60 thoughts on “Strange light bulb actually works”
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Strange light bulb actually works
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It looks like it has 220v / 110v on that extra socket.
Strange…. and slightly dangerous with exposed wiring. But still cool.
“slightly dangerous”? Yup, it definitely has live mains current on the exposed end.
If this was modified to put a low-voltage light in the bulb then it’d be okay, but as it stands I’d stay right the hell away from this project.
This is a dangerous thing to do. Tape or epoxy can wear or flake off and the second lamp base will be hot. Do not leave this around for kids to find.
WOW! And people had issues with my outlet strip??? This is dangerous as hell. A bulb gets warm… and cool when off. Expands, contracts, expands, contracts, glue loostens, wires arc… At least my outlet strip had snug safe secure and shielded wiring!
Holy cow, I just noticed a thin piece of scotch tape keeps the hot wire from arcing on the neutral threadded base which gets screwed, twisted and frictioned by screwing it in! Then there’s the exposed 2nd base which a passerby will likely touch when noticing it. NOTICE HOW THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS HAS THE BASE SITTING ON MEDICAL TAPE SPOOL??? I suppose medical supplies should be right there on your workbench when doing stoupid things.
The picture is misleading… I thought the extra base was actually part of the bulb, not just glued on.
And the spelling/grammar makes my head hurt…
Probably the most dangerous thing I’ve seen today…and I drove on highway 101.
LIVE WIRES OUTSIDE THE BULB??? ARE YOU MAD?
Don´t waste your time and just put your finger in an outlet. Its faster.
Truly the WORST post I seen in here.
LIVE BULB!!!! …please. DONT DO IT ANY MORE.
Amazingly bad idea and amazingly bad spelling. That doesn’t instill a great deal of confidence in the abilities of the author.
This thing is deadly!
Please consider removing the link or put an explicit warning on the article.
Not a smart hack.
Exposed live wires = asking for trouble.
Now THAT’s a bad project. I mean… just… Wow. Some one’s gonna be doing the 60Hz shuffle.
With two simple assumptions this isn’t that bad:
1) English is not the author’s first language.
2) This was going to be used in some sort of display where it would be behind glass and not accessible to any schmo who came along.
Having access to an annealing oven, a small ox/acetylene torch and high output LEDs this is not how I’d have done this.
I am glad that the people commenting on this post seem to have more sense than Jonah did when deciding to post this.
I did say “if you’re crazy”, so commenters need to chill please people.
I did say “if you’re crazy”, so commenters need to chill please people.
You safety police aren’t going to live forever, it’s just going to feel like forever.
everyone, makers are smart – just because something is on the internet doesn’t mean you’ll have no choice other than to do whatever you see — we cover many things here, we’re not scared to point out some crazy ideas and even some bad ideas, there are warnings all over our site and in our posts. this isn’t a place for people who don’t have personal responsibility and smarts, but we’re lucky – all our makers do.
Cool things are not safe, relax it. Cool project.
What a bunch of pansies!
Absolutely nothing about the project except that it’s DANGEROUS!
The way you girls are panicking, you would think he’s making nerve gas in a blender or something.
Such useful advice:
“Do not leave this around for kids to find.”
Thanks Dave, I was going to wire this up and use it as a night light in the nursery.
“I suppose medical supplies should be right there on your workbench when doing stoupid things.”
Craig, if you never get cut/burned/abraded/punctured/bruised at your workbench, it’s not a workbench. It’s just your soapbox for preaching about how “stoupid” other people are.
“This thing is deadly!”
Hasse, I’ve been shocked with house current a number of times, and I don’t think I’ve died more than once or twice… I think that the only way for this to kill would be to get a shock directly through your heart by, for instance, touching one exposed contact with your hand and the other with your tongue.
*GOD! IT SHOULD HAVE A WARNING LABEL!*
Incidentally, the author states that “at this point i will point out that dipping the base with a nice clear epoxy will be the safest.” In other words, use a clear coating to insulate the exposed base – duh, you safety experts couldn’t figure that out? And Craig, you don’t screw in the original base, you dolt, that’s the whole POINT of the project. Look at the final picture!
See, big boys know that you CAN work with electricity if you’re careful – it’s not EVIL MAGIC, kiddies. Good thing nobody has tried to post a project like a Tesla coil or Jacob’s Ladder, you fairies would lynch him.
True, it’s poorly presented (Though I understand it just fine), and it’s a totally useless end product… SO?! Haven’t you dorks ever done something just to see what would happen? Just to see if you can do it? Make is for the Inventors and Tinkers and Mad Scientists, not panicked safety-worshiping soccer-moms like you.
