Foot Lights

bobgaggle

Well-Known Member
For my school's production of Crazy for You, my director wants to make foot lights for the apron of the stage in Nevada (for those who don't know the show, the characters fix up a run down theatre in order to save it from foreclosure) My director wants a platform to act as the stage for the nevada theatre, and she wants the old fashioned foot lights (electric) running across its apron.

Any advice on wiring this sucker? Is this a Home Depot run to get some wire and sockets, or is there something else I haven't considered? I figure I'll wire them in parallel just in case an actor kicks one out or something
 
Assuming you are going to just pick up ceramic bases and wire them up, a straight parallel run is fine as long as you remember the math and don't overload your dimmer. As a side note, you can make nice shades for the foot lights by cutting 4 " PCV pipe to about 7" chunks then run them through a band saw to give them a bit of a curved edge on the upstage side. Thes should fit nicely around a standard porcelin base. Paint them to match your set or give them a shot of gold spraypaint then a spritz of bronze or black to give them a copper finish.
 
I have also made footlights before,

I cut an old tin (was it tin? or was it something else.. I'm pretty sure it was a tin) acutally.. several old tins, about half a dozen. Cut the top off, and down the side about a 1/3, so you have about 5-6 cm from the base of the tin to where the opening is. I then got an outdoor garden fixture with the individual base (60W - but this can change to whatever), screwed/glued that to the bottom of the tin and just ran the cable out the back. I plug them in across the apron whenever I need them in series, and throw them onto two seperate dimmers (Prompt and OP runs of cable) and there are some FABULOUS footlights that look the part of old school, which is what i think you're looking for! Of course, you might have to paint over them with some brown/black paint or just give them to the senic designer! I did it, and it works everytime. They still work, and produce some great shadows and results.

Anyway, have a go! Anything will work!
 
I have also made footlights before,

I cut an old tin (was it tin? or was it something else.. I'm pretty sure it was a tin) acutally.. several old tins, about half a dozen.
If fabricating the housing from electrically conductive material (metal) be sure to wire the ground to the enclosure.
 

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