Environment and Transport — Rain Prep, Track Storage, Narrow Doorways, and Rough Terrain¶

CONFIRMED RIGGING / TRANSPORT SAFETY CRITICAL

Summary¶

The chat contains practical environmental and transport guidance that is not concentrated elsewhere: do not shoot Bolt/track in rain unless unavoidable; protect electronics and precision rails; grease and dry track bearings; store/transport track sideways only with rail protection; reroute Bolt umbilical to pass narrow doorways; build stable platforms for rocky terrain.

Symptoms¶

You need to get a Bolt through a narrow doorway and are not sure how to reduce the overall width enough to clear the frame.
You are shooting in rain or with a rain machine and need to know which parts of the Bolt and track are most at risk.
The track bearings or precision rails have been exposed to moisture and need to be cleaned and protected.
You need to transport long track sections and are unsure whether sideways loading is safe.
You are setting up a Cinebot on beach, sand, or rocky terrain and need to build a stable level platform.

Stable ID¶

ISSUE-ENV-001

First Reported¶

2021-07-29 — measuring Bolt Jr+ width for doorway clearance.

Additional Reports¶

2021-08-01 — transport track sideways / custom cases.
2021-12-24 — Bolt with tracks in rain.
2022-06-16 — salt flats risk question, unresolved.
2025-05-22 — Cinebot Max on beach/rocky terrain.

Hardware¶

Bolt / Bolt Jr+
Precision Track / THK linear rails
UltiBox / cable-side of track base
Cinebot Mini / Cinebot Max

Community Solutions¶

[CONFIRMED] 2021-07-29 — User: Peter Constan-Tatos¶

For doorway clearance, remove the umbilical from the side mount and strap it to the Bolt base. Around 90 cm overall width was reported; 86 cm dolly plus about 15 cm cable-side allowance was considered safe.

confidence_score: 0.82

[CONFIRMED] 2021-08-01 — Users: Peter Constan-Tatos, Tom D, Simon Wakley¶

Track can be stored/transported sideways if strapped and protected. Protect THK linear rails from rubbing; wood crates or aluminium cases are used. Skateboard/furniture-mover style dollies help move long track lengths through trucks and doorways.

confidence_score: 0.84

[CONFIRMED] 2021-12-24 — Users: Timothy Heys Cerchio, Dig, Dan Gottesman¶

Rain shooting is not advised, but if unavoidable: cover camera, UltiBox, cable entry points, cable side of Bolt track base, and holes near the arm/base. Keep rig/track under canopy where possible. Grease bearings before/during/after, wipe precision rails before moves, bring towels/bags/tape/clips, clean/de-rust afterward. Boeshield T-9 was suggested as a water-repellent/rust-prevention aid.

confidence_score: 0.88

[LIKELY] 2025-05-22 — User: Mark¶

For Cinebot on rocky/beach terrain, build and level a stable platform first, such as a standard 1.2 m x 2.4 m board, then place/level the robot on that. For difficult terrain movement, plan rated lifting/Manitou support and proper slings/shackles.

confidence_score: 0.72

[NEEDS REVIEW] 2022-06-16 — User: Korey¶

Salt flats / salt environment risk was raised but no complete answer was extracted. Treat as unresolved and likely high risk for corrosion/contamination.

confidence_score: 0.35

Track Storage, Flight Cases, and Custom Transport Carts¶

From a community thread (2022-04-22 to 2022-04-23) discussing long-term track storage, custom road cases, and on-set movement.

Storing Track Sideways¶

Long track sections can be stored and transported on their sides rather than flat:

Stand track sections upright / on their sides in the truck or studio.
Store under a platform, workbench, or other structure to use vertical space efficiently.
Separate track sections with timber/wood spacers between them to prevent rail contact and rubbing.
Use a metal rod or dowel dropped from above, through a cross-strut hole, to prevent sections from sliding fore-and-aft during transport.

Three-Track Flight Cases¶

Custom cases designed for three track sections can be built to stack the sections:

Line the interior with foam or wood blocks shaped to keep sections from sliding.
Protect the THK linear rails from contact with other sections — any scratching or denting of the rails will cause bearing and carriage wear.

Roller Boards / Skateboards for On-Set Movement¶

For moving long track sections through narrow spaces (trucks, doorways, corridors):

Use small roller boards or skateboards (approximately 12 × 9 inches / 30 × 23 cm) under each end of the track section.
Roll the section through the truck, doorway, or studio corridor without lifting.
Standing sections on their sides on roller boards also makes narrow-doorway threading much easier.

"We store our tracks sideways and shift them around on little roller skateboards (approx 12"x9") — then in truck and when storing in studio we use the space above them for more storage or a workbench. The tracks are separated by timber in the truck transport, and they stop sliding back and forwards by a metal rod that drops from bench top, down through one of the cross struts on the track structure and through a hole in the truck." — Tom D (2021-08-01)

"One by one on their sides is a great idea Tom. Makes it easier to wheel them onto set through narrow doorways too!" — Peter Constan-Tatos (2021-08-01)

2021-07-29 10:28 - ~ Peter Constan-Tatos

Media Text / Description¶

Media 1: 2021-07-29 10:28 - ~ Peter Constan-Tatos

WhatsApp Excerpts¶

2021-07-29 10:28 - ~ Peter Constan-Tatos:
2021-07-29 10:36 - ~ Peter Constan-Tatos: We had it tracking through a doorway and we took the umbilical off the side mount and strapped it to the bolts base to get it around 90cm overall width. But if you have 86cm (dolly) plus 15cm for cables on the one side you’re safe.
2021-08-01 08:32 - Tom D: We tried everything before we settled on the truck build above - we store our tracks sideways and shift them around on little roller skateboards (approx 12”x9”) - then in truck and when storing in studio we use the space above them for more storage or a workbench. The tracks or separated by timber in the truck transport, and they stop sliding back and forwards by a metal rod that drops from bench top, down through one of the cross struts on the track structure and through a hole in the truck...
2021-08-01 08:38 - ~ Peter Constan-Tatos: One by one on their sides is a great idea Tom. Makes it easier to wheel them onto set through narrow doorways too! 👍 I’d say you win today’s prize. 🍾🍺