DIY Steadicam Gimbal

1). Heat a ¾-inch PVC pipe in the oven for roughly 20 minutes at 200 degrees. This will soften the PVC pipe slightly.
2). Force a standard "608" size skateboard bearing inside the heated PVC pipe. 608 is the typical size for the majority of all skateboards on the market, and has an outer diameter of 22mm. When it comes to the ABEC, or tolerance rating of the bearing, any rating will do for a DIY Steadicam.
3). Drill pivot points on each side of the PVC ring. Make sure to not drill into the bearing.
4). Cut a length of 1-inch PVC pipe roughly the same length as your 3/4-inch PVC. Drill two holes on either side of the 1-inch PVC that line up with the pivot points on the 3/4-inch PVC. Place the 3/4-inch PVC with the skate bearing inside the 1-inch PVC segment, and attach the two pipes together with bolts. The gimbal should now look like a series of concentric circles.
5). Drill two holes on the ends opposite the bolts, dividing the the 1-inch PVC into quadrants.
6). Cut a 2-inch PVC coupling to serve as an external ring. Drill holes that will line up with the second set of holes drilled into the 1-inch PVC ring. Center the 1-inch PVC ring inside the 2-inch PVC ring with bolts; however, don't screw the bolts in too far so that they interfere with the rotation of the inner bearing.
7). Add locking nuts to keep the middle ring centered. While centered inside the larger PVC pipes, the 1-inch PVC and 3/4-inch PVC pipe segments should be able to turn freely in a gyroscopic fashion.
8). Fit a threaded rod through the center of the skate bearing.
9). Add locking nuts on either end of the threaded rod to keep the gimbal bearing in place. Once you mount your camera, you can adjust these nuts up or down to help balance the gimbal.
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Mount your camera to the threaded rod with a base plate.
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Counterbalance the camera by adding weight to the bottom of the threaded rod. Initially, you will need to experiment with the amount of weight to steady the camera. The camera is balanced when you are able to hold the camera, and the threaded rod remains vertical without swaying back and forth.
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To use, hold the outer ring of the PVC gimbal, allowing the movement of the camera to be counteracted by the weight at the bottom of the threaded rod.