Dressing Room Lighting Problem: Cages for Bulbs?

actition

Member
I am the part-time Facilities Manager for Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland. We are upgrading our upstairs dressing rooms to meet Equity standards, which requires cages around all exposed bulbs. I have asked around at different lighting fixture companies and none of them have any idea what I am talking about and usually try to sell me something that looks like it belongs on a ship. I checked another equity house, but the fixture they used cost $35/ft (not including the $32 a piece cages).
I am wondering if anyone would like to share with me what kind of lighting you have in your dressing rooms and how you solved the problem of getting cages mounted around them. I don't have a lot to spend but it is important that I do what is necessary.
Sincerely,
Tyler
 
Thank you for the link, unfortunately those are the cages I can't use. I need something on a bar or strip for next to the mirrors, and these aren't really applicable for that use. The LED idea was interesting, but you're right it probably is expensive.

Tyler
 
You could bend chicken wire around the entire row of lights and then fasten it down.
 
Can you describe the lamp base. I know what your talking about, I just need to track them down.

MUST they be metal, or can they be plastic?
 
Thank you for the link, unfortunately those are the cages I can't use. I need something on a bar or strip for next to the mirrors, and these aren't really applicable for that use. The LED idea was interesting, but you're right it probably is expensive.
Tyler

Take a closer look at this one from the link Phil posted. It looks like it's got a base on it that you can run conduit right into. If that's right you could just build your own strip with short pieces of conduit between boxes.
 
I would have to query the idea of led lights for dressing rooms.If make-up was applied in this sort of light it may then be wrong in stage light.
 
I would have to query the idea of led lights for dressing rooms.If make-up was applied in this sort of light it may then be wrong in stage light.
Are you serious?
The make alot of different color temperatures.
And the flourescents in every other dressing room are great too.
(note sarcasm)
 
We have flourescents in our dressing rooms (duh - it's a school) but I have had several touring groups complain that it wasn't stage lighting. So that's why "allthingstheatre" IS serious!!
 
How odd that this item is so hard to find. They're in every dressing room in every theatre in America. Surprisingly, I found a patent http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4264946.html for something so ubiquitous, but cannot find the fixture. I suspect they no longer meet code, but I don't know what the alternative is. A medium screwbase CFL, in 3200K, would still need a cage, unless, by today's code, it must be a glass belljar.
 
How odd that this item is so hard to find. They're in every dressing room in every theatre in America.

I KNOW! They're everywhere and yet I can't figure out where they come from.
 
Yeah, Tyler and I have been beating our heads against our desks for months now. Equity says, Light source must be comprable to stage lights, no flourescents allowed. You can use standard incandecents , but technically a standard incandescent needs a cage for shatter/burn saftey. I want to mount a buch of ceramic base units with 60 watt bulbs and then put these over them
http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/15/category/148

The only big problem being these look like yellow plastic cages, so they be flimsy and we'd hae to paint them.
 
What about those bulbs made out of something like auto glass but with an adhesive on it that doesn't shatter?
 
Alright, use those box mount fixtures I found before with some raceway or flexi conduit.
Kind of like this.


You will not get out of this cheaply.
 
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To misquote/misuse an old Chicago (the band) song: "ControlBooth needs you, STEVETERRY, please tell us what to do."

Steve, is this the first time you've ever been compared to Harry S Truman? You kids in school, pay attention in history class! Seriously, every educational experience becomes important at some point to a designer--even the quadratic formula. And spelling and grammar always count, also.
 
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...Equity says, Light source must be comprable to stage lights, no flourescents allowed. ...
Van, Van, Van. I'm calling your mother.

Does AEA take into consideration the fact that CFLs today come in 3200K? I bet you could win that grievance. Whether or not the Rule Book allows them, CFLs would need more protection against accident breakage than standard A-lamps. I'm positive codes prohibit even "shatter-proof" bulbs unless used with a wire guard.
 
I want to mount a buch of ceramic base units with 60 watt bulbs and then put these over them
http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/15/category/148

The only big problem being these look like yellow plastic cages, so they be flimsy and we'd hae to paint them.
Don't do that, Van. If "they be flimsy" what good are they? And you don't want to paint [6x or 9x (# of stations)] plastic cages. ST will be along soon to lead us into the light from our black-outted conundrum.

And thanks ever so for leading me to yet another fun site to spend my money on stuff that just clutters up the house. My SO is ready to deck you!
 
..................Van, Van, Van. I'm calling your mother........................................

Please don't she's an ex- english teacher. Besides, I was having a rough day.

...................................And thanks ever so for leading me to yet another fun site to spend my money on stuff that just clutters up the house. My SO is ready to deck you!

Yeah, I found that place completely by accident. The most popular phrase around here is now, " No, Van we don't need that! and don't get the kids to beg either!"
 

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