OK, so you're on a shoot and your very cool, 250 watt reflector burns out. The switch has gone bad and you can't get it to light back up. It's 1 AM, there's no photo-supply within 50 miles and certainly none open. What do you do? What do you do, Hotshot!?
Fortunately, we live in a world of 24 hour stores that do exist in the middle of nowhere and many have hardware departments. So, you up the ISO setting on your camera and go grab a couple of 100 watt clamp lights and the strongest CFL bulbs you can find or 100 watt standard bulb. You've lost some wattage, per light, but at least you have light again. You clamp it to your trusty light stand and it slides, wiggles and droops all over the place. That smooth metal isn't very good for clamping too. Carry a couple of these little widgets with you and you'll be ready.
Parts: scrap of wood (I used a 3 inch chunk of 1 x 1-1/2 I had laying around)
1/2" plastic clamp for a pipe support system. A half dozen of these cost me about $5.
1/4" - 20 bolt, about 1/2" long should do it.
Wood Screws appropriately sized to the clamps you buy.
As with all builds, do this at your own risk.
Tools" Drill
15/64th bit
Screwdriver bit to match your screws.
So, you simply screw the plastic clamp to the piece of wood. Once that's done, I think you'll find the finished product fits nicely over a standard sized 5/8th inch stud found on your light stand. Just to add some stability, however, you'll drill a 15/64th inch hole in the rear center of the plastic clamp. (Wear goggles and be careful, please. And do not have it on your light stand at the time. If you don't know how to drill get a more handy person to help you). With that done the 1/4 inch bolt should fit nicely into the clamp. Now, slide that over the stud on your light stand and clamp the light to your piece of wood. It may take some doing, but when it closes you'll have a nice tight fit. If you think you'll need to be ready for more light, make one with a longer piece of wood. 6 inches wide maybe, or 8. This way you'll be able to clamp multiple clamp lights to it.
It's not really much cheaper to use hardware store lights than it is to use a basic reflector from Impact or Smith Victor and the plastic sockets can't support much heat (thus the 100 watt limit), but in a pinch it pays to be ready, especially when you can be ready for about $8. I travel with clamp lights for shoots because they're expendable, durable, versatile and easy to replace. I'm hoping that this little piece (I've made 3) will make them more stable as well. I'm going to make a multi-light one soon, so I haven't tested that yet, but the first small one I made held a Home Depot 300 Watt 12 inch reflector pretty solid.
Fortunately, we live in a world of 24 hour stores that do exist in the middle of nowhere and many have hardware departments. So, you up the ISO setting on your camera and go grab a couple of 100 watt clamp lights and the strongest CFL bulbs you can find or 100 watt standard bulb. You've lost some wattage, per light, but at least you have light again. You clamp it to your trusty light stand and it slides, wiggles and droops all over the place. That smooth metal isn't very good for clamping too. Carry a couple of these little widgets with you and you'll be ready.
Parts: scrap of wood (I used a 3 inch chunk of 1 x 1-1/2 I had laying around)
1/2" plastic clamp for a pipe support system. A half dozen of these cost me about $5.
1/4" - 20 bolt, about 1/2" long should do it.
Wood Screws appropriately sized to the clamps you buy.
As with all builds, do this at your own risk.
Tools" Drill
15/64th bit
Screwdriver bit to match your screws.
So, you simply screw the plastic clamp to the piece of wood. Once that's done, I think you'll find the finished product fits nicely over a standard sized 5/8th inch stud found on your light stand. Just to add some stability, however, you'll drill a 15/64th inch hole in the rear center of the plastic clamp. (Wear goggles and be careful, please. And do not have it on your light stand at the time. If you don't know how to drill get a more handy person to help you). With that done the 1/4 inch bolt should fit nicely into the clamp. Now, slide that over the stud on your light stand and clamp the light to your piece of wood. It may take some doing, but when it closes you'll have a nice tight fit. If you think you'll need to be ready for more light, make one with a longer piece of wood. 6 inches wide maybe, or 8. This way you'll be able to clamp multiple clamp lights to it.
It's not really much cheaper to use hardware store lights than it is to use a basic reflector from Impact or Smith Victor and the plastic sockets can't support much heat (thus the 100 watt limit), but in a pinch it pays to be ready, especially when you can be ready for about $8. I travel with clamp lights for shoots because they're expendable, durable, versatile and easy to replace. I'm hoping that this little piece (I've made 3) will make them more stable as well. I'm going to make a multi-light one soon, so I haven't tested that yet, but the first small one I made held a Home Depot 300 Watt 12 inch reflector pretty solid.
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