I regularly use Lowel Lights in my studio. As I have pointed out elsewhere, occasionally I will overtighten the clamp on a Lowel stand and the collar will fracture. The clamp will still “work” but I am one of those people who simply doesn’t like to have any compromised equipment when i go on a shoot. This repair applies to Lowel Omni, Lowel Uni, Lowel KSA, and probably other Lowel Stands.
Taking the old Lowel clamp off
1.The first thing you need to do is get the proper Lowel clamp before you start the repair. You order them by the type of stand and the letter on the clamp (A, B, C, D). You may want to order a couple of extras and have them on hand in case you feel frisky and one day and overtighten another one. Locate the broken clamp. In this case it is the Uni Stand Clamp D. You can see where it is broken in this image.
2. Remove the thumbscrew and use a screwdriver to remove the remaining screw that is holding the clamp.
3. Pull the clamp away from larger diameter pole and toward the smaller pole (away from the base of the stand). You may have to wiggle it a bit to get it started.
4. Pull the two poles apart.
5. Remove the old clamp from the smaller tube. You may have to use a flat-blade screwdriver to pry the clamp open in order to get it over the lip on the pole .
Installing the new Lowel clamp
Installation is the reverse of removal.
6. Get the new clamp. Put the small end of the clamp on the small pole first (so that the small part of the clamp goes on first). You may have to pry the clamp open with a screwdriver in order to get it to go on (just like you did for removal). Don’t pry it open too much or you will brake it. Insert the small pole into the large plole and move the collar down over the large pole.
7. Make sure everything looks correct and then put the screw in the bottom of the clamp and the thumbscrew in the top.
8. That’s it. If you have questions or comments use the form below. Hope this helps.
Tags: broken clamp, light stand, Lowel, repair
Lowel DV Creator 55 Photography Video Light Kit Review DV-903Z | Blacksburg Photographer and Roanoke Photographer wrote,
[...] that the clamps on the stands can sometimes fracture if you overtighten them (here is a tutorial on how to repair a broken stand). I have already had one of mine break, although the stand still functions fine. Likewise, the [...]
Link | May 11th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Andy Pischalnikoff wrote,
Thank you!
Working for the State of California is great, but we have tight budgets off and on, so thank you for sharing how to repair bad Lowell light stand clamps!
Andy Pischalnikoff
Multimedia Specialist
Link | August 12th, 2008 at 10:34 am