Easy light bulb limiter

[2twang2]

OK, I admit to dragging my feet on putting one of these together. I'm no good at metal work, but I have a 50 year old dead amp to put on the bench (it rattles--this should be interesting), so I decided to give it a go. Off to Home Depot, found the plastic box (junction box?) and the fixture in one aisle and the extension cord in the next aisle. Had the rest of the parts from previous Doug orders.

The plastic box made it easy. Chopping up the extension cord meant no figuring out how to mount an AC receptacle. So, some cutting, some drilling, a little soldering and there you have it. It even works.

[jjasilli]

Chopping up the extension cord meant no figuring out how to mount an AC receptacle.  Good solution!

[2twang2]

Thanks! I built the voltage bucker a while back. Used a steel box and was surprised by how hard it was to find a single AC receptacle, and lacking any metal working abilities or tools, how long it took to get it securely mounted. Lots of filing. 

[G._Hoffman]

OK, I admit to dragging my feet on putting one of these together. I'm no good at metal work, but I have a 50 year old dead amp to put on the bench (it rattles--this should be interesting), so I decided to give it a go. Off to Home Depot, found the plastic box (junction box?) and the fixture in one aisle and the extension cord in the next aisle. Had the rest of the parts from previous Doug orders.

The plastic box made it easy. Chopping up the extension cord meant no figuring out how to mount an AC receptacle. So, some cutting, some drilling, a little soldering and there you have it. It even works.

That's how I made mine, except I used a metal junction box, and mounted it to a block of scape mahogany I had laying around the shop which made it more stable.


Gabriel

[2twang2]

Nice, Gabriel. Mine does slide around because of the heavy gauge of the extension cord. With a mahogany base, I'm sure yours looks very nice!

Pete

[PRR]

Those round lamp-holders are intended to mount on the round boxes (which you find with the other blue in-wall boxes). You can get them with wire clamps which work (unapproved) on heavy extension cord.


Then your live terminals are totally enclosed, no drilling, no cover-plate.

Still wants to be nailed to a stud or something so it don't slide around, slip, and break the bulb.

[LooseChange]

Made from parts laying around the basement.

[2twang2]

PRR, that's a much better solution than what I came up with. I probably walked right past them in Home Depot.

BTW, glad you're done with the dixie cups and string. Good to have you posting again.

[bnwitt]

I love the Belkin multistrip limiter I built.  I found the idea on the web:

http://www.catoosatrading.com/images/light_bulb_current_limiter.html

It is now my bench power outlet and limiter.  For the light bulb I just use an outlet/socket converter as opposed to the dangling wire assembly shown on the website.  I can unplug it and get it out of the way if I want to.

[PRR]

A hundred years ago, fused power strips had -screw-in- fuses. Edison Base. Medium. Yup, same as a light-bulb.

Making a limiter was as easy as tossing the fuse and screwing an incandescent.

Since screw-fuses are out of style (except in my garage), and were probably a bad idea in a finger-exposed power strip, you can't buy these today. (But stay alert at yard-sales...)

[Frankenamp]

Actually they are still available!
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/%280amw0q45jb2zdl55rgthpw55%29/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=30727

Look in the electrical section of your local hardware store. I stuck one of these in a single gang junction box with a surplus cord and strain relief. Works a treat.

[PRR]

> they are still available!

Interesting find... but it goes on a junction box.

No, I had a plain lies-on-workbench 6-outlet power strip, with edison fuse.

[Mig29]

I couldn't find a single outlet either so I used a 4" square box with a switch and a duplex outlet.  I clipped the contacts between the outlets and taped the unusable one over.  I like the switch idea as I have an aversion to yanking cords out of outlets.