DIY lighting help, light attatchments.

red_wall

red_wall

Whoosh! feel the onomatopoeia
Jun 15, 2008
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SE Georgia
I have 4 x 26 watt CFL's that I want to put in my hood, I have them in extension cords with two sides on them. I put them in there but they don't seem to be staying too well.

What could I use to attach them to the cord better?
I was thinking fishing line, or string.
I would like to have something that won't melt.

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let us know how it works! I think I will be trying this too!

Are you cutting out a hole in your hood for the cord to go through? Or are you just going to leave it a bit uneven?
 
emilyekk said:
let us know how it works! I think I will be trying this too!

Are you cutting out a hole in your hood for the cord to go through? Or are you just going to leave it a bit uneven?
Click to expand...


Well, I'm still using my fluorescent light hood, so I can use the reflector.
The CFL's are too big for the reflector (they touch it, and stick out from the bottom of the hood :huh:) So I'm going to prop up the hood with some wood blocks or temporarily some books... something haha. Since I'm using the blocks, it won't be uneven.

Right now I'm trying it out to see if it works, I'm using fishing line (don't know how well that'll hold up to the heat) to secure the lights in place, and books to prop it up a bit so the CFL's aren't resting on themselves. It's just a little test run to see how it looks.
 
Wow, be careful with those close proximity exposed connectors there. You know becasue120 AC is low voltage compared to high voltage lines, 120 is the leading cause of death by electrocution. The voltage is just low enough not to through your body clear and hold you making you part of the circuit. So be careful! And make sure you have a well functioning GFI as part of that circuit.
 
CWO4GUNNER said:
Wow, be careful with those close proximity exposed connectors there. You know becasue120 AC is low voltage compared to high voltage lines, 120 is the leading cause of death by electrocution. The voltage is just low enough not to through your body clear and hold you making you part of the circuit. So be careful! And make sure you have a well functioning GFI as part of that circuit.
Click to expand...

You lost me there.

Uhm... Don't touch any exposed parts of the plugs to lights?

GFI?


I have no idea about wiring.

I know I'm playing with a bit of danger but I always make sure to unplug everything before I play. :thumbsup: I'm not dumb enough to touch ANYTHING looking somewhat exposed while it's on.

Thank you for the warning though. I now know that some part of my setup is deadly. I'll make sure to take extra care now when dealing with this setup.
 
Well... I put it up. Then took it down.

Probably going to drill holes in the top of the hood and use metal wire, or fishing line to hold the lights up.

Going to have wood blocks supporting the ends of the hood instead of my game cases :]

Possibly put a block on all sides of the hood so it won't be so bright outside of the tank.


This REALLY made a difference in my lighting.

So far, I love it.

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I think in the original DIY thread for this light build, the user sealed the electrical components with silicon so it would resist corrosion. Also I think zip ties would be more stable and secure because it can't 'unlock' and its fat and flat so it will grip onto the light sockets easier and not shift.
 
You could buy some metal u-bolts from the hardware store to attach them. Just get a drill and drill 2 holes through the light hood so that the u-bolt can fit through, then bolt the light to the u-bolt and then the u-bolt to the hood. You may have to buy a few extra hex nuts to make it work.

You could also check the plumbing section and find some type of pipe hanger which will fit around the base of the bulb.
 
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