As long as there are minds to think, people will create their own versions of the “real-thing.” On a recent inspection in Seattle, I came across this version of a light fixture in the basement. One can motor over to the Big Orange Tool Box and find all the requisite parts (to add to the crap lying around the home) ----and put together such a contraption. I especially like the use of the piece of aluminum duct pipe as a “reflector” and can only wonder what the original lens cover must have looked like. The metal cross pieces that attach the fixture to the joists are edge “J-channel” used for plastic laminate around countertops. A junction box for the exposed wire connections above the fixture would have been a good improvement to the overall installation. One more trip to the Tool Box for bulbs and it will be good to go.
Charles Buell
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Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
Mr Charles,
I think that Mr Edison would have been proud of this, yet you are making fun of the workmanship. Some of your criticism go way over my head.
Nutsy
I feel that they should get some credit for inventiveness.
Hey Nutsy, ask your boss what he did use for a lens on this thing.
Jack, what would have been really creative if they could have used all components that had a UL listing:)
You see some crazy things sometime. I was not good at these "science projects."
Charles, you cracked me up. You light up my life too, you give me hope, to carry on ... LOL :) (not to mention you have an electric personality). :P
Come on Chuck---you probably have a basement full of these fixtures:)
Sylvie---cracking people up is a good thing:)
I do believe that if they use 100 watt or greater bulbs it will prevent the pipes from freezing, plus you could get a pretty good tan during the chillier months of the year.
Dan---could be. You don't ever get freezing pipes where you are do you?:)
Holy cow, Charles. This looks like a contraption my father-in-law would come up with. He is notorious for making the "until I do it better" fix into a permanent fix. Oy vey!
Heather----seems like lots of people have father-in-laws like that----not me though:)
Charlie - LOL! I instantly thought of my 88 year old dad who was an electrical engineer and seemed to always know how to improvise. He would bake up inventions like this one for his own personal use and my husband and I called him the king of homemade gadgets.
Charles - if you cropped that photo a bit you could have a really creative "What is this?" photo. It's also reminiscent of a welder's brow.
Carol, at least engineers are by nature, training, and "genetics" a careful bunch:)
Sharon, it is certainly interesting use of duct work.
I'm with Nutsy on this, Charles. It is creative. Someone may have needed more light for an emergency operation and this worked great!
Charles, but did you check if it was working properly, its appears to have a good fire rating on it. So Charles did you write up as amateur or unconventional manufacturing method observed of electrical light fixture, just wondering. LOL
~ Life is Good
Charles, It looks as if this tinkerer was thinking way out side of the Big Orange Tool Box...
Your building consultant for life in Nashville, TN
Charlie,
While you were inspecting that, did you sing "Blinded by the Light"
Barbara, an operation in the basement?
Roy, AHHH those illusive UL listings:)
Michael---WAY outside.
Steve, no---"You light up my life." (Sorry---I know how painful that must sound)
Are they taking orders for these "new" light fixtures?
Jim---just send me $247.99 and I will send you one:)
Did you stop for a tan while there?
Jay, I am in Seattle---we don't tan we rust.