What to do with old lights?

[jfremm]

Hello all,

I am a Tech Manager for the auditorium at a public high school. Several years ago, we updated our cycs and got brand new source fours. The old pars, vacuum lights, and old ellipsoidals are just laying around and wasting space. It's gotten to the point where it gets crowded backstage. Anyways, I was wondering where I could dispose of these lights. If anyone has any input, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Isn't there usually a surplus process for equipment from public schools?

Also, what are "vacuum lights"?

 

[derekleffew]

Isn't there usually a surplus process for equipment from public schools?

Also, what are "vacuum lights"?

Second the "vacuum lights" question.

Also second the "I'm sure administration has a process for disposing of old/obsolete/unwanted 'classroom equipment'."

Unsolicited advice: Before scrapping a fixture, save the c-clamp, connector, colorframe; one can never have enough of these things. Also possibly, lens, socket, and reflector. And consider keeping at least one of each type intact, as a teaching aid for historical purposes.
Assuming Admin tells you to "just throw them away" (get it IN WRITING!): If the fixtures were really old, and you were legally permitted, I'd say eBay. If they're at all functional, FreeCycle or Craig'sList to a poor local community theatre. As a last resort, scrap metal dealers will pay pennies on the pound. If you suspect the whips may contain asbestos, precautions need to be observed.

And before someone else references it, http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/old-theatre-lights-can-be-useful.6102/ .

 

[Amiers]

Vacuum lights? http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/...ruck-round-spotlight-car-dome.jpg_350x350.jpg

Also as others have said strip it down. Then ask the PTB what they want you to do with it.

 

[icewolf08]

If the school system is ok with just getting rid of the units (as opposed to sending them to some kind of surplus and salvage for the school/district), I would suggest taking any usable parts,many then taking the fixture bodies to your local scrap metal yard. If you have aluminum body fixtures, you could get a pretty good return. If you have steel body fixtures, you will get something, but not as much. Then your theatre department will have a little extra cash, and you don't have to deal with eBay.

 

[Les]

You could also throw them up on the classifieds section on this site. There is often a lot of interest in fixtures as long as there is still some useful life left and/or they are a common make/model (example: Altman 360Q, 65Q, etc). Again, assuming it's kosher with administration. Funny thing is that most school systems aren't aware of the fixtures they have until you bring it up - in my experience at least, lighting fixtures aren't individually assigned an asset # unlike equipment such as projectors, computers, etc. But still, don't get yourself in to trouble over a bunch of old lights .

 

[LavaASU]

Yeah, if throw them out is the instructions from Admin, a poorer school or community theatre would likely take them and be very happy....

 

[JD]

For every school who has a "surplus" situation such as your own, there are a dozen who are struggling just to find the funding for a couple of additional pieces. Short of these being from the old asbestos era, it is a sin to simply throw them on the scrap heap! Outside of schools, there are many small and struggling theater groups that long for any equipment, but don't have two nickels to rub together.

 

[TheaterEd]

A school in the Madison area got all new fixtures over the summer. They posted their obsolete fixtures for free to a good home on the classified section and most fixtures were gone within the week.

 

[ship]

Problems are asbestos and shape they are in. At times it's liability and sometimes the lights are just plain shot with no time or budget to repair in making them just to give away but properly usable. At work throwing away all the strip lights for instance. A shame because most I worked on and are up to current standards in structure and wiring as if new. Just have not been used in years and nobody really uses them any longer. Had a summer with some L&E Leko's that should have just gone away given how rusted they became over what a 360Q will have seen for damage. Such a shame in hard and rough but at times to scrap yard in separating out parts for best value. Well maintined and name brand from the 90's thru today try hard, even 360Q type stock but at some point as an avid collector and preserver, if not safe to use or would take more work and budget than the theater given to for restoration... have to be responsible in getting rid of them if they cannot feasibly. I currently am working on some Hub 6x9 radial Lekos in converting them to 100w A-19 lamp. Same base design - a little more rough in vent holes as the Altman 360 series in Hub buying the used castings for them. I have the time and experience to preserve and make something useful and safe out of them. At some point though as said, if cannot be made safe for the end user, or the end user isn't qualified to do the repairs, you are better on liability or in general not doing them a favor to not give the lights to the end user when the lights are not in safe or workable condition.

Might post what's going away (with feedback notes in giving away or selling off in that some might be worth it.) Approval from the school system to do with them what is best. A Fresnel is a Fresnel - they might need a reflector or lamp socket and wiring but worth saving in almost all cases. A PAR without safety screen is a liability. A Leko can be trash even from the 90's or easy enough to fix. A strip light someone might want but is probably going to be a re-wire and worth no resale. Stuff like that.

In trashing the striplights I worked very hard on over the years, I know what it's like - especially for me in that I'm not even holding any for the museum, but at some point it is safest to dispose of lighting equipment.