CHINA balls

videoshark

videoshark

Well-known member
i have 2 china balls i bought from IKEA and unfortunately they are only 75 watt.
(not going to do a whole lot..right?)
so, i want to get some chords that can power up a 200 W bulb. went to Home Depot and they had some i had to put together - im really bad at that and i have no tools, so i just want to buy some(im sure they're not that expensive!) anyone know where i can purchase some?

maybe Home Depot isn't the best place to go..but they sure did have a huge light dept.

E
 
I think you can buy some of those silver bowl lights and take the silver bowls off, and what you're left with is a simple fixture that you could adapt to the china balls. I think they also sell porcelain (sp?) sockets by themselves with cords attached, but I'm not sure....If you go the silver clamp light route, you'll also have the option of using the clamp lights if you want/need to.
 
PDX_DVX said:
I think you can buy some of those silver bowl lights and take the silver bowls off, and what you're left with is a simple fixture that you could adapt to the china balls. I think they also sell porcelain (sp?) sockets by themselves with cords attached, but I'm not sure....If you go the silver clamp light route, you'll also have the option of using the clamp lights if you want/need to.
Click to expand...

That's what I've done. I bought a 4-pack of clamp lights at Sam's for $15. Each one is rated for 500 Watts. They are heavy-duty.

Make sure the wattage rating for your fixture exceeds the wattage of the bulb.
 
A hardware store usually has more selection of basic components than HD, especially an OLD hardware store. You might try using one of those high output fluorescent bulbs with the screw base, which would put out a lot less heat.
 
My only concern would be that higher wattage bulbs are going to be very hot...and china lamps are just "paper"...be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy
 
Videoshark,
I use 2 fluorescent screw in bulbs (45w each;200w incandescent equivalent) with a Y adaptor. It's a bit clumsy to insert into the china ball, but puts out plenty of soft light. I have the Ikea cords and they easily handle the load.
Hope this helps.
Ken
the Screen Skins guy
 
The reason there are rated at 75 watts is to make sure the paper does not burst into flames. Changing the hardware to one that says a larger wattage is not going to fix this. A clamp light is going to be rated higher because its bulb is not enclosed so the heat can escape. You would be better of using the fixture that came with it and spending the extra money on a fire extinguisher.
Kplo,s idea is a much better idea
 
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I make mine from Home Depot parts.

I use a 12" threaded insert from the lighting department, zip cord, some rocker
switches, 2 prong wall plug, a ceramic light socket and two 4" bridge plates, also
from the lighting department. Some electrical tape and heat shrink finish em off.

In the shape of an 'I' I thread the two plates onto the ends of the theaded
insert, run the cord down the center, wire up the socket, rocker and plug.
The bridge plates are then zip tied to the wire insert from the china balls. The
bulb can't come into contact with the fabric that way.

Cheap and fast. I love the 24" Nylon lanterns. I dont use the paper ones
anymore.
 
kplo said:
Videoshark,
I use 2 fluorescent screw in bulbs (45w each;200w incandescent equivalent) with a Y adaptor. It's a bit clumsy to insert into the china ball, but puts out plenty of soft light. I have the Ikea cords and they easily handle the load.
Hope this helps.
Ken
the Screen Skins guy
Click to expand...

cool. thanks for all the input fellas...one question...so the fluorescent lights wont conflict with my halogens? will my white balance be slightly off?
thanks.
 
We have the Chimera latern softlight. There's a metal fixture, and we use 200 watt bulbs that I thinnk you can get at photo supply stores.

I'd heard that the chinese laterns were banned because of the fire hazard. Too many fires started with them. I think the flourescent light fixtures would be a good fix, with little-to-no heat produced by the bulb(s).

Have you guys seen the big ones they use for events/film shoots? THey are about 8 feet across, and they light up an entire yard with several of them hung at 10 feet high on a high roller stand. Very cool look.

J Patnaude:kali:
 
The screw in fluorescents available at Home Depot, etc., are around 2700-2800k.
If used as a key, just white balance to it. If used as a fill with halogens and you feel it's too red, it's easy to add, say a 1/4 CTO to your key and then white balance (easier than trying to stuff a CC gel into the China ball itself).
Hope this helps.
Ken
the Screen Skins guy
 
Really, I use the super hot Photofloods with paper lanterns all the time. Never had a fire problem. But, really, if it goes on fire while you're on the room you put it out. If you're going to mleave the thing unnatended, you certainly turn it off. Filmaking use is not the same as household use!
 
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