Music Stand Light
(Last Update:
12/31/07)
Here's my Music Stand Light. It is build out of aluminum sheet metal held together with rivets. It uses a 150W Halogen bulb and a basic light dimmer to power it. It was painted with High-Temp black spray paint meant for use on grills/stoves. It gets really hot on full power which is a slight drawback. However it works very well.
Power is supplied through a 100 ft. extension cord. The dimmer switch is housed in a metal switch box. The power cord attaches to a Male power plug in the bottom of the box. The switch is attached to the light by a 3 ft 3 conductor cord. This came from Home Depot and is meant for replacing the power cords of power tools. It is attached to the light with wire caps.
There is a piece of glass covering the bulb. This serves 3 purposes.
To prevent contact with the bulb because it is very hot in operation and touching a Halogen bulb with bare hands can cause it to burn out.
To protect me from really hot shards of glass if the bulb were to break.
Some types of Halogen bulbs can give of dangerous levels of UV radiation. The glass blocks most of this protecting me from sunburns/skin cancer. Although the amount of UV radiation given off by a 150W bulb is probably negligible if I were to use a stronger bulb (500W) it might be more dangerous.
Note: I would not recommend the use of any bulb over 150W in this light. The Light gets incredibly hot in use (probably enough to fry an egg). Any bulb wattage higher that 150W would make the light dangerously hot and probably cause the glass shield to shatter and possibly compromise the structural integrity of the aluminum body. Not to mention the fact that your music would probably spontaneously combust. The amount of light given off by a 150W bulb is more than sufficient to see your music.
Note: Make sure that you always use a grounded electrical socket to power your light. Also make sure that both the metal switch box and metal body of the light are grounded. This will help protect you in case of a malfunction. My light shorted out because of a loose wire once and if it wasn't grounded I probably would not be typing this right now. Also tape over ALL wire connections even those with wire caps. More info about grounding: http://sound.westhost.com/earthing.htm
This project involves mains wiring. If you are not ABSOLUTELY sure that you know what you are doing DO NOT attempt this project. In some countries it may be illegal to perform mains wiring without a permit. Check with your local laws.
The light and accompanying dimmer swtich.
The light uses 2 clamps to attach to the music stand.
The case to protect the light in transit.
Final case all closed up. The blank spot is where my last name is stenciled onto the case.
