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DIY ringflash, workflow

(9) Had to do the painting in the bathroom floor (covered with a lot of paper of course) because it was -20 degree celcius outside
DIY ringflash, workflow by akeeh.
Visit my website at akikorhonen.org for more projects, thanks!
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My DIY ringflash that I've been doing for the last few days.

(Photo, starting from top left) Description

(1) I started with a 24 cm diameter steel bown and a normal food can.
(2) Added some tape on the bowl and drew the cutting lines with the can as a guide.
(3) Bottom from the bowl and can removed. I also shortened the cat a little bit. I first drilled a hole on the bottom of the bowl and then cut the metal with metal cutters.
(4) The two parts connected with strong epoxy that was meant for metals.
(5) Hole for the flash made and few connecting holes drilled. Also the needed aluminum parts are cut and bent in shape.
(6) The bottom part covered with black hockey tape. In the photo it has a Manfrotto quick attachment plate on it. Also has a hole for attaching it to the tripod mount of the camera.
(7) The top part where the flash is attached. Made some holes for the DIY TTL flash cord.
(8) I added some plastic parts for the flash hole to make it look nicer and to prevent light from escaping too much. Next I added some putty to finish it (wasn't necessary but I got too carried away again with the building).
(9) Putty and the bowl fully sanded and waiting for some gray primer and matte black finish.
(10) Painted and finished. Added some black hockey tape on the can's edge to prevent it from scratching the camera.
(11) Close up of the flash hole. A little bit of aluminum foil tape on the inside and black hockey tape on the edge.
(12) White thin fabric streched and being glued on the edges to get some diffusion to the light. There is a rubber band holding the fabric to the can.

See the finished righflash:
* DIY ringflash finished, without camera
* DIY ringflash finished, with camera

Cost: bowl 3€, can 0€, aluminum 1€ + some extra costs from paints etc. but I'm not going to count them to the total. Cheap anyway.

20090114: Added to favorites 100 times. 
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Comments

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joshuahoffmanphoto  Pro User  says:

Great design!

I'm pretty interested in how you made that rim around the hole for the flash though..
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

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akeeh  Pro User  says:

I just cut few pieces of plastic from a cover of some old broken device and glued them in place with hotglue. After that I applied some of plastic putty and sanded it smooth etc..
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

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Airchinapilot  Pro User  says:

Thanks for the tutorial. Some day I will make this but alas I don't have a workshop and my girlfriend dislikes metal work in our apartment.
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

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redpinto  Pro User  says:

very cool, nice work on the cutting.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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Dante's Attitude says:

very well done!
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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EATENalive  Pro User  says:

this might also have application for a DIY beauty dish. thats what the last image reminds me of
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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akeeh  Pro User  says:

Well actually I have a same kind of steel bowl waiting to become a beauty dish.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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Luissss  Pro User  says:

I still don't get how did you make the hole. You said metal cutting, you meant something like this: www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/3 006320/2/ist...
Could you please show a picture of it?
tks
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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akeeh  Pro User  says:

Luissss: My cutters were more like these pms.nebula.fi/kuvasto/kuvat/M-3R.jpg

First I drilled a start hole ofcourse and then started cutting.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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Luissss  Pro User  says:

thank you
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

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Rob_Salmon says:

This is amazing.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

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JayJay=) says:

I'm waiting for the paint on mines to dry right now=)
I didn't do the sides for the flash or the bracing to hold the flash and connect the camera.
That will be done later. I just wanted to see if i could cut the holes.
It was surprising though how the aviation snips cut the metal easily.
But anyways... I'll show you my end product when its done.
Thanks for the awesome workflow.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

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Syakirah says:

what did you use to cut the hole?
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

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akeeh  Pro User  says:

Syakirah: I used this kind of normal metal cutters: pms.nebula.fi/kuvasto/kuvat/M-3R.jpg
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

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panchoskywalker  Pro User  says:

Nice! Check out mine!
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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AlexEdg  Pro User  says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called All Tutorials [AllEdges], and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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Leo Amaral says:

You measured the Guide Number?
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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Richard Pflaume says:

akeeh, great work! i looked around a lot to get an inspiration for a DIY ringflash and i still like yours most :-)! do you have any pictures taken with it?
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

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g.chamekh says:

have some example of photo taken please ?
thanks for the tutorial !!!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

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Jeff in WI says:

The best designed ringflash on the net. I hope I've got the skill to make it.
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

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kanchihan says:

cooool
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

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KyLe Mancuso says:

Heya mate! i'm starting a group for DIY posts called DIY GUYS, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 2 days ago. ( permalink )

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view photos Uploaded on January 6, 2008
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