Part 1
I’ve been wanting a backdrop for some time now, but really can’t afford to spend $200 for the stands, and $50 for the muslin (which is better spent on a new lens), so I decided to Google some DIY versions and came up with a couple of good plans:
Thanks to Jeff Geerling for his blog post on a DIY backdrop.
http://www.lifeisaprayer.com …otography/diy-greenscreen
And also to Brian L. Zimmerman for his project:
http://www.diyphotography.net …-cheap-diy-backdrop-stand
Besides, I enjoy making things and educating myself along the way – so I scribbled up some plans that are a modest hybrid of the 2 links provided above. I used to use a painter’s drop-cloth strung between 2 ropes, and the results were “ok”, but I was ready for something that will hopefully produce better results. I ordered some muslin from Adorama ($45 ), and got everything else at Lowes (I’m sure Home Depot pricing would be similar). The total cost of this project (including the muslin was about $95, and I had a blast making it.
Anyhow, I thought I’d detail my construction here in the hopes that it will be helpful to another POTN member.
Basic parts from Lowes.
(4) five foot lengths of 1.25 inch PVC
(4) five foot lengths of 1 inch PVC
(8 )End Caps (1.25)
(2) 4 way connectors (1.25)
(2) 3 way connectors (1.25)
(2) elbow joints (1)
(2) 1 inch connectors (1 is a backup in case I lose the other)
I purchased PVC that was a little thicker than the other plans called for, you can of course adjust to your own taste.
Some Gorilla glue (very strong stuff), 4 clamps to pull the muslin tight, some painters tape (just useful to hold things together without leaving sticky stuff behind), and 2 “hitch pins”. You can use regular hitch pins that have a “cotter pin”, but these are might simpler as there are no parts to chase after. It’s a self contained pin.
Sanding off the unslightly pipe markings, and stick stuff left behind by the pricing stickers. Probably not necessary, but I wanted a cleaner finish. You MUST sand the pipes where they will be glued to other parts. You need to rough up the plastic so that the glue has something to grab.
Cutting the legs (8 total – 4 for each stand). The blue tape give me nice guideline to follow, and prevents chipping.
Parts all sanded, vacuumed clean – and then wiped down with a damp rag. The PVC dust is very fine, and clings to everything.
Gorilla glue expands like CRAZY, so you need to be sparing with it. I only applied glue to the female parts of things, so the glue would be effectively pushed into the cavities.
Caps for the legs glued, and the 2 elbow joints (crossbar) glued and setting up.
