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DIY S.B. Pictures as promised....

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Thanks a ton for prividing these pics! Great work, I say!

However (and I am pretty sure you have been asked this question before), what's with the heat factor? Will not the heat from those halogens burn your diffusion material?

1. What material are you using,

2. How long do you expect the lights to operate without generating
enough heat to burn the fabric?

3. Do you recommend keeping a fire extinguisher around ;-) (Please don't answer that)!

Thanks again!
 
Sharon67860 said:
1. What material are you using,
Click to expand...
An old cotton or bed pillow case I cut open.
Sharon67860 said:
2. How long do you expect the lights to operate without generating
enough heat to burn the fabric?
Click to expand...
Don't know, I don't leave them on for long. It melted the duct tape I had the soft box attached with.
Sharon67860 said:
3. Do you recommend keeping a fire extinguisher around ;-)
(Please don't answer that)!
Click to expand...
No, but maybe I should. I have lots of water though!
Sharon67860 said:
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
--
Hank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.pbase.com/lumbardh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's only two things you really need to fix anything, Duct Tape and WD-40. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't, use WD-40. If it moves and it's not supposed to, use Duct Tape.
 
Hank,

Great idea for a softbox. Lining the box with foil is a good idea definitely. I'd consider using wire (aka coathangers) to mount the box to your light. Watch out for melting polystyrene!

Also, try a thicker front - it may diffuse the light more without losing much intensity... Or at least that's the result I noticed in a quick test, despite my natural reaction of "the light will get much darker".
 
Hank

i wonder why you go through all that trouble. You could just create a DIY diffusion panel.

It doesnt need to be mounted to the light at all. A simple square frame with diffusion material and the light placed behind it. This will give you even softer light and it will be easier on the material in terms of heat as the light is a bit further away and doesnt need to be directly attached.

Just a thought

--
Michael Salzlechner
StarZen Digital Imaging
http://www.starzen.com/imaging

photos at http://www.salzlechner.com/photo
 
Mike Salzlechner said:
Hank

i wonder why you go through all that trouble. You could just create
a DIY diffusion panel.

It doesnt need to be mounted to the light at all. A simple square
frame with diffusion material and the light placed behind it. This
will give you even softer light and it will be easier on the
material in terms of heat as the light is a bit further away and
doesnt need to be directly attached.

Just a thought

--
Michael Salzlechner
StarZen Digital Imaging
http://www.starzen.com/imaging

photos at http://www.salzlechner.com/photo
Click to expand...
--
Hank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.pbase.com/lumbardh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's only two things you really need to fix anything, Duct Tape and WD-40. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't, use WD-40. If it moves and it's not supposed to, use Duct Tape.
 
Hi Hank,

You know I just did almost the same trick with a flash, slave trigger and a cooler. I didn't cover the insides with foil as heat was not an issue. My results were a bit bright, but I am going to put a few more material layers on the cooler to soften the look.

Still experimenting with my $1.37 cooler and 1.00 yard of nylon.

Chris

P.S. When I finally get some webspace on Pbase, I will upload some photos of my softbox project and the results.
 
If you throw water on a hot light it is going to shatter and possibly electrocute anyone that steps in the water.

Ted W.
Hank said:
Hank53935 said:
Hank53935 said:
3. Do you recommend keeping a fire extinguisher around ;-)
Click to expand...
(Please don't answer that)!
Click to expand...
No, but maybe I should. I have lots of water though!
Click to expand...
--

'What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us, what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.' -Albert Pike
 
The foils really has to do with light transmission. Without the foil the whole thing is one giant glowing box. The light shows through the styrofoam. This could be good for illuminating a room or something, but for a Soft box, it was too much light spill.

Hank
Chris Samples said:
Hi Hank,
You know I just did almost the same trick with a flash, slave
trigger and a cooler. I didn't cover the insides with foil as heat
was not an issue. My results were a bit bright, but I am going to
put a few more material layers on the cooler to soften the look.

Still experimenting with my $1.37 cooler and 1.00 yard of nylon.

Chris

P.S. When I finally get some webspace on Pbase, I will upload some
photos of my softbox project and the results.
Click to expand...
--
Hank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.pbase.com/lumbardh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's only two things you really need to fix anything, Duct Tape and WD-40. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't, use WD-40. If it moves and it's not supposed to, use Duct Tape.
 
Very innovative. Now you need to somehow mount an internal diffuser so you have the light going through two layers of fabric.

Hey, pretty soon Home Depot is going to catch on to what is going on here and raise the prices on these lamps!
 
mroda said:
Very innovative. Now you need to somehow mount an internal diffuser
so you have the light going through two layers of fabric.

Hey, pretty soon Home Depot is going to catch on to what is going
on here and raise the prices on these lamps!
Click to expand...
--
Hank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.pbase.com/lumbardh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's only two things you really need to fix anything, Duct Tape and WD-40. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't, use WD-40. If it moves and it's not supposed to, use Duct Tape.
 
Hank said:








--
Hank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.pbase.com/lumbardh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's only two things you really need to fix anything, Duct Tape
and WD-40. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't, use WD-40. If
it moves and it's not supposed to, use Duct Tape.
Click to expand...
Not to offend, but crimony-Is putting out $400 for a real monolight and a softbox that expensive when you consider the heartache and financial loss after your residence burns down? Yikes.... lol
--
Albert Watson...'Nuff said.
 
I sell lights for Fire Equipment - and they get much less hot than the cheaply designed Home depot style lights and they can light stuff on fire.

This just looks scary to me...

5-800+ degress on most those lights..

Be very careful. This is precisely why i opted for Strobes vs. hot lights.
Hank53935 said:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.pbase.com/lumbardh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's only two things you really need to fix anything, Duct Tape
and WD-40. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't, use WD-40. If
it moves and it's not supposed to, use Duct Tape.
Click to expand...
 
Save this jury-rigged softbox idea for your speedlights.

The styrafoam is insulation & will increase the heat trapped inside, furthering the possibility of fire. If you insist on using this rig, put a breathing hole in the top for ventilation. I don't suggest anyone build there own softboxes for hot lights. I know how to do it, but I am not going to share this information because it should only be done by very experienced pros.

If your light catches on fire, which is a real possibility, pull the plug out of the wall before you go for the fire extiguisher.

Use diffussion frames/panels or bounce the lights. This is the way similar lights are used in the movie industry. A simple foamcore "V" can yeild a wide variety of looks.

Regards,
Bern Caughey
 
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