Yep that is a challenge and a shame. Photos's of what you are scrapping, especially if "older" would be important for your re-sale value over scrap if really old. I for instance am very short on lenses in general, removing lenses for short
throw fixtures is useful. I did find a theater in Central Illinois to take the lights I have - just have to get them out there in a missed chance two weeks ago and last week.
One less
fixture for them for instance given I have one cracked 6x9
lens and no spares left.
New concept at a theater I'm restoring is to instead of get rid of their "historic" lights, is to change the source to a
LED RGBW
node, bench focused with a bracket to the
filament center. Prop light RGBW color changing , same as the chandeliers controlled by
ETC Element system for the prop
Leko's historic to the building. Some debate with me and the Project Manager in budget for restoration of old lights - including removing the
asbestos, cleaning lenses and servicing such fixtures on site - in instead magically some how and in some place, just dropping in a TMB
marquee lamp
system lamp into the
fixture.. and done + expecting any output out of it especially with origional instead of sand blasted
Leko lenses. That verses my full service
call and upgrade to
LED node &
DMX control of it & a polycarbonate
lens sand blasted which will have limited output and glow.
Rational for just dropping in a
marquee light - without work on the
fixture = cost. Will glow the
lens even if not efficient, and preserve for the next generation a light to "find". Opposed to that... still
asbestos wired
fixture, dirty
lens and parts of it which will rust
thru before replaced or treated. The theater is already collecting up a "restored" safe museum of lights seperate, so there is no need to preserve the prop lights for historic purposes while in active use as a prop light & if functional should be restored to be functional. Indeed, a 1/4" polycarbonate replacement
lens with one side sand blasted is much better in prop light than the 8"
step lens Leko had in testing, as per a prop light. And the
LED node is by far more efficient once bench focused - and it can be as opposed to... "Just
drop in a
marquee lamp" into an un-modified or cleaned fixtured. Yes Sir! Personally offended in hearing the request of my work on specifically doing this by management... but a simple comparison of either version should solve the debate.
In general, it's possible as a concept to make RGBW prop lights out of historic to the theater fixtures in a way they won't
effect the
stage lighting. I have calculated angles and distances from 8" to 4.1/2"
Leko's on radial fixtures in mounting a
node at the proper position. Can be done... Two good options - one with actual output which might find lenses useful, and the one chosen which should not
effect modern
stage lighting.
Don't know if it helps... but I'm out of most useful lenses, and still active in doing stuff. At times, yes, replace a prop light
lens with more efficient for the purpose poly carbonite
lens for the task. And if I get a freed up
lens... Half the lenses at the theater I am working at were either broken or the wrong
lens so far... Makes it hard to just get something up and running for prop desplay purposes. I cannot just
drop a
marquee lamp into a
fixture hung over an audience with a broken
lens on it - half the fixtures currently have. But retaining the "look" in the
house of the old lights is a thing. RGBW
DMX control of some say 4.1/2" to 8"
Cannon Leko's from the 50's as prop lights... Interesting idea working on.
Concept, perhaps when working at a theater with some old lights.... make them prop lights if historic to the building. And scrap value of some lights is better than others, but often a
lens is a
lens and that's a valuable thing especially in a non-for profit world. First 4.5x6.5
Hub Leko I gave back to the theater had one broken
lens. I converted it to E-26 medium screw self color changing prop light, and saved it's good
lens. Don't know where I got some 4.5x9 lenses from... but given a prop light... fine for something that will some day sit on a bar as a prop even if it don't have correct lenses.