DIY Red Lighting

[ArachnidSentinl]

I like having red light available so I can watch my inverts at night. For a while now I've been using a cheap desk lamp with a red party bulb, but my needs have far outgrown this solution. I always wanted to get a nice fluorescent light fixture for my spider rack, but by the time you order the fixture, red fluorescent bulbs, etc, it ends up being way more than one destitute college kid can handle. Here's my solution:

I went by Menards tonight and picked up a "Treadplate Shoplight" by American Fluorescent. It was on sale for $15. I bought the two bulbs for $10 and the plastic cover tubes for another $5. The next stop was Party City where I grabbed some translucent red cellophane for $5.

I wrapped the red cellophane three layers thick around the plastic tubes, securing it with standard transparent scotch tape. Here's the result:

The fixture after it's been constructed, followed by it in action. I think you can see it from space. Not bad for ~$35.

 

[macj1983]

Looks good

 

[Malhavoc's]

no fire hazard there?

 

[Theist 17]

Looks good

Agreed, but how hot do those bulbs get? I hope it isn't hot enough to melt the cellophane, because then you're breathing plastics and that causes irreversible lung damage. Take it from someone who knows.

 

[ArachnidSentinl]

no fire hazard there?

Agreed, but how hot do those bulbs get? I hope it isn't hot enough to melt the cellophane, because then you're breathing plastics and that causes irreversible lung damage. Take it from someone who knows.

Valid points, but I haven't seen any evidence thusfar to suggest that it gets hot enough to melt the cellophane. If I left it on for several hours, maybe, but I don't plan to leave it on for very long. Also, the cellophane is held away from the bulb, buffered by the clear plastic protective tube they use for fluorescent lights.

I did some initial Googling which told me that ideally I should use theatre-grade light gels, as these plastics are rated for high temperature. That's something I'll certainly consider in the future. For the time being, I just need something on the cheap - those colored polycarbonate tubes are around $20 a pop, not including shipping.

 

[ch4dg]

great idea,
but does this actually work? and does it actually change it from one spectrum to another as if not the light is still visable in the vlw(visable light wave) it was originally
so can you basically change it from normal blue radiation to red just using a normal bulb and wrapping it up in red plastic?

just asking as i might look into something like this