Which part did not work out?

I used a travel case because it was lite weight plastic with a metal rim.
The black plastic looks good from the back and protects the bulbs. The
version I found has the lid that comes off the hinge pins.

Thanks vicmilt and serena for your inspiration!

I just had a hard time at lining everything up and then the wiring and cutting forced me to quit.

Thats been a problem for all of us do-it-yourselfers.

My trick is to buy some butcher's paper and mark on that. Then transfer
the holes to a piece of scrap 1/8" wood paneling. Then you can try it
out and if ok then drill the real stuff.

I've been meaning to build one for myself but I've been flat out meeting demand for my china ball. But then we stumbled accross this and well for the asking price you couldn't even buy the parts.

Certainly not up there with Lowell's quality but functional. The stands are pretty lightweight, strongly recommend using shotbags. I've purchased an extra 70W CFL to try out in several fittings. CT looks pretty good.

Warning though, much of the other stuff these guys sell is OK for stills work but not video as the lights are fan cooled. We were pretty excited about their cheap 400W HMI but it has a magnetic ballast inside that steel enclosure, it is VERY noisy.

Bob.

This looks like a good alternative to softboxes, especially the folding version.

Not quite as compact when packed, but heck, what a price difference!

Now, what is a "Small flat head nipper"? Google referred me to a piece of medical equipment used in Tamil Nadu, but I trust this was not it.

[And the "Bakelight" I trust referred to the modern successors to Dr. Baekeland's original "Bakelite(R)" material, the first synthetic plastic, used for telephones (where the material was heavy enough to allow handsets to become "blunt instruments" in murder mystery movies) as well as car parts and pan handles?]

http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/proddetail.asp?prod=92-323

Aha! It seems that "Bakelight" was an attempt to get around the trademark on "Bakelite." Successful too, because Bakelite lost it in the end.

I have Vic's instructions but where can I get Serens's?

on Vics page.

http://www.quitwh.fatcow.com/NanoLight/SteuartNanoLight.pdf


Question:
What CFLs are you using? I am using 3000K Sylvanias as they were closest
(at the time) to my Lowels at 3200K.

Lowel has introduced EGO series http://www.lowelego.com/lamp_info.html
at 3500K.

If you want a bit more light Lowell are now reselling a designed and made in China 70W monster CFL, only available in daylight though I think.

Bob.

In domestic CF various manufacturers appear to offer different ranges of colour temperature. I've seen 3000K (described as warm white), 3500K, 4000K, 5000K (natural daylight), 6400K and 6500K (cool daylight). Presently our retailers are having trouble meeting demand, so I had to make several attempts to complete my set of 5000Ks (closest to my Osram Dulux 55w/12-950s fluoros at 5300K). Most commonly available (supermarkets) seem to be warm daylight, and since the shelves were well stocked I guess that's what people are buying. Oh, yes, of interest to us are the 20w and 23w, but I've not seen the 70w.

This monster CFL should light up your softbox very nicely. I think DragonImage are also in Melbourne, heck I think they started out there.

We bought their el cheapo softbox kit that uses the same lamp and it's quite nice. The ones they sell are not C ticked, the ones Lowell (Miller) will sell are. My biggest gripe about the more expensive Lowell softbox kits is you've got to buy the kit with the inkies and then buy the kit to convert to fluro. In my opinion softboxes and an inkie lamp is not a good idea, I've seen one with very obvious heat damage.

I believe the same lamp from the same Chinese factory has been available in the USA for some time designed for 110V 60Hz so anyone over there should also be able to source these.

Two words of warning. They're not cheap, we paid AUD 70 each for them. Secondly, they're pretty big and might be rather fragile. Thirdly only available in E27 / Mogul. That's fine in the USA but E27 (Edison screw) sockets are damn hard to find down here. The only ones I've been able to source are ceramic and a PIA to mount. Having said that the locally popular bayonet cap sockets are not much chop for this kind of thing, the lamp can wobble way too much for my liking.

Fortunately I do have a source of easy to mount ES sockets from the IKEA Jonisk lights that I use for my HMI China Ball.

Bob.

Yes, they're in Collingwood. 5500K, so that adds another to the colour temperature list!

And then you need to factor in that some lamps change CT with use :)

Vic is certainly right about Serena's accomplishments, to which it could be added here political and social understanding and compassion shown in many OT posts. Without wishing to embarrass her I say that while there are not many women here, Serena makes up much of that loss in one package.
Mike