with the rubber coating on the knobs loose and easily coming off (and the obligatory inset compasses added just because they could).
The clamps on my rail are actually rather decent, all metal knobs and bubble levels rather than silly compasses.

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Post by enricosavazzi »

dickb wrote:Well, the title of the item I bought was:

PU480 lengthened Double QR Quick Release Plate Dual Dovetail for Tripod BallHead

That doesn't leave much room for your interpretation as I see it. So does showing photos of a dual dovetail rail and sending a single dovetail rail.
I agree, "Double QR" may mean different things, but "Dual Dovetail" leaves little wiggling room for interpretations. :lol:
--ES

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ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

I got my two rails ordered from taiheshop on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/480mm-Double-Q ... 2749.l2649

Indeed the last pic in the listing shows a dual dovetail rail, but the actual rail shipped is only single dovetail. The clamps are not bad quality, with decent levels and knurled aluminum knobs. For my purposes these will work fine, but it does irk me a bit they are not as advertised.

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