DIY Speedlight clamp

I really like using the AS-19 Speedlight stand that came with my SB-600. So much so that I bought two more for the two SB-26's that I acquired on ebay. I realized early on that I could mount the AS-19 onto a generic tripod and likewise anything with a 1/4 x 20 stud.

Then I read about these inexpensive clamps from Home Depot on the strobist.com flickr discussions. Here is my DIY use for the clamp.

You need a pair of 1/4 x 20 x 3/4 bolts, three 1/4 lock washers, a pair of 1/4 x 20 hex nuts, 5 to 6 inches of aluminum flat bar, and a wing nut.

Under the green rubber on the clamp handle is a hole that the 1/4 x 20 x 3/4" bolt fits into. I removed the rubber, inserted the bolt, and tightly fastened a hex nut with a lock washer onto the bolt. Then, I dipped the rubber end into a very hot cup of water so it would easily stretch. I then stretched it over the bolt and slit a hole in the rubber to allow the bolt to stick through.



The clamp can be used as is now with the AS-19 to affix to horizontal structures as shown. This is a very handy and useful clamp. If you don't like leaving the AS-19 loosely fastened to the bolt, you can add another nut to act as a locking nut when positioning the flash head.

Now, if you would like to be able to use this clamp on vertical structures, you can add a twist to a piece of aluminum flat bar and a wing nut. The twist is accomplished by using a couple of plumber's pipe wrenches (or crescent wrenches, or a vise and wrench, or ... you get the picture). I basically took a 3 foot length of aluminum flat bar (found at HD also), tightened a wrench about 3 inches from one end, and another about 1.5 to 2 inches further down, and twisted the wrenches 90 degrees. I advise using 1.5 to 2 inches between the wrenches since you are likely to rip the aluminum if the wrenches are too close together. The initial 3 inches from the end should provide plenty of clearance if you intend to use the AS-19. You can shorten the length if you intend to use an umbrella clamp or shoe mount. The original 3 foot length of flat bar was useful for a couple of trial and error attempts with plenty left over to make more. Drill a hole in each end to accommodate the 1/4 bolt. On the longer end use a 1/4 x 20 x 3/4" bolt, lock washer, and hex nut to create another stud.

Finally, the wing nut and remaining lock washer are used to secure the bar to the clamp via the 1/4 x 20 bolt that was previously mounted to the clamp itself.