Old light fixtures

[fan-of-fans]

Does anyone else like old light fixtures?

I've always liked them. I especially like the old porcelain lights with pull chains. As a kid the house next door had a Porcelier white porcelain fixture in one bathroom with a pull chain and outlet. The other bathroom had a chrome fluorescent light with an outlet on one end and twist switch on the other. I went in the house while the guy was fixing up and rewiring it, and asked if I could have the fluorescent light, the guy said sure he had just taken it down, but mom said no. I also asked for the porcelain light and would have been allowed to have it, but they broke it removing it but I do have the socket and switch they saved for me.

I also like the porcelain bare bulb round lights with pull chains seen in closets. Whenever we went to the hardware store I would go to that aisle while my dad went after whatever he needed to look at the lights. Asked for one to no avail, but did end up getting one for Christmas. I was a weird kid, rather have lights and fans than toys. lol

Anyway, I've gotten back into collecting these lights last few months and have acquired a few new ones from the home centers. Especially with pull chains and outlets on them. I'm on the lookout for vintage ones especially.

I also like to collect old wall outlets, and have found several interesting ones at Habitat over the years.

 

[fcs3]

Love the old electrics

I grew up in a house built in 1880, with a carriage
house instead of a garage in the back. Its coal-
burning furnace was converted to natural gas.
The old brass floor registers would get blazing hot
on bare feet.
The light switches were both the big twist knob kind,
and the push button rockers with brass switch plates and
bakelite buttons with abalone insets.

We had an electric etched frosted glass chandelier
in the dining room with four single lights around.

I loved that house SO much!!

 

[oreck_xl]

When I was a kid I became fascinated with early Edison light bulbs (a la squirrel cage filament and handblown tip). Our science teacher had one to show us that one of her students dug up at a construction site and I was HOOKED. An antique dealer friend of ours sold me a nice collection, some work, some don't. Most were dug up out of the ground so they have a kind of frosted appearance. Course now they make the replica versions (some even have LED filaments so they're energy efficient). Simply beautiful to look at. I have a replica Edison bulb and a balafire bulb in my gas/electric chandelier.

 

[fcs3]

Hey Oreck_XL

If you want to try and clear up those
frosted bulbs, this link might help.

http://homesteady.com/how-6080597-clear-etched-glass-old-windows.html

 

[oreck_xl]

Thank you for the suggestion, I'd be scared to put a Dremel to glass so thin like a lightbulb, but on thicker glass it sounds like this would work quite well....

 

[n0oxy]

light bulbs

Interesting topic about lights. Even though I'm a blind person, I can still see light and some objects, depending how light or dark it is in the room. With the new types of bulbs that are more energy efficient, you can actually put brighter bulbs in to older fixtures. Many fixtures will say not to use anything than a 40 or 60 watt bulb in each socket, this was because incandescent bulbs only used about 10 percent of their energy as light, the rest of the energy was wasted as heat. I actually have 42 watt compact fluorescent bulbs throughout my apartment, I call them twisties because they spiral. Each bulb puts out 2800 lumins. Another interesting topic is whether to use warm or cool white. Interestingly, in this case, a cool color is actually a higher color temperature. A cool white light is actually brighter and supposedly will make things look more realistic. Supposedly cool white is better for your mood because it is more similar to daylight, not sure about that though.
Mike

 

[suckolux]

Recent rebuild of this model from mid 50s I believe . New cord and socket, polished it all with auto products. Love it all over again

 

[madman]

fan of fans - when I was little, and my mom would take me to the department store, I could care less about the toy section - I wanted to see the appliance section!