Make a Studio Light out of a tin can

[GhostOfACPast]

I tried something like this but do you realize just how hard it is to find all wire hangers anymore? I gave up after exhausting every avenue to find one several years ago.

[goldenpizza]

@GhostOfACPast Yes everything is plastic now. You could use single strand 12 or 10 gauge copper wire too.

[babykillingspree]

not bad better than what I did.

[Hyperactivexp]

what is the yellow stubs you put on the cable wire? where did you go to get everything?

[goldenpizza]

@Hyperactivexp Yellow things are Wire Nuts. Just twist on to hold wires together.

Use the proper size too.

Go to the hardware store and get all but the tin can.

[Hyperactivexp]

@goldenpizza thx

[goldenpizza]

@Hyperactivexp Yellow things= wire nuts. Lowes or most any hardware store.

[AllanRasco]

Nice!  Golden reinvented the original lights that studio Gaffers use to make. They took Big coffee cans and put car head lamps in them. Which is where the name "cans" comes from, as in Par can. Good stuff! (I'm a former TV producer/Director)

[goldenpizza]

@AllanRasco Thanks. when I look at modern cans thats what I see, a metal can with a light socket wired into it.

[billamuss]

great job, thanks!

[ghostcrab3]

very nice!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks a lot!!!

[codebreaker2001]

Great tutorial. My instructor for Basic Lighting gave us this tip for doing low-budget lighting. Of course, he suggested that we use coffee cans, as they would throw more light and he told us to use porcelain sockets for housing the light in the can (as plastic will melt when it gets really hot). Again, great tutorial. :D

[michaelH715]

i did it and i now have great studio lights

but i put dimmere switches in .

[Mainer1945]

Very well done. I will now check to see what else you got.

[joa40]

he's smart I like it

[RavenRP]

Nice! Im going to try the same thing with larger coffee cans so that I can try it with the bigger Florissant lights.

Thanks for the idea.

[will4ward]

COol -Very fragile though,

Yhink I'd use cookie sheet for the Barndoors.

[jaspergregory]

i love you man thanks for the tutorial

[deeinayah]

good stuff!

[goldenpizza]

Thanks.

[yosoyian]

pretty CLEVER!!!

[goldenpizza]

Thanks.

[aspyrider]

This is a great project. Of course use care with any light. Also you could drill some air holes in the back to vent the heat.

Nice!

J.

[goldenpizza]

Vent holes would be great. It does get HOT.

Thanks.

[KRSNA144]

Nice work!

[goldenpizza]

Thanks.

[cynisturb]

Should have used an extension cord instead of buying the wire and plug separately.

[goldenpizza]

To hard wire it into its own plug is cheaper.

[bottholio]

Hey GoldenPizza I just watched your grey market calamity video. Your a good guy for posting that warning many thanks. I unreservedly take back my earlier post and apologise to anyone of reduced intellect that I may have discouraged from building your light.

[bottholio]

How many studios have you burnt down? how many will burn down as a result of your video? You got no electrical earth in there together with a crapload of temperature....when you combine those elements with a bored retarded viewer you got a recipe for disaster. Why not make a video about building your own fireworks with petrol and peroxide? Or maybe DIY home surgery?

Only joking Im a big fan of natural selection and enjoy the sense of speed and energy I get when a fire truck flashes by!!!

[redtail5]

how hard is it to drill into a tin can? my drill cant go through mutch metal objects.

Also, dose this make a good back light for croma key?

[goldenpizza]

Tin can is thin metal. Let the drill bit do the work, dont press too hard or you'll bend the metal.

NO. To light for chroma keying (green screen type stuff) you need to EVENLY light the background. You should diffuse any light bulbs you use so it "spreads" the light out evenly against the background. Florescent stick lights do this well but may "hum"(sound) and create a greenish look (depends on camera) I use 3 clamp on lights each side of the screen with GE reveal diffused light bulbs.

[redtail5]

howcan i defuse my 500 watt work lights?

[goldenpizza]

dimmer switch or diffusion gel or baking parchment paper or white silk material. All at a distance from the heat of the light. It can smoke and catch on fire.

[redtail5]

sweet thanx!

[redtail5]

i wonder if i could use somthing to conduckt the heat so it dosent burn if i grab it rong when its hot. i bet duct insulation wraped in duck tape and electrical tape would work whell

[goldenpizza]

Insulation? hmmm? Yes the can does get HOT. Most Movie gaffers (those that move the high powered lights on a set) carry leather gloves for such handling. The adhesive on duct tape will turn to goo under too much heat. I'm not a fan of duct tape made of PVC (poly vinyl chloride) materials b/c of the chemicals used to make it. The BLACK aluminum foil is a good barrier too.

[redtail5]

thanx your realy smart and helpful im gonna look into making this when i save up my money

[Spoo2]

the insulation might catch fire so i suggest just blowing a fan over it

[Andrewz05]

Very Clever!

[goldenpizza]

Thanks.

[Andrewz05]

You bet!

[TurtleBoy66]

thats really cool I will try it!

[DaSchranknizz]

did you think of that all by yourself? do you think you can test out the theroy of making i highdef speaker for under a buck for me please?

[goldenpizza]

not sure what a High Definition "speaker" is exactly.

[DaSchranknizz]

ahh sorry i clicked spam not reply its a theroy on youtube that you can make a high def speaker out of a paper plate tin foil and a penny and tape and a wire from headphones

[goldenpizza]

wire nuts. They hold the wires together by twisting them. you'll find them in a hardware store. common item.

[Balthasorus]

Nice

[goldenpizza]

thanks