Do it your self 3000w light kit for under $275.00

ifownlee41nite@mac.com

ifownlee41nite@mac.com

Well-known member
Hello, For all of those DIY buffs, and not so DIY buffs here is an easy inexpensive way to get the most quality lighting for you buck!!!

3000 watts for of quality lighting for under $275.00. Check the pictures of the unit. http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=95460&page=2

To build on that I recommend you do a very simple but very helpful task. First off there is a lighting manufacture that the Home Depot or Lowes ( I can't remember which because I shop at both so often) carries call UltraTech. I recommend them for the even flow of brilliant light. Once you take the small cage attachment off of the face of the fixtures you will see no obstruction in your light path, just an even flood of light. Get 2 of the 1000w tripode lights (thats 500w for each light) and that will give you 2000w to play with. Next pick up 2 of the single 500w stand alone lights for high lighting the back areas of the set, or what ever. Next and final go to
http://stores.ebay.com/Fotodiox-Direct and buy 2 light shade (flags) adapters for positioning your key light. You will then take the flags off of the shade adapters and afix them to your light stand lights by use of a drill, & some metal tapping screws. Next is the simplest part of all. Get yourself some fine grain sand paper, open up the front glass panel of the light fixture, and sand the inside glass of light fixture until it looks just like smoked glass. This softens the harsh brilliants of the work lights. Close it and you got yourself a hella set of lights man.

Do it. You won't be sorry. Now you have an 3000w light set up for under $275.00.

You can't beat it.

And if you can let me know:beer:
 
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Yes link is dead.

And you can also use it to heat your house very efficiently in the winter or summer alike!
 
Absolutely pictures--let's see different angles. If you're posting for "newbies" as you said, they have no idea what you are talking about with your mods...
 
Logan LeBlanc said:
pics of yours?
Click to expand...

I'll post it this weekend:beer:


Cool Lights said:
Absolutely pictures--let's see different angles. If you're posting for "newbies" as you said, they have no idea what you are talking about with your mods...
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1. Like I said this weekend, But Cool Lights you are extremely obvious and I leave it at that.

2. Don't speak for other people.

3. If someone has a question that is why I'm hear. To explain it to them.

lol

I'm half sleep dude with a slight hang over, but you still have to come better than that. :beer:
 
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Sorry, but Richard makes a couple of valid points. If you're posting this for newbies, it's fair to warn them that using work lights will generate bucket-loads of heat. I've gone this route myself and didn't realize just how hot they were until I started trying to use them -- and I wasn't even a complete noob (but sitting in video village isn't quite the same as being a gaffer or the talent). Plus, cheap lights can be cool, too. Just (usually) of the soft variety.

And pics help. A ton. And could save you a lot of question answering.

Great idea on sanding the front glass, btw. Wish I'd thought of that before I bought umbrellas. Oh well, I can still bust out the sandpaper.
 
Just take it somewhere and have it sandblasted Jason, the results are better and it's safer too. Ground glass isn't fun.
 
Cool Lights said:
Just take it somewhere and have it sandblasted Jason, the results are better and it's safer too. Ground glass isn't fun.
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Richard- you assume I'll actually get around to doing it! :)
 
I see your point.

I see your point.

JasonFox said:
Sorry, but Richard makes a couple of valid points. If you're posting this for newbies, it's fair to warn them that using work lights will generate bucket-loads of heat. I've gone this route myself and didn't realize just how hot they were until I started trying to use them -- and I wasn't even a complete noob (but sitting in video village isn't quite the same as being a gaffer or the talent). Plus, cheap lights can be cool, too. Just (usually) of the soft variety.

And pics help. A ton. And could save you a lot of question answering.

Great idea on sanding the front glass, btw. Wish I'd thought of that before I bought umbrellas. Oh well, I can still bust out the sandpaper.
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That is something I was going to mention in the clip when I post it. I'm working on it now. I wanted to show the difference between sanding the front glass and leaving it clear. But your right about one thing they do get hot. But as you will see in the video there are ways to deal with it. One of the best is just cutting them off when your not set to shoot. Also I will be building a more universal light support assembly for better light positioning.

Guys, I'm not saying this is the only way to go. I'm just saying it is an inexpensive very worth while option.

Now that that has been said be sure to look out for my new DIY LED light set up.
It's not as cheap as the home depot light setup, but it is COOL.:beer:

You see Cool Lights.

I'm Cool too:)

See ya once I post the vid.
 
Hey, this is an awesome option. It's the first one I ever used. Then I moved to Dallas where it's already six thousand degrees with the lights off and started looking for something else.
 
I ran out of time this weekend so I was only able to post these pictures.

The first is a picture of the converted light fixture, and a non converted one.


I dug a little deeper and changed the method of which the barndoors would be installed.



This process is alot easier, and by leaving the entire barndoor unit intacked you can make great use of the filter package that come with the barn door package.

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Step one:

Sanding of front glass. I prefer to use copper pipe sand paper. While supporting the glass with one hand underneath with medium presure sand the top inside surface of the glass in a vertical motion until you have completely scared the entire surface area. Then repeat the same process horizontally. This will give you an even surface coverage.

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Step two: Drill 2 holes that line up with the 2 barndoor attachment screws along the top of the frame plate of the light fixture. Be sure not to drill into the face glass.

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Step three: Take your drill screw driver and screw a small metal taping screw into the bottom of the light frame plate on center as the picture below shows.

1178006089.jpg


Step four: install barndoor by lining up the attachment screws with you predrilled holes at the top of the fixture, and then by pulling the latching mechanism located along the botton of the barndoor fixture around the self taping screw located at the bottom of the frame plate.

1178007378.jpg


TOP ATTACHMENT SCREWS

1178007727.jpg


And this is what you end result will look like.

1178007915.jpg


1178007998.jpg


1178008131.jpg


Hope this helps some of you with your light needs. Keep in mind that I will be posting thread on a cool LED light setup in the near future. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Forgive me for the large photo displays. Its 4:30 in the morning and I am very tired. This is my first time uploading photos to dvxuser, so again forgive me.

BTW, fixture do get hot so do what I do. Wear a pair of $2.00 work gloves when handling them if they have been on for a period of time.
 
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Thanks

Thanks

I started thinking about what you and Cool Light said, and decided to try to keep it as simple as possible for newbies. So I began to think of a way that I could attach the barndoors while still being able to use the filter kit in addition. The old way would of meant disassembling the barn doors from the main face plate that houses the filters, and that didn't make much scense.

Thanks man.

JasonFox said:
Using the barn door with filter setup is pretty sweet. Nice job!
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Yes the eggcrate or honeycomb filter is something you don't see often in these types of lights.
 
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Thnaks for the follow up

Thnaks for the follow up

I like it because it shades without effecting the color. Plus it would of been a shame to build it and not take advantage of barn door fixture's accessories.

I PM'd you on the LED project.

Cool Lights said:
Yes the eggcrate filter is something you don't see often in these types of lights.
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