Compact Fluorescent Softbox
Remember that CFL softbox that I thought was really cool? I made my own, and I thought I’d share some of the details on how I put it together.
Just so we’re clear though, I’m really not very handy. I have some tools, a little bit of common sense, and I get really excited about going out and collecting materials to build things. That’s pretty much the extent of my background in object construction.
I spent $66.54 on supplies, and maybe a few dollars more on some extra screws and nuts.
Purchases
- Lamp cord — $4.19
- Electrical tape — $0.69
- Black 14 gauge wire — $4.69
- White 14 gauge wire — $4.69
- 3/8″ 18in by 18in plywood — $3.82
- Light duty staple gun — $9.97
- Light duty staple pack — $1.90
- White drawer handle — $2.29
- Two foam core boards — $3.00
- Matte black spray paint — $3.99
- Reflective silver spray paint — $3.12
- Five flat-mount light sockets — $6.25
- Two packs of 4 14 watt CFL daylight-colored bulbs — $17.94
I’m pretty sure you could do this for less, especially if you already have all of the tools you need. I didn’t have a staple gun so I had to buy one, for instance. Here’s a list of other tools I used.
Tools
- Power drill
- Drill bits of various sizes
- Screwdrivers
- Pocket knife
- Small wrench
- Tape measure
- Ruler
- Pencil
I started by stripping the tips of the wires with a pocket knife. You might want to use a wire cutter. That would probably be easier. I wired everything in a series, which means that each bulb holds a position in the circuit, one through five. The alternative would have been to wire it in parallel where every bulb is connected to some kind of central hub.
I also drilled holes through the plastic sockets (not pictured). I thought it would be easier than trying to drill though the board and hide the wires. The result wasn’t very attractive, but it works for now. Afterwards I wired them together and screwed the sockets into place.
Once everything was drilled, I plugged it in to get an idea of how it was going to look. So far so good.
I thought a handle might come in handy while trying to transport the box, but it ended up doubling as a way to hang onto my stand. Throw in a clamp (you know, for safety) and there you have it.
Next was the foam core boards. I bought two because I felt there was a better than average chance I was going to completely mess this part up. The board was cheap ($1.50 a piece) so picking up an extra wasn’t a big deal. I ended up not needing the second board, but cutting through the first one was more difficult than I had thought. It took a while to make sure the measurements were right — I really wanted to have the side panels supported by the bottom panel and it required that the top and bottom be exactly one centimeter longer than the sides.
All four panels were held together with electrical tape while fitting it to the board. I wanted to make sure everything was snug.
The panels were spray painted black on the outside and silver on the inside. The board was also painted silver (on the front) and black (on the back). Once everything was mostly dry, I stapled the foam panels to the wood.
Here you can see the reflective paint and how I drilled holes in the sockets to let the wires through. Not the prettiest option, but it’s functional.
Here it is on the stand. There’s nothing covering the face of the light, it’s just really bright. Also of note: the light ball behind the softbox is your standard house light. The softbox appears white/bluish because the camera was balanced for daylight (around 5000K), which sort of matches the output by my new CFL softbox.
I’ve done a few tests so far and I’m happy with the results. The color is nice, and the output is pretty good. And for less than $100, it’s not a bad deal.
What I’d do differently
If I were to make another one I’d almost certainly make it smaller. Probably 12in by 12in, instead of 18in by 18in. I’d also look into a better way to cut the foam core. A paper cutter, maybe? The wires would be fitted into holes drilled through the wood, and concealed in some way. I’d also add a switch so that I could turn it off without having to unplug it every time. A more traditional mounting option wouldn’t hurt either.
So there you go. If you’d like to see more pictures you can pop on over to Flickr and see them in all their full-resolution glory. Enjoy.
Sweet. I want to start throwing a couple video posts into my blog but I doubt I will need one of those at this point, seeing that I don’t even own a basic video camera at this point. Great to know though…
Great photos — I think it turned out nicely. A standard box razor (or one with the longer, “break-off” blades) works well for cutting foamcore (t-square comes in handy, too) — but I’ve used one of these with success as well: http://www.dickblick.com/zz574/44
In terms of gluing foamcore together, there is only one adhesive I know of that really works, but I can’t remember the name. It comes in a purple squeeze tube — you apply to one or both sides and hold or tape the piece together (using blue painter’s tape works best for easy removal w/o tearing the paper). You can get it in an art supply, crafts, or hobby store. I’ve heard that Liquid Nails will work, but your run-of-the-mill, standard glues either will dissolve the core or simply not bond. The glue has to be an adhesive formulated for use on polystyrene.
Also: if you hit up an art supply store for the board (or a craft store, like Michael’s), you can choose from many colors — including some that are reflective (not sure if that’s a requirement, though).
This looks great, though. Flickr photos are helpful (and the CFL bulbs shot rather artistic, too).
Cool tutorial.
Hey man, great blog!
I made a 32″ x 25″ softbox with 5 x 25w CFLs. But my problem is that the box appears too dark and glowing rather than casting a strong soft light. Is there anything more powerful than the 25w? Or would you have any advice as to how I can make it brighter?
I would strongly suggest you to use a car zenon head light bulb. It gives a super dupper pure white light. BUT DON’T FORGET THE BALLAST,WIRES, RELAY AND SO-FORTH!