freestanding fluorescent

February 26, 2008 2:33 AM

Can I make a freestanding fluorescent light fixture like this or this from a regular fluorescent light fixture and bulb?

If not how are these made? I really want to make or buy a fluorescent light that sticks out from the ceiling at a 90 degree angle and has no visible wires.

posted by Infernarl to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

I suspect the nearest you'll be able to achieve is to put a standard tube inside some sort of frosted outer tube. You should be able to conceal the wiring to the far end of the tube provided the gap between fluorescent tube and outer tube is large enough, and provided you use narrow white or translucent wire for the internal wiring. And anyway, you don't want a bare fluorescent with no protective outer cover just hanging from your ceiling - they're far too fragile and the lightest tap is likely to result in a nasty shower of mercury-tainted glass shards...

A standard tube can only be ignited from one end using a pretty hefty tesla coil, and you don't want to be messing with one of those...

You'll probably find that the examples you've seen contain a special U-shaped tube or else have concealed return wires from the far end.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:26 AM on February 26, 2008

I'm not sure why bea arthur's death says "I suspect the nearest you'll be able to achieve".

What he described is exactly what both of those examples do. Bulb inside tube, with concealed wires.
posted by Netzapper at 5:34 AM on February 26, 2008

Sorry for being tentative.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 5:49 AM on February 26, 2008

The Electronics Repair FAQ on fluorescent lights will be helpful.
posted by Chuckles at 10:16 PM on February 26, 2008