Re: DIY lights

[Beverly Erlebacher <bae at cs_toronto.edu>]

> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 11:00:44 -0400
> From: "Alysoun McLaughlin" <alysoun.mclaughlin at ncsl_org>
> 
> I've purchased a four-bulb 48" lighting fixture from Home Depot.  It's
> cheaper than a two-bulb aquarium light strip, but frankly, if I had the
> money, I'd spend it on the aquarium fixtures, to avoid the hassle and
> confusion.
> 
> This fixture was designed to be wired into the ceiling of your house.  It's
> a flimsy metal framework, with no support from below.  I got someone to wire
> it, but how do you adapt it to sit on top of the aquarium?
> 
> Can you rest it on a plank of wood, stretched across the tank?  Although I'd
> still need to find a solution to enclose the fixture.  What about the
> material for a canopy, any insulation, or how far you need to keep the
> canopy from the heat of the bulbs?  I guess the temperatures aren't quite
> high enough to burn wood, but it still doesn't feel quite safe to me.
> 
> Any advice, web sites you'd recommend?

I suggest Hoa Nguyen's web site (www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2637),
which shows how to make a simple wooden hood.  I usually make similar boxes,
then disassemble the fixture and mount the ballast (which produces the most
heat) on the outside of the hood.  This makes the lid lighter and easier to 
lift as well as reducing the heat inside the hood.

If you want to do something simpler, you could just screw the fixture to the
underside of the lid.  Voila, instant hood.

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