GIZMO-STAND and QUIZMO
BACKGROUND:
I use Pocket Wizards, Plus II's for reliability. I can't afford this and that wiz-bang new stuff out there now promising a lot of remote actions and control.
Shooting a Wedding or sports is in the moment, not spending a half hour setting controls that may or may not respond when needed.
Really oxy-moronic because while the thought for their use is great in a fixed environment, moving wedding and event work with static equipment is not brilliant unless you have three helpers and a really flexible Bride.
A lot of feedback I get are lesson's in disaster. The more switches you put in line the more the chance of mal-function junctions. The last thing I need is conflict. Mal-functions. I prefer reliability. My new catch phrase is "The more the wiz, the more you get whizzed on". Enough said, I'll get dirty letters.
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GIZMOS:
I built the first one off the shelf from spares and overages from my parts bins.
Just a bunch of stuff leftover from various plumbing, oddball projects and fall-offs.
What's a fall-off? A fall-off is something that fell off your workbench and you found it after the job was complete, you were sweeping up and it was in the pile and you retrieved it.
That's a fall-off.
In my photo studio and work areas, I have NSF racks with shelves and verticals. You see them in restaurant kitchens and prep areas. They are inexpensive and available at SAMS's COSTCO and other warehouse places cheaper, than from a supply house. They also come in table style and hanger units. I use them as light stands at times. Perfect for a softbox and other lights for tabletop plus it stores all the lenses, parts, lights, cables etc.
In the photo below you can see the GIZWIZ supporting the PLUS II. It secures with wing nuts, it is nonslip because of the shrink tubing and fully adjustable for angle and distance from the stem. It rotates 360 degrees in all axis's. It is solid, period.
In the top picture I used a hollow plastic rod, for extension as it had to clear a certain other fixture on a customers lightstand.
On mine I used I used one of the 
couplers to clear. Also the cable clamps are available in 1/2 inch for top mount and 3/4 for larger or lower on the light stand.
This is not a molding, with a rubber band or elastic string. This is nuts and bolts baby!
And if you use inserted lock nuts, few things will vanish at weddings. Most thieves don't expect to carry a 7/16 wrench.
A real fixture that can take some punishment and completely assembled from parts found at your local hardware store.. And it's about two and a half to three dollars for each one.
Also the same components are used in all the projects. Don't like something, rebuild it into something else. I used a right angle bracket (shown above) for even more offset clearance for my soft-box. So the receiver is not blanketed by the box itself.
That's the fun part. This is truly one size fits all, where you want it and how it displays. When you change or sell the product, you are not stuck with all the accessories.
Through the new tech standards in Gizmology, we have been able to offer the new Light Stand adapter for Black Boxes and Tuxedos. One part, one rivet, one clamp and two backing plates complete the project.
It is light weight, simplistically elegant, on the positive side. In addition it adheres to the politically correct transparency financial encumbrance regulations, not requiring a stimulus package.
We think of it as simple, ingenious, remarkable, available and most important cheap!
Most others offer these light stand adapters for forty dollars. He-he.... but the frugal Gadgetmeister doesn't work that way.
We used Gizmology, the ACE Hardware store again for one of those clamps and then called our associate at theCLIP.com and looked to see what's in the bins. Beau came through, lo and behold the epiphany of light stand adapters appeared and with nothing more than a 1/8 inch hole, a rivet and some backing plates we now have a simple holder that clamps to all stands high or low and did I tell you it's CHEAP!
OK... low-cost, fiscal correctness, fiducially within the parameters of true neo-fiduciary enthusiasts. It's also smart and it sets to break away and save the stud on the Black Box when needed. I can refit anyone that breaks, just call me and if you have a pop rivet gun you are in business.
As soon as we firm up pricing, for now they are six dollars each. Wwe will offer these cheaply to you so that you too make "hang your gear" and this adapter will also appear in another version to support the Pocket wizards and reflectors. This fits all Black boxes with rear tabs and almost anything else we can adapt for you. Another low cost accessory from the Gadget Meister and the CLIP.com.
