blob loblaw wrote:
I got 2x5lbs ankle weights, cost me 5 dalla @ wallmart
I bought 4 heavier wrist weights, 10lbs (5kg) each, work wonders and cost almost nothing, especially compared to the official manfrotto stand/boom weights.
I bought 4 empty sandbags on eBay for less than $40, including tax and shipping. They have a double zipper setup in the middle. 50 lbs of sand was $2.42 plus tax. Nice solid, striped bags!
I made the bags out of red duck cloth and they are killer. Many Thanks for the instructions. They have been awesome for my boom stand, lightstands, and even my tripod/laptop combo I use in David's Bridal. Thanks for posting/sharing and inspiring...
Chris
Your assumption is that one is working (photography) at all times and never has idle time or does a project like this simply because they enjoy it or the challenge of it.
Here are the economics of the project, since that is ultimately your concern.
Cost of materials per bag is about $6.50 for a 15lb bag.
I can complete about six full bags over a two hour period at a total cost of $39.
Optimistically, a 15lb manufactured full sandbag costs $25, six of them would be $150.
In my case my two hours of labor saved me $111, or it could be said I made $55.50 an hour because I saved the money I would have otherwise spent on a manufactured good.
In my case I have a total of 15 home made bags at a total cost of $97.50 that otherwise would have cost me $375. So for a few hours labor while in front of the TV a couple evenings during the week I saved myself $277.50, and also gained the satisfaction of a project completed.
What a great post! I was looking for DIY sandbags, typed Camera Sandbag into Google and this thread was the second hit! I will hopefully be making one of these when i next go home.
Thanks so much for the great tutorial! I knocked out some bags over the weekend and posted a pick on my blog! You can also see some other solutions I have come up with for gear at the studio. Certainly check out the sand cans post, it is a good very cheap solution for weight on a stand.
They came out great and I saved a ton of money! Now, I am trying to think weather or not I want to make some apple boxes or just go into business sewing curtains!
