Don't use the FilmTools car mount kit on paint!

[Stephen Pruitt]

This is incredibly disappointing.

We shot a scene using the FilmTools suction cup car mount kit on a very expensive Infiniti SUV today, and when we removed the suction cups off the car, it left small but clearly distinctive little ridges in the paint of the car. I mean you can see every little ridge. I was horrified, of course. Now we get to pay for the damage.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this using those suction cups?

My advice, avoid them like the plague on paint. Stick them on the windows only!

Stephen

 

[Paul Nordin]

This is incredibly disappointing.


Has anyone else experienced anything like this using those suction cups?

My advice, avoid them like the plague on paint. Stick them on the windows only!

Stephen

I've used them a lot on cars and truck. With care they can be harmless. Here is a picture of the safe way to use them, thanks to S.Hurlbut's DSLR bootcamp report. Its the 5th picture down on the blog entry.
http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/

 

[Shane Kelly]

I've seen suction cups break an old windshield and mark paint. I'd stick to using them on glass though, it's usually pretty safe. I don't think that your issues are exclusive to filmtools suction cups.

 

[Larry McKee]

I have used them several times on a variety of vehicles with out any issues at all. Maybe the paint was too fresh on the Infinity?

 

[Brook Willard]

Suction cups should not damage factory paint.

 

[Dan Kanes]

A car should NOT... I repeat NOT be freshly waxed before using these. That is probably what happened.

I wouldn't put my Red on a strictly suction cup based rig anyway.

Try getting the paint buffed.should be cheaper than your insurance deductible. I'm hoping you had insurance.

 

[Cliff Hokanson]

I have done hundreds of car mounts. I use to have wax in the car mount kit to clean up any marks,
The car and cup should be clean the cup should be wet. I found the car marks wer on the wax and can be buffed out. C

 

[Liam Hall]

So, a car should be waxed, should not be waxed or should have protective paper stuck on it. Hmm, don't you love the internet...

Personally, like my women, I usually go with waxed, but I do like the paper idea. Are there any grips on RedUser who would care to share their hard earned knowledge?

 

[Dan Kanes]

Cute Liam.

What do you think I was doing before I got smart and bought a Red?

In any case - Waxing After the car mount will help clean up any marks. The car should be clean and washed with regular soap and water prior to the mount. Some wax products can actually soften paint, or the glossy surface coat - which is what I was warning against.

In Hollywood suction cups as the only means of attaching cameras only flies with something like a camcorder or hdslr. Larger cameras might use a large suction cup for a hood mount base, but are augmented with fender hooks and straps, or hostess trays which hang on window frames are used. More commonly a process trailer or camera car is used.

If your issue is paint damage - the smartest person to talk to before attempting a car mount is an automotive paint specialist.

If your issue is doing it right - you shouldn't try DIY unless you are prepared to pay the consequences which can include:
Expensive vehicle liability
Expensive human injury or death
Expensive camera and lens liability

If you are unsure, then hire a real grip who knows car mounts. This is filed under preventative cost.

In Europe I've heard of car mounts being made from wood, custom to each rig. This seems just as reasonable as the "Hollywood" method, but again requires someone who knows what they are doing.

Like electrical set lighting, car mounts are not for amateurs, and my only qualm with what filmtools sells is that they don't warn amateurs of the VERY REAL DANGERS of vehicle mounting.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Are we speaking about this kit
http://www.filmtools.com/filmtools-4-leg-suction-cup-camera-mount.html

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

I'm sure there are very real dangers to car mounts, but I sure as heck didn't expect that ruined paint from a rubber suction cup would be one of them.

Stephen

 

[Paul Nordin]

I'm sure there are very real dangers to car mounts, but I sure as heck didn't expect that ruined paint from a rubber suction cup would be one of them.

Stephen

Yep. I've been using them for years and only once did I have this problem. And that turned out to be attributed to a grip not adequetly rinsing surface grime off the car first.

 

[Maz Mawlawi]

I have used the filmtools rig several time and never had a problem with damaging paint....

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

Just to be clear: We washed all dust off the car. We wet down the grip cups. We put on the mount. We removed the cups. We saw marks.

Now, to be further clear: These marks are NOT scratches. The are INDENTATIONS, or, rather, RAISEDENTATIONS (if there was such a word), from the cups on the Infiniti's paint. The cups have little lines on the inside of them, and we can clearly see each and every one of them in the car's paint. And, we can FEEL THEM! They are RAISED above the surface of the paint. You can feel them just by rubbing your finger across the them.

