Discussed with a Vender rep. recently about me casting parts, especially if I have the origional parts to reproduce. I’m not there yet, but wish I was.
Over the past year I have been searching the theater for the missing lamp fixture caps without results. Than this summer in more of a rush I started searching antiques shops and American Science and Surplus for the parts. Need these two sizes of cup to work as per lamp base cup - even searching kitchen supply stores for pots to the size. Than McMaster for the parts. Was even considering the metal ends of shipping tubes we stored to ship stuff... unfortunately all of those tubes got thrown away so as to make for a “more efficient shop.”
There was two of each sufficient to make for the theater RGB/DMX, I got the third of each in missing their lamp caps, but otherwise complete. Kind of sucks in that I didn’t directly get paid for my off the clock work in making their Leko to LED lights viable, and I’m spending money to make museum pieces whole for missing parts.
What ever the case, I have two fixtures, both 8" lens sticking in my Crawfish at the moment. Complete fixtures, just needing lamp cap in me easily able to furnish the inner gizzards to them. Recently worked on 2x each of the fixtures I’m searching for parts on. Didn’t take enough photos... and 2+ hours away in getting more photo’s of the completed fixtures with all parts....
Done searching... Large 6" ish, lamp cap, found in something similar in a cap from McMaster - larger by like 5/8" but can work with that. Killing me the 1/4 turn lamp cap attachment knobs I still cannot find or get from stock short of sending to SouthCo in having them match up in fitting. Has to be done, Will cost me more money, but will get the fixtures out of my garage and get me onto other stuff like the Shakespheres I have never worked on before, or the 1924 Preveier.. Waiting... amongst other lights to work on. Otherwise I think spot on for reproduction of lamp cap - now just to reproduce the lamp base gizzards. Thought I had them but don’t in later re-searching for them. Another re-invent of what was done TBD. Light will work and bench focus, but might not be all correct in parts in the end. But I can do this once I sand blast and match the paint as best possible.
Lamp base on the smaller 8" Leko, I had to invent out of 3/16" aluminum the plate that adapts from it’s focus ring to the actual lamp cap. Altman 360 series lamp cap was probably 1/4" too big in OD. but once mounting to the ring works. Lots of gringind and hole cutting to make the ring. Had to add roll pins to guide the lamp cap assembly onto the lamp cap focus ring I had. . Lots of drama in doing so and mounting the 360Q cap to the ring, drilling extra vent holes from memory there, and in sanding and grinding that lamp cap to the ring.
Need to get these fixtures done. Didn’t think the hardest part in the end would be the 1/4 turn lamp cap fasteners on the big Leko but at like 1/4" sized, they are.
Once I sand blast the heck out of the larger and smaller Leko caps tomorrow, should not be able to see Altman part or old/new. I can certainly invent lamp base assemblies that bench focus the lights for either fixture. Going there, in inventing workable parts - the wrong parts but at some point I need to finish fixing the fixture and move onto others. They will be viable and look like the origional fixtures, just with a not that with other fixtures I had to invent lamp cap assemblies for... are what they are.
Over the past year I have been searching the theater for the missing lamp fixture caps without results. Than this summer in more of a rush I started searching antiques shops and American Science and Surplus for the parts. Need these two sizes of cup to work as per lamp base cup - even searching kitchen supply stores for pots to the size. Than McMaster for the parts. Was even considering the metal ends of shipping tubes we stored to ship stuff... unfortunately all of those tubes got thrown away so as to make for a “more efficient shop.”
There was two of each sufficient to make for the theater RGB/DMX, I got the third of each in missing their lamp caps, but otherwise complete. Kind of sucks in that I didn’t directly get paid for my off the clock work in making their Leko to LED lights viable, and I’m spending money to make museum pieces whole for missing parts.
What ever the case, I have two fixtures, both 8" lens sticking in my Crawfish at the moment. Complete fixtures, just needing lamp cap in me easily able to furnish the inner gizzards to them. Recently worked on 2x each of the fixtures I’m searching for parts on. Didn’t take enough photos... and 2+ hours away in getting more photo’s of the completed fixtures with all parts....
Done searching... Large 6" ish, lamp cap, found in something similar in a cap from McMaster - larger by like 5/8" but can work with that. Killing me the 1/4 turn lamp cap attachment knobs I still cannot find or get from stock short of sending to SouthCo in having them match up in fitting. Has to be done, Will cost me more money, but will get the fixtures out of my garage and get me onto other stuff like the Shakespheres I have never worked on before, or the 1924 Preveier.. Waiting... amongst other lights to work on. Otherwise I think spot on for reproduction of lamp cap - now just to reproduce the lamp base gizzards. Thought I had them but don’t in later re-searching for them. Another re-invent of what was done TBD. Light will work and bench focus, but might not be all correct in parts in the end. But I can do this once I sand blast and match the paint as best possible.
Lamp base on the smaller 8" Leko, I had to invent out of 3/16" aluminum the plate that adapts from it’s focus ring to the actual lamp cap. Altman 360 series lamp cap was probably 1/4" too big in OD. but once mounting to the ring works. Lots of gringind and hole cutting to make the ring. Had to add roll pins to guide the lamp cap assembly onto the lamp cap focus ring I had. . Lots of drama in doing so and mounting the 360Q cap to the ring, drilling extra vent holes from memory there, and in sanding and grinding that lamp cap to the ring.
Need to get these fixtures done. Didn’t think the hardest part in the end would be the 1/4 turn lamp cap fasteners on the big Leko but at like 1/4" sized, they are.
Once I sand blast the heck out of the larger and smaller Leko caps tomorrow, should not be able to see Altman part or old/new. I can certainly invent lamp base assemblies that bench focus the lights for either fixture. Going there, in inventing workable parts - the wrong parts but at some point I need to finish fixing the fixture and move onto others. They will be viable and look like the origional fixtures, just with a not that with other fixtures I had to invent lamp cap assemblies for... are what they are.