I think that you would be better served by going to this website instead:
http://www.barney.com
(It’s more your speed)
thanks Freddy – that pretty much says it all
@Freddy
Spot on old chap, spot on!
Low voltage electricity (like home AC outlets) is a very tame beast and poses little danger to anyone smarter than a pickle. Besides, how many times would you touch a light bulb when it’s on? If you’re that dumb a mild shock might give you a little inspiration to wise up.
Ah, I see, you DON’T screw in the original base.. yet BOTH socket bases work… what’s the point?
How about making an extension cord with extra sets of prongs sticking out of it?
I agree totally that panic stricken worry worts are like those ‘end of the world’ sign carrying freaks. I work with 120-240AC hooked up to pools & spas every day powered up so the electrical problem can be troubleshot/found. I’ve NEVER been zapped. (except for that time an electrician did something dumb while I was working) Common sense and thorough/safe connections on every action keep you and the circuit around for a long time. One of the reasons I don’t get injured much is I can see something not quite right BEFORE a boo-boo happens, EVERY GOOD PROJECTEER HERE KNOWS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. If extra sockets were just attatched around the bulb without being wired, that would be neat. But it seems like an extention cord with extra pairs of prongs sticking out is about the same area of ‘what’s the point’ and ‘something not right before a boo-boo happens’.
PS I’m hardly a soccer mom, hobby-wise I build gas offroad vehicles from the homemade frame up, robotics, total home renovations, restorer of any broken down appliance or machinery, 6 year pool/spa/fireplace tech, and a 12 year employed bicycle technician. Experience is all over this opinionated board, son.
Safe or not safe, whatever…safety is a relative thing.
The question for me is WHY run the power to the other bulb base? You can’t plug anything into it (except an upside down lamp). If you do as the author suggests and dip “the base with a nice clear epoxy,” you can’t use the power up there anyway.
If it’s an art piece, and the electricity is not powering anything on top, just glue the second base on for the same effect. Now, that I would do just to get people to look twice at it!
Craig, try to get your expansive intellect around the fact that the original base is not used, it doesn’t work… You still haven’t simply read all the way through his “stoupid” post. My previous comments stand. And don’t try to intimidate me with your ‘credentials’ – It’s your behavior here that I’m concerned with, and I’m not impressed.
(Sorry, I didn’t mean that you ARE a soccer-mom… Just that you act like one, son.)
For all of you still confused by this project, I will now divulge the Great Secret! It is PAINFULLY obvious that the only POINT is this:
**You see a light bulb that is not screwed into a socket – yet it’s lit! Wow!**
THAT’S ALL!
(I don’t think that it would be as exciting with an extension cord, since it will look the same with or without power, but whatever trips your trigger Craig – You’re the expert.)
Look, I’m not just insulting you guys for being dumb (this place is for all levels and disciplines), the real issue is that you guys took a quick glance and gleefully ripped on the poster without even taking the time to figure it out!
And what if it is needlessly dangerous, or utterly pointless, or he missed something that might make it better? Is it productive to just insult the poster? What SHOULD be posted here? Only what YOU think is perfect? (Sorry, you don’t know what’s perfect)
Go hang out on MySpace albums and insult people’s choice of clothing.
*This is one of the few remaining forums for an intellectual exchange of IDEAS – and ideas are never complete, self-contained, or otherwise perfect. Ideas always occur in combination with other ideas, are composed from ideas, built upon old ideas, and give rise to new ideas.
Guys, let’s encourage the posters, and contribute, and build upon the ideas presented here! Put our heads together instead of butting them.
And PLEASE save the safety warnings for your kids, unless it’s something that REALLY is a hazard and REALLY is not obvious! (‘Live wires can shock you’ = OBVIOUS)
Above all BE NICE to the posters!
———————————
All ye Faithful, repeat after me:
Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out…
Who came up with this one? Uncle Fester?
Freddy,
You truly are one of the stupidest people on this planet. There’s just nothing else to say, your posts speak for themselves.
If only my posts did speak – then they would be slightly more accessible to semi-literate dullards such as yourself. You clearly can’t even follow the discussion, much less produce an intelligent response.
Like the others, you have absolutely nothing reasonable to say, just unsubstantiated insults.
I know that barney.com is a little intimidating to someone like you at first, but keep trying – you’ll get it eventually.
Maybe then the grown-ups can enjoy this website in peace.
This should come with the caveat that you could burn your house down if you are not careful. Other than that, it’s probably surely safe and all you ‘pansies’ that assume that everyone will not be perfectly safe with this at all times because no one and not even a lot of people are foolish and clueless are just wrong, because everyone who does this project will surely be safe and smart enough to completely isolate it from all children or danger of jostling or temperature changes, but of course! Because it’s art and that makes it OK and if you say otherwise, that makes you a pansy. ;-P