Now, mind you, we did not apply a protective plastic sheeting to the car's surface. We went straight from the cup to the paint.

I have TWO of these kits, and will now be selling both of them on Ebay. I will never be able to trust them again. We'll just shoot from inside the car from now on.

Stephen

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Stephen, I would recommend keeping them and doing some tests on materials that don't have risk. For example, find some vehicles that are junkers, have various paint jobs, use different metals, etc and try the mount on these to test. Establish what works best and then you may feel better moving forward. I wouldn't use one bad experience to come to a final conclusion. Most people's experience doesn't match yours when properly implemented, so either something was wrong with the interaction between the mount and this particular car or something else was going on. But I would encourage trying this again with other vehicles, even going to a junkyard and conducting tests. Your mounts may be fine.

I do know what you mean though when you lose faith in a piece of equipment. Hard to give it a second shot.

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

No second thoughts for us, Steve. . . it's already up on Ebay now.

We have two of these kits and are selling the brand new, totally unused one. Here's your chance to ruin someone else's paint!

Stephen

 

[Liam Hall]

Cute Liam.

What do you think I was doing before I got smart and bought a Red?

In any case - Waxing After the car mount will help clean up any marks. The car should be clean and washed with regular soap and water prior to the mount. Some wax products can actually soften paint, or the glossy surface coat - which is what I was warning against.

In Hollywood suction cups as the only means of attaching cameras only flies with something like a camcorder or hdslr. Larger cameras might use a large suction cup for a hood mount base, but are augmented with fender hooks and straps, or hostess trays which hang on window frames are used. More commonly a process trailer or camera car is used.

If your issue is paint damage - the smartest person to talk to before attempting a car mount is an automotive paint specialist.

If your issue is doing it right - you shouldn't try DIY unless you are prepared to pay the consequences which can include:
Expensive vehicle liability
Expensive human injury or death
Expensive camera and lens liability

If you are unsure, then hire a real grip who knows car mounts. This is filed under preventative cost.

In Europe I've heard of car mounts being made from wood, custom to each rig. This seems just as reasonable as the "Hollywood" method, but again requires someone who knows what they are doing.

Like electrical set lighting, car mounts are not for amateurs, and my only qualm with what filmtools sells is that they don't warn amateurs of the VERY REAL DANGERS of vehicle mounting.

See that's the problem, all the decent grips are DoPs these days

All joking apart, you quite rightly point out that these things are dangerous and more so in today's multi-skilling, low budget, shamateurish world. I own a car mount, I haven't had any disasters, but I've always felt I need more knowledge to get the best out of the gear.

 

[Evin Grant]

I's used these mounts on $100K+ Shelby Cobras and other very delicate and expensve cars and never had any issues. My feeling is you had a very fresh soft wax coat and the ridges are in that. The cups themselves should not mar the paint if used correctly and balanced well. I also use gutter clips and ratchet straps to further secure my suction mounts.

 

[Douglas Underdahl]

I usually just use the suction cups as bases, and then I do what Evin says: I use ratchet straps and clips. I might apply a bit of suction to the cups but they don't really hold anything in and of themselves; they are bases. The straps do the heavy work. I use foam under the ratchets, hooks, and clips to make sure they don't mar the paint. This way if I look at the suction indicators and they are showing no suction, then it doesn't matter.

 

[Standog]

This is Stan McClain, owner of Filmtools. I am concerned about Stephen Pruitt's outcome, and I am actually surprised that we have not been contacted directly about this. While I don't consider this "hanging out dirty laundry" it is important to openly communicate, but had you ALSO contacted us, we would have or still will give you a 100% refund. I could actually use another demonstration kit.

We have sold literally tgens of thousands of Wood's Powr Grip Suction Cups and your result is the very first of its kind. (We did receive a complaint from a person with an older caar who used a 10" cup on a windshield and left it on overnight with a severe temperature drop, and the windshield cracked, but that's it!)

We'd like to know the nature of the "ring" it left. Is it an indention? Did it remove the paint? Mar it? Did you attempt to "buff it out and if so what were the results?

We want to make sure that this kind of result does not happen to others, so the more you share with us here, or at stan@filmtools.com, the more we can share with Woods and try and replicate the problem, and in turn find a solution.

Best regards,

Stan McClain, President
Filmtools Inc.