How to: Photography: Build a background stand (for under $70)

First off, there are many reasons I like the idea of building my own background stand:  #1  I am cheap.  #2  I like to build things.  #3  I am cheap.  I am also well aware that you can buy a cheap background stand from BH for $100 that will work well and is sturdy.  But lets face it, they are made in China by some little kid with burned hands cause he can’t afford gloves for when he tig welds with out a mask – and is going blind, but is thrilled because he can eat on that $.04 he gets for working an 18 hour day.  So I choose the higher path.  I go to Home Depot and support PVC manufacturers who pay a Mexican kid to get respiratory problems for cleaning out PVC vats for $.22 a day to keep the factory running!  Oh-Rah!  Supporting American Businesses and workers! (Note to readers in the United States, Mexico is part of America – and could possibly have a stronger economy soon – they actually make things…)

Now I’ll get to the second part.  How to build a background stand (for under $70).  Go to Home Depot.  Or Lowes.  Or where ever you get your PVC pipe.  Buy this stuff:

1.  3 pipes @ 12′ (1 1/2″ diameter pipe).

2.  10 “T” joints that will fit your pipe.

3.  8 end caps that will fit your pipe.

Take it home and cut to these lengths (or use a hacksaw at the store):

1.  Cut 2 pipes @ 7′, you’ll have 2 @ 5′ left over.  These are your tops and sides.

2.  Cut the last pipe: 8 pieces @ 11″, 6 pieces @ 4″ (1 piece @ 32″ should be left over)

Stick it all together:

The “T” joints hold it all together just like the crappy napkin sketch above shows, I was going to use elbow joints at the top like the “diagram” but they didn’t have any that day so “T” joints it was.

1.  Make the bases first with the 8 pipe pieces @ 11″ and 4 of the 6 pipe pieces @ 4″ PLUS 6 “T” joints and 8 end caps.

2.  Make the top with 4 “T” joints cutting a notch in 2 so that the crossbar (where the paper or backgrounds go) can be removed.

3.  Affix the top to the bottom bases with the 7′ lengths.

Hang a paper or background and that’s it.  Couldn’t have put this together without the help of this wonderful internet article.  The pictures are better than mine and the instructions are way more detailed.  Also I think he glued his – that was going to be another $3 and it sticks together just fine, just try twisting one of those pipes apart…yeah it’s good.  Also it has the added advantage of being able to be dissasembled for disposal when I finaly buy one of those $100 stands that fits in a bag from BH, cause that’d be awesome for the enviorment!