THE GIZFOOT:
Sometimes I have to mount a flash in an offset or odd position or add a repeater or almost any accessory that has a foot on it. So I took an ordinary shoe from B&H, got the drill out countersunk it to accept the screw as shown, backed it with a lock nut and used the same basic parts as the GIZWIZ.
That's why I keep saying GIZMOS work and you save money because you build what you need. I also said get more of each component than you need. I even have a crash kit with all kinds of doo-dads for location. As I built things I got more ideas. When we make a tent for shooting small parts etc. the flashes are held in place using a similar setup. I can clamp four flashes to a four foot bar (Or use two perfection brackets to make any kind of rig and when you are done, reuse any component.
The PERFECTION BRACKETS also use these same parts.
THE GIZCLAMP:
I found an assortment of colored paper closeouts at an art supply store and for the small objects I photograph background changes take almost three seconds, time is money in small product photography especially jewelry because of the time spent on Photoshop cleaning up things. I place it next to the table and let the fold go horizontal as seen in the photo. I also use these on fill reflectors (as in Key-Fill) to hold both flat art board or those snap-open reflectors by Westcott and others when shooting portraits or outdoors.
Here is a small project you can have fun with.GIZMOLOGY ESSENTIALS
CLAMPS: The first item you'll need are half inch clamps used for mounting plumbing or conduit (electrical) on ceilings and walls. That's the key. See the picture. 1/2 inch fits the top section of most light stands. They will vary slightly in design. 3/4 will do bottom mounts nicely.
TWO Cable Clamps (Might vary slightly from picture) 1/2 inch EMT or
3/8 HW, 1/2 in HW based on your light stand diameter. These are commonly also head to head for a background stand which is another project. They have a 1/4 inch hole at the top looking at it as displayed. ACE had the better ones with both a square locking hole and a round hole to allow one handed tightening.
Next take electrical tape or shrink tube to wrap the cable clamp to prevent scratches, I used shrink tube 3/4 inch (about) four dollars at a good electronics or shop or Mouser. One stick instead of the tape since it's neater and no goo. See finished product and I have these in stock if you can't find shrink tube or the clamps.
All the nuts and bolts are 1/4 x 20 stainless, alloy or steel plated. USE one size for all , common sense. Aficionados can use stainless as I do since I never know where folks will use these things. And for those who suffer from Cranial-Rectal Dyslexia, you can use Shrink tube material to make the Extender and the
Screws:
You can use 1/2 inch Phillips, Flat or Socket Head (preferred) 1/4 x 20 used with Eight Locking Washers which prevent slipping, these are called "Star washers". Stainless or Nickel, doesn't really matter. Also either Lock-tite Blue or Clear Fingernail Polish. After you assemble, place some nail polish on the threads and it will lock them in place. Use blue, black, or red. If you use maroon red people will think you used Lock-tite and they'll admire your smarts instead of your manicure.
EXTENDERS:
Extenders, also called couplers. ( They come two to a pack for .89 cents)
They are used to connect 1/4 x 20 inch threaded rods for creating long lengths.
Flat/ or Angle Mend Plates come in all sizes and Straight or angle, lots of options. Flat Plate or long rectangle allows the Pocket Wizard to Swivel or Rotate by offsetting the thumb screws
CLUE: The beauty of this system is like working with Lego's. Don't like what you made, take it apart and redo it for another project or simply make it better. There is no waste in anything the Gadgetmeister does.
These come in silver and brass from $0.40 and up and a multitude of sizes and angle options. You might need to enlarge the hole on the mending plate to 1/4 inch as many of these are tight. You can use a drill with 1/4 inch bit, a chasing tool or a round rat file. One or two turns clears it out.
Rubber Washers: I found these in the toilet repair bins in the plumbing department. They measure 1/4 inch Hole with 1 inch diameter approx 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. They are used as a seat between the stud in the floor and the nut that secures the toilet in place. They come four to a pack and I usually buy 200 at a time. For you, get a couple packs they are great anti-skids on anything photographic like flash brackets or light stands.
