Trading tips for dark displays and prop production.
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By chuckwagon
#91063
So, I'm not exactly a mastermind prop builder. In fact, I'm quite the moron when it comes to creativity, and this particular project was basically just a redesign of an already existing piece. Long story short, I was helping a friend who runs his own home remodeling/renovation company, and was very short handed after one employee left. Knowing that I'm pretty much off for 2 and half months every year, he asked if I could help him out with a few jobs he had lined up. SURE! SO This particular house we worked at had a few minor things the customer wanted... Install a new power outlet here, fix a sheetrock crack there, and replace a three foot tall chandelier hanging in the entryway of his house. This sucker weighed about 40 to 50 pouns, and was suspended about 20 feet or so up in the air, from the ceiling. We had to build scaffolding to reach it, and by the time we got it down, and the new one installed, I decided that the "trash" was too nice to throw away, so I thought to myself... "hmm, this might make a cool funeral lamp prop if I repaint, and stain the glass..." So here are the pics of that transformation, as crappy as they may be. I'm still kinda happy with the turn out I guess. Coulda been done better, but I'm no expert on this stuff anyway.

Here's the lamp the day I got it home. As you can se, it's pretty big. 3 feet tall. This still shows all the components attached before i gutted it.

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These next few are just the taping process that took quite some time... 40 individual panes of glass.

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Fresh paint! Just rattle canned some satin black all over and let it dry before peeling off the tape. Honestly, I was sad to have to undo the tape after taking so long to apply it.

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Now the fun part... Or so I thought. I wanted to give the glass a bit of an interesting look, and not just have a regular ole boring look, so I thought I'd try to add a faint purple hue to it by using some glass paint from the craft store. It's basically the paint you ue when doing stained glass projects, but i wanted to have it really thin, and barely noticeable... It didn't turn out so well, but meh, first time ever doing anything like this, so at least I tried...

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I added a 3 prong plug so it can be used wherever you want, instead of it being hard wired like it would in a normal setting as a hanging lantern. Also, I reinstalled the originl bulbs, and this darn thing is BRIGHT! TOO BRIGHT! I had hoped to install all 16 flicker bulbs to really make it pop, but holy crap are those things expensive at the store! 3+ bucks for ONE bulb! gonna have to find some online cheaper

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This is the reassembled 3 piece top part... normally, there would be a chain that the wiring weaves through, and I still have the original one, but I need to paint it black, and I am thinking I can find a black one, or even a plastic one just to use for effect... I don't plan on suspending it from the ceiling again, personally.

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Anyway, that's my silly little project that I spent a few days on. It was fun.

In other news, if anyone within semi-close proximity to Charlotte, NC wants this thing I'd be glad to give it away for use at a haunted house, or just your own display. I really have no room for it, but didn't think about it until after the fact, lol.
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By chuckwagon
#91065
Thanks Zom... I just ordered a lot of 10 flickering candle bulbs on eBay yesterday, and had to go to WalMart to pick up the remaining 6. I went ahead and screwed the 6 in, took out all of the original bright bulbs, and this things looks MUUUUCH better with the flicker bulbs. Can't wait to get the other 10 in there, and then turn this sucker on!
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By pagemaster1993
#91066
Looks awesome Chuck! Can't wait to see how you display it.
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#91089
One man's trash is another man's treasure. Great idea to age this light fixture into something a little more... haunting. I suppose not everyone has space for a lighting fixture that large. I hope it finds a good home! Thanks for sharing, Chuck. Feel free to share any other photos (or even video) of the flicker bulbs in there.
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By chuckwagon
#91096
Zombie Pumpkins! wrote:Feel free to share any other photos (or even video) of the flicker bulbs in there.
I absolutely plan on it Ryan! In fact, I found out that the bulbs I ordered online showed up today in the mail, but I JUST left for a few days trip to NY to see my girlfriend before they arrived... Alas, Hormones over Halloween yet again :lipssealed:
By Zee
#91107
What a fancy little prop! I actually kind of dug it with the blue tape... looked like some sort of alien pod!
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#91118
Ooooh. Yeah, I'm glad you took a video. That's the best way to see the flicker bulbs in action. Although I bet it looks even cooler in person. The frosted sort of treatment to the glass works well because it diffused the bulbs and makes it almost look like there might be real flames inside. I'd love a giant lantern like this, if only I had the space for it.