Vintage Lighting Converting Old Leko's to LED

ship

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Months long project, I'm converting 14x 1950's thru 60's Leko's to TMB Marqee system G-16 lamp. Optically... they are prop light in no real output from the like 25 Watt lamp. What the client wants in the lenses glowing. Showed an example of actual lens/lens train verses a single lens of sand blasted polycarbonate, with the sand blasted side towards the lamp. They preferred this version... Great, done deal.

Restored all the fixtures to factory spec. or better, fabricated lamp socket adaptors from the restored P-28s (Medium Pre-focus) radial Leko lamp, to a seat height to bench focus a G-16 marquee light... feed thru to the next fixture etc. All great.

Lots of scrap plastic polycarbonate material in 1/4 and 1/8" left over from work's Covid protection barrier wall works - just a bit of time for the Master Carpenter to set up a router jig for cutting 8", 6" and 4.5" lenses. Faster and easier to do than programming the CNC machine. All good, I get stacks of lenses in not knowing what size lenses I will need in say in this case replacing 6x9 lenses in photo.

Put the lens train in a box with the adaptors. Onto other projects.... Lost in really looking for where I put these adaptors. Work? On Site? At home where I made them? Finally found them, right where I would remember them.

I note dust in the lens train of the polycarbonate. That's a problem. Before I found the box with the parts, I had just sanded down my work table again so as to get a clean surface on it.. Dust penetrated the lens train. Two 1/4" lenses - one clear, one sand blasted on one side to make up for the lack of 6x9 lenses.

Polycarbonate lenses to hopefully perminately install with re-wired fixtures in a theater where they will be led and prop lights. How can I keep the polycarbonate from becoming more dust ridden than even a glass lens? Should I just donut or gasket the second clear "spacer" lens in not collecting dust?

Is there a coating I should better yet - in above single sand blasted lens theory.. some coating to put on the polycarbonate to make it dust resistant on the clear lens side? "Static Guard" it in only doing a single lens with spacer?

One sand blasted side of a polycarbonate replacement lens is good enough to make it a prop light. If dust is sticking to the clear sides so easily of the lens or lens train... that will lesson output over time. Should be a way of limiting the cleaning of the lenses given most are 12' ladder up to access. Ideas?

A problem I am seeing now and didn't plan for.

Theory... My work table like my blue jeans are well worked.... In a realistic world, we replace when needed.. On shows.. How much is my work table worth in being the real thing? Hear such shows are "fake".... A shame, but I did visit both locations while doing installs or on free time between... Not impressed in seeing.
 

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