10 Bulb CFL Brute (Sample Video)

[Dave Blackham]

Yeah that solution would not be too big, and I think it could work. On the light that I modified, I liked the small footprint of the sockets that they used, so I think that the light could get even smaller if a socket like this was used:
http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/satco_90_419_90_419.asp
http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/satco_80_2652_80_2652.asp
http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/satco_90_409_90_409.asp

I haven't seen anything like this at home depot or at my local hardware store yet.

As for what to mount it to- I would suggest mounting it to a piece of thick plastic. (That is what is inside of the light that I modified.) Plywood would work, but I think that is would get heavy quick. Plastic seems to be a light weight solution that would not be conductive. Then the housing could be metal.

The tricky part I am trying to figure out now is how to mount it to a stand or a C-Stand. Anyone have any ideas or thoughts on that?

http://www.coollights.biz/clmam1-cool-lights-multi-axis-mount-p-82.html

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

I would vote against plywood for lights, as it is brutally heavy.

Metal is way, way stronger per unit weight.

Metal should only be used for the housing IMO. To use metal for the panel / mounting unit would introduce to many potential problems with electricity. If one of the leads form the light socket should become loose and touch the metal panel that would cause all kinds to problems! Which is why I'm sure they went with a plastic panel for mounting the sockets:

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

http://www.coollights.biz/clmam1-cool-lights-multi-axis-mount-p-82.html

Not quite what I was looking for, but thanks for the thought. This is still a male end which would require a grip head to mount it. (I'm still looking to see if I can find a female mount that will accept the standard baby pin.) Additionally, if I do go with the male connection, I think I would want something a little more robust then that one (the baby plate linked to earlier for example) as I'm not sure how heavy this light will end up being and I want something that will not give out.

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

A potential female mount-

A potential female mount-

I think I may have found something that may work- however, I still need to figure out a way to make the light tilt ...

http://www.filmtools.com/baby-pint-to-quarter-20-female.html

 

[Dustin Cross]

I think this is more what you want:
http://www.filmtools.com/vesa-mount-with-baby-receiver.html

Maybe one of these depending on weight:
http://www.filmtools.com/ram-100-75mm-vesa-mount-5-8-receiver.html
http://www.filmtools.com/ram-mounts-75mm-vesa-baby-stand-kit.html


Dusty

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Yep- those are what I'm looking for- thanks.

Those prices hurt- a $131 for just the mount- ouch!

 

[Dustin Cross]

Baby pin on the back and a gobo head on your light stand is the least expensive mounting solution.

Dusty

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Yep, looks like it.

 

[Shawn Nelson]

You could get it down to $75 going the VESA route
http://www.filmtools.com/ram-mounts-75mm-vesa-baby-stand-kit.html

But i think baby plate is the way

 

[Joe G.]

Safety issue:

The ground wire (green) should connect to any metal casing just in case there is a short. Better that the short goes to ground than through the guy/girl who touches the unit.

Electricity can hurt.

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

You could get it down to $75 going the VESA route
http://www.filmtools.com/ram-mounts-75mm-vesa-baby-stand-kit.html

But i think baby plate is the way

Yep, baby plate is the way. (I wonder what / how the light manufacture is able to get the price down, the the Fotodiox light itself costs about $130 and that has ALL of the parts, not just the mount ... probably has to do with numbers ...)

 

[Charles Angus]

I wouldn't personally be concerned with a lighting fixture being made of metal. After all, all professional fixtures from a Pup to a Maxi-Brute to an 18k are made of metal...

But I can see the concern in a home-brew job. Safety first!

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

I wouldn't personally be concerned with a lighting fixture being made of metal. After all, all professional fixtures from a Pup to a Maxi-Brute to an 18k are made of metal...

But I can see the concern in a home-brew job. Safety first!

Good point. I know enough about making a light to be dangerous- so I'm going to play it safe with this home brew job.

 

[Shawn Nelson]

Ryan, last night at Home Depot I found some waterproof e27 sockets, I wonder about embedding them in some corrugated plastic (the kino flo stuff) for a super light-wight bank.

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Ryan, last night at Home Depot I found some waterproof e27 sockets, I wonder about embedding them in some corrugated plastic (the kino flo stuff) for a super light-wight bank.

That is interesting- where did you find those sockets? Was it back with the light switches and misc parts?

 

[Stephen Strangways]

And from what I was able to find the 65w bulbs were the highest wattage in the base size. To move up to a higher wattage would require a mogul base.

I have a few of these:
SP105/50/MED $26.39

105W=500W Light Output 120V E26 Medium Screw Base Spiral 5000°K Daylight Photograply Lamp 81181 MOL 11.3"/286mm MOD 4.5"/115mm 10,000 Hours 6900 Lumens CRI 82

I got them here:
http://replacementlightbulbs.com/lampshardtofindfluorescent.html

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Wow, nice find! Thanks.

 

[Robert Niessner]

Interesting project, Ryan.
However I think the arrangement of the light bulbs is not very efficent, because the lights in the middle won't add much to the total output.

Wouldn't it be better to put a reflector around each bulb?

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Interesting project, Ryan.
However I think the arrangement of the light bulbs is not very efficent, because the lights in the middle won't add much to the total output.

Wouldn't it be better to put a reflector around each bulb?

To be honest, I do not know if that would effect it or not. All I did was to take the existing light and move the sockets around so that the larger 65w bulbs would fit in it. As the original design had bulbs in the center, I didn't think twice about placing them in the center.

 

[Charles Angus]

Interesting project, Ryan.
However I think the arrangement of the light bulbs is not very efficent, because the lights in the middle won't add much to the total output.

Wouldn't it be better to put a reflector around each bulb?

I would think so. Making each bulb into a little PAR would increase the useful output substantially.