Camera Slider

Create smooth, cinematic camera movements with this compact camera slider.

The slider uses a fully 3D printed chain drive operated by a hand crank. Turning the crank moves the chain and camera carriage along the rail, giving you precise control over the camera movement without requiring a motor or electronics.

✨ Features

⛓ Fully 3D printed chain drive

🔄 Hand crank operation for smooth and controlled camera movement

🤲 Carriage can also be moved by hand when the chain drive is not being used

📏 Unlimited rail length by connecting additional rail sections

🧩 Modular and customizable design

🔩 Multiple mounting holes on the camera platform

🦿 Stable feet and tripod mount

🖨 Designed for easy 3D printing

🎬 Great for B roll, timelapses, product videos and cinematic shots

⛓ 3D Printed Chain

The slider uses a 3D printed chain instead of a conventional timing belt.

The chain is driven by a manual hand crank connected to the drive sprocket. Turning the crank moves the chain and carriage along the rail, allowing you to control the speed and direction of the camera manually.

When you want to reposition the camera quickly, the carriage can be moved directly by hand without operating the crank.

⚠ Important: Printing the Chain

The chain is the most critical part of the print and requires careful preparation.

PETG is recommended for printing the chain.

For reliable results:

• Make sure the PETG filament is properly dried before printing.

• Calibrate your filament flow before printing the chain. Incorrect flow can make the links too tight or too loose.

• Before printing the complete chain, print only a few chain elements first.

• Assemble the test elements and check that they work correctly.

• The links should be easy to assemble without excessive force.

• Once assembled, the chain should move freely and smoothly.

• The links should connect securely and the chain should not come apart or fall off during normal movement.

• If the test chain is too tight, too loose or difficult to assemble, adjust your print settings before printing the complete chain.

Do not print the entire chain before testing a few links. A small test print can save a lot of filament and time.

📏 Unlimited Slider Length

The rail features a modular design, allowing additional rail sections to be connected together. There is no fixed maximum length, so you can build the slider to the size required for your project.

Important: When building the slider for unlimited length, the 3D printed chain should not be installed. The modular rail can then be extended by adding as many rail sections as needed, and the carriage can be moved freely by hand.

For shorter configurations where the hand crank is desired, install the 3D printed chain and drive mechanism.

⚠ Important: Expectations

Because this slider is almost entirely 3D printed, it should not be compared directly with professional camera sliders made from aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, or other high quality materials.

The goal of this project is different: to create a low cost, highly customizable and easily reproducible camera slider using mostly 3D printed parts.

It will not offer the same rigidity, smoothness, load capacity or overall finish as a professionally manufactured camera slider. However, it can still be very useful in many scenarios, especially for lightweight cameras, action cameras, product photography, tabletop filming, timelapses, B roll and DIY motion control projects.

The modular design also allows you to experiment with different rail lengths and configurations without having to purchase an expensive commercial slider.

Non printable parts:

BT2x8 Socket Head Cap Self Tapping Screws

MR128ZZ

1/4'' Camera screw

1/4" Round Threaded Brass Heat Insert Nut

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