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Steampunked craftsman Festoon Lamp

Steampunked craftsman Festoon Lamp
Hi everybody

One year ago I started my first real DIY project, and nearly at he same time I realised that I`m a Steampunker in my thoughts and doings.

DIY means to me "Keep it short and simple K-I-S-S" in its best way. So I chosed this first DIY-Project also to my avatar.

The "K-I-S-S" Tools: You only need a folder rule, a small screw driver and an universal pliers, nothing more!!!

Now I want to present it to you. This instrutable is very !!! detailed and contains two parts.
In the first steps you will see how to build one single festoon lamp module.

In the second part I show how to make a very stylish festoon lamp for steampunk craftsmen using four of these modules. If you watch this short video you can get an impresssion of its impressive light.

 
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Step 1The festoon lamp

The festoon lamp
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In the following pictures you can see the festoon lamp. This minature light I saw first in my life when my father built a dollhouse for my sister in the early sixties. Since then I was always fascinated of this wonderful warm and glowing light.

Nowadays I use several of them taken from the indoor light of wrecked autombiles. As an instructor for volontary fire fighters in Germany we need a lot of wrecked cars to train with. So I get these lamps for free.

If you like to buy them there are also festoon lamps with LED inside on the market.
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14 comments
Oct 28, 2011. 8:44 PMTheHobbit81 says:
Love this! My long term goal now is to self-learn enough about electronics to be able to make things like this.

Q: When you say "four 12 Volts needing festoons" could this be powered by a 12v battery (the kind used in Dolphin torches? Just thinking of an unusual 'topper' for a staff.

PLEASE continue making instructables.
Oct 28, 2011. 12:14 PMpbates123 says:
Very Creative. I wonder if you have any continuity issues after it runs for a while?
With expansion and contraction due to heat it seems like the contact will loosen up. I thought maybe a couple of springs on one side of the screw terminals would keep the connection tight? Great construction technique! And I love the craftsman lamp it really looks antique. I am assuming this can be purchased new in Germany? - not sure I have ever seen anything like it new here in the US.
Looks great!
- Phil
Oct 28, 2011. 2:50 AMScottyAlmanjoy says:
"KISS" is "Keep It Simple, Stupid".
Oct 27, 2011. 10:20 AMavatar_i says:
Schön gemacht! [I hope I got that right!]

I have a few dozen of those 12 volt bulbs I have "collected" from old broken and wrecked SAABs' I have loved... always wondered what I could do with them. Now I can build a Rememberance Light for those long gone autos.

Danke!
Oct 27, 2011. 7:53 AMdawp says:
Hi: Looks elegant. BTW i still have a bunch of old vacuum tubes. Loved that blue glow of the 83 Hg vapor rectifier.

I  liked Arc lights. As a child, we used to go to the theatre, we sat way in the back where the man had his spotlights (read cheap seats). He would give me old, fat, 3/4 inch or so spent carbons from the lights; i would come home and make my own arc light. You can still find carbon rods inside "heavy duty" (NEVER OPEN alkaline or lithium) batteries. A series resistance (two ceramic heating coils)  from an early DIY welding outfit worked nicely as current limiters. A large can made a good holder/reflector after wrapping the rods in old asbestos insulation (call out the men in the space suits:). This was before the nanny state ruled such devices, dangerous, might kill you, kids shouldn't play with them, etc.

There is a site, i don't remember the url, that describes all sorts of ancient electric illuminating devices. On that ancient lights site the "Nernst Glower" and "electric candle" were interesting. Way before Edison.

Well, i guess i'm a bit off-topic but thanks for the instructable. Jogs old memories. Makes me want to get busy and do a project.

BTW: When you write a comment always before posting make a CMD-A, CMD-C copy. I sometimes forget to login and then by the time i get back to the comment the original is gone forever, and it never comes back as good as original. If you do the above a CMD-V puts it all back.
Oct 23, 2011. 6:51 PMWinged Fist says:
Yet again another brilliant steampunk lamp! Here in the US we have a phrase, I don't know if it translates well in German; "Reinventing the light-bulb..." It looks like you've come pretty close with this Instructable;-) Certainly at the very least reinventing the hanging work lamp! Great job!
Oct 23, 2011. 5:49 AMnocode54 says:
Excellent instructable. Your website looks very interesting but i can't read German. Incidentally, I Am a firefighter also.
Oct 23, 2011. 10:20 AMelectfire says:
Amazingly done! That's really neat idea for creating a holder for them!
Oct 22, 2011. 10:21 PMCimarronWarrior says:
This is really cool it reminds me of the old vacuum tubes in my grandparents old tv's and radio's.

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Author:Junophor(www.Dampfkraftlabor.de)
I love to invent and create new things in a "steampunk styled way" working with brass, copper, vulcanized-fiber, brass gears and (ply)- wood. On one side I am fascinated in neon lights and small elec...
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