Home brew light stands

So, you need some light stands for a remote shoot, but you don't have $600 to drop on each stand. What do you do? Build them from scratch.

Of course, substitute any parts for what you have on hand, these are supposed to be cheap! I used pine boards that where about $1 each. The hinges cost more than the wood I believe.

Here are the planks lined up

     
First cut made along with the first hinges attached. This allows us to collapse the stand to about half it's full height. I would recommend you cut it at about 4' from the ground or so.

     
Second leg attached, shown with our first hinged section at full height.

     
The third leg is attached at a right angle to the other two legs. Notice in the picture with my hand that one leg is 3 inches shorter. This is the only trick for this project, the very first pole must be shorter than the other two legs for proper balancing. I found 3" to be the sweet spot, your results will vary depending on how tall your stand is.

     
Ok, here is another trick. I used a mini-bungee cord (Or boot band if you prefer) to stabilize the top section of the stand. It also is handy to strap all the legs together for transport. I just used some large drywall screws and put them in until the tips just started coming out the other side.

Cheap-ass lighting. $5 from wally world or your local hardware store.

     
Mix it together and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Modify as necessary so it holds your lamp properly. I've also been known to use mini-bungee's to to strap small table lamps to my stands in a pinch.

Fully collapsed it is about 4 feet tall and is easily transportable or concealed in your closet. Use spray paint to make it fit in better with your other equipment.

Enjoy!