light within picture

gunzlinger

Grumbler
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Posts
18
Loc
Rapid City, SD
I have a customer who has a rock that has parts of it that are transparent. The rock is approximately 1" x 1" round. He would like to have it framed with a light behind it and have a switch attached to the frame to turn the light on and off.

Has anyone ever put lights inside the frame? If so, could you please help me so that I may accomplish this task as I have no electrical knowledge what-so-ever! I thought I would check with the message board before going to an electronics store.

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
I would use rope lights. They sell them at every hardware store around. I have seen a coke can done with them. The light was actually in front of the item hidden my the mat. I actually think it's a fellow grumbler with a pic of it on their website.

Anyway, I am working on a guitar case and that is the way I'm going to light it too.
 
thanks for the info Jay but the light has to go behind the rock and the rock is only 1"x1". Any more ideas?
 
restring a Christmas light string down to 1 light bulb. I would ask a lamp rebuilder to do it if I did not known anything about electrical systems.
 
They have white LED's now that will probably work. Check at Radio Shack or someplace similar. They run at a low voltage (think batteries) and aren't as hot as anything else might be. Heat will definately be a problem for this small of a package. Good Luck!
 
I would go with an led. Then neat thing is that it will run off of a 9 volt battery forever. I had a string of these lights (about 10) that marqueed. I put it on a 9 volt and they flashed for like 2 months. In my past life I was an electrician and I would be carefull putting "lights" in a frame. We wouldn't want to catch Timmy's rock on fire. Or even worse melt it. 9 volts would be safe for anybody to play with. White leds are a new thing. Finding white might be a challenge. But I would try.
 
Jay's caution about fire risk should be heeded.
If possible, such a frame should be made without
flammable materials. Metal frame, glass, metal
spacers,and a metal backing board could be devised
and the frame should be hung so that it is well
away from the wall, so heat will not build up
behind it.


Hugh
 
Radio Shack has a white 5mm led for $5.29 and holders for $1.99. You could probably find a local electronics store that will help you put a lighting kit together for this project.

Buy local!
 
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