Tonight I made from scratch a grid for my 24" softbox. I used three sheets of black construction paper and Scotch tape. Total cost: about $6. http://homepage.mac.com/pdbreske/FM/grid_4.jpg
It took about two hours to construct. The edges are deeper than the honeycomb to wrap around the sides of the softbox. The back corners are tapered to grip the corners of the softbox frame. It holds itself on even when suspended upside down, and the handling of the light isn't changed at all as far as I can tell.
I thought it seemed silly to spend almost a hundred bucks for something I could easily make myself, so I made one. Whether I'd tackle a larger one is another question, but for this size or smaller it was a pretty easy job.
Amvona used to sell SBs in a package on their own or with a hotlight for dirt cheap, and they all came with grids. I bought a few of their larger octas and sold them for what I paid just to keep the grids. PCB's are well priced, though.
Nice work, Phillip, and I love the budget. Having shot tabletop recently, I have issue with grids when the subject is specular: the grid pattern is revealed in highlights. Barndoors appear to be hopeless as a light shaper. My current favorite is the snoot, and I also intend to explore gobos further (talk about budget-friendly).
Since the biggest investment is time those considering a similar DIY approach might consider using nylon webbing and the "bachelor's sewing machine", a stapler, for a more durable end result. Just melt the cut edges with a candle to prevent fraying. Self adhesive velcro which comes in 1/2", 1" and 2" rolls is also very handy for attaching the grid to the SB. Photoflex SBs use velcro to attach the front diffusion panel and its grids have matching velcro which makes them easy to attach and remove.
Since the biggest investment is time those considering a similar DIY approach might consider using nylon webbing and the "bachelor's sewing machine", a stapler, for a more durable end result. Just melt the cut edges with a candle to prevent fraying. Self adhesive velcro which comes in 1/2", 1" and 2" rolls is also very handy for attaching the grid to the SB. Photoflex SBs use velcro to attach the front diffusion panel and its grids have matching velcro which makes them easy to attach and remove.
Have you tried this? I would expect the webbing to be relatively heavy and might cause problems with weaker speed rings/lights/stands. To duplicate what I did with paper would require more than 36 feet of 3" webbing — certainly more expensive, plus you'd have to staple each intersection of the cross grid. Mine is nothing more than fourteen strips of paper with interlocking cuts in the paper to connect the horizontal and vertical grid lines. The only tape is where the internal grid connects to the sides and where the four sides connect at the corners, and all of the taped connections are overlapping paper.
I suppose I could even staple over the tape, but I'm going to see how well this setup lasts and make any modifications to its successor if/when the time comes.
This is great. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way
BTW: The sewing method is a fcking nightmare, and I'm comfortable using a sewing machine. I'd rather make 10 of cardboard ones than 1 fabric one! And it's still cheaper.
Having shot tabletop recently, I have issue with grids when the subject is specular: the grid pattern is revealed in highlights. Barndoors appear to be hopeless as a light shaper. My current favorite is the snoot, and I also intend to explore gobos further (talk about budget-friendly).