buying from used lighting

[Tad lighting]

Hi all,

 

iam looking to buy some martin mac 250+, from usedlighting.co.uk

 

link

 

has anyone bought from them before?

as I called, and they only offer a 30day guarantee.

they did say they referb them and replace parts.

but just wanted to know anyone's experince with them.

 

also

if all is ok,

 

looking to spray them in white, can anyone help with this,

or is this simple as taking is apart and giving it a coat of white and putting back together.

 

thanks

[J Pearce]

I can recommend usedlighting as a good reputable company.

 

I can't recommend trying to paint a Mac250 unless you really know what you're doing. Would be very very easy to gum the bearings up!

[WiLL]

I have probably spent around £5000 with usedlighting over the last 4 years, always been VERY pleased with the items and the service. Had to swap out a high end unit I had bought once because it's optics didn't match it's partners, it fell within the 30 day limit and they obliged without a problem.

regarding painting a mac, it would involve removing the outer shell parts and spraying them seperately AWAY from the exposed inner workings. But that would still leave you with a black ballast. Risky business. Wouldn't recommend it.

[tony g]

Used lighting are a good, reliable company. Short guarantees that just give you time to test the kit out are quite typical on any secondhand goods and should not be a matter for concern. I wouldn't paint a fixture unless you have the right equipment and expertise, surface preparation, the right paint and good masking are essential to a good finish that won't flake/burn off or get into areas it shouldn't, if you want them painted I'd take them apart and have the components professionally sprayed- beware though that the extra thickness of the paint can cause no end of problems in re-assembly, I learnt this the hard way when I had some quartets chrome plated a few years back that few microns of chrome caused a lot of headache!

[Joe Bleasdale]

I have bought numerous used items from them. Good pricing and good service.

 

Best Regards,

[RoyJ]

I have also bought lanterns fom used lighting,good prices,brilliant tracked delivery and thoroughly nice people to boot.Very helpfull and even supplied lamps, I can certainly recomend them.As for re painting your movers,as someone that does refurbish lanterns,I have to say it would be something I wouldn't even attempt and it could end up in tears.Keep it illuminated Royj

[Happy Jack]

For any high impact ABS moulds, if the DIY option is something you'd want to pursue, something akin to the Aqualac AE340 from Trimite would be what you are after. A little prep goes a long way, so wash down with some antistatic cleaner and degreasant, key it up with some fine sandpaper and lay down a couple of coats, sanding in between. In fact most water-based lacquers will adhere, but probably won't offer the level of protection you'd hope for. A few sloppy load-outs and you'd need a respray...

 

For something a little more substantial, providing you have the ventilation and PPE, I'd be inclined to opt. for a 2k PU basecoat and clearcoat 'varnish'. As suggested, you'd need to mask up to make sure the seals / gaskets still fit snug when you come to refit the casing, but it will provide better resistance.

 

Goes without saying, a proper spray system is a pre-requisite though. Don't think you can get away with some white emulsion and a brush from B&Q! Maybe get in touch with a local car body shop and see if you can arrange one of their spray gun ops to finish the casing for you, providing you buy in the materials?

 

Oh, and just a quick edit to add. - Usedlighting come highly recommended!

[Pattern123]

Just to pint out that spraying the fixtures white will almost certainly invalidate even your 30 day warranty!

[tony g]

For any high impact ABS moulds, if the DIY option is something you'd want to pursue, something akin to the Aqualac AE340 from Trimite would be what you are after. A little prep goes a long way, so wash down with some antistatic cleaner and degreasant, key it up with some fine sandpaper and lay down a couple of coats, sanding in between. In fact most water-based lacquers will adhere, but probably won't offer the level of protection you'd hope for. A few sloppy load-outs and you'd need a respray...

 

For something a little more substantial, providing you have the ventilation and PPE, I'd be inclined to opt. for a 2k PU basecoat and clearcoat 'varnish'. As suggested, you'd need to mask up to make sure the seals / gaskets still fit snug when you come to refit the casing, but it will provide better resistance.

 

Goes without saying, a proper spray system is a pre-requisite though. Don't think you can get away with some white emulsion and a brush from B&Q! Maybe get in touch with a local car body shop and see if you can arrange one of their spray gun ops to finish the casing for you, providing you buy in the materials?

 

Oh, and just a quick edit to add. - Usedlighting come highly recommended!

 

Theres a special paint that AT&T (bell system) used to use to change the colour of their rental phones in the US, it's called polane-T and still made (DuPont I think), it has a solvent that allows it to bind to the surface of ABS and is indestructable, I have a 1960s american desk phone that was officially re-sprayed with the stuff in '88, it was originally white but not a chink has shown through (it's now black), they even coated the leads in it succesfully - you can get it in an aerosol can I think, but you need PPE as it's unpleasent stuff, I'd buy a can in liquid form and get your local paint shop to do it nicely for you.

[southham]

Lighting Partners/ Used Lighting are the best suppliers I deal with bar none. Use them far too frequently and get me out of many a hole. Excellent value and a great team to deal with.

[Hypersound]

I find myself in an awkward position and I am not sure that this thread is a good idea. FWIW I have used Lighting Partners in the past without any problems but the last time will be the last time and I won't use them again. I don't want to post details because it wouldn't be fair to those nice people who run this forum but, at the same time, it doesn't seem right to let people be persuaded by all the positive comments and not throw in my own negative £0.02 worth. I will leave it to anyone who is interested to PM me. FWIW I have also been PMd by another member who had a few things to say but that is down to him. I will leave it at that.

 

Andy

[bjkered]

HAve been Happy to deal with Used Lighting

 

Last purchase was a Pearl 2004 and very happy with it

[jono1]

These guys are a great company. We have purchased various things from them and had very few issues. When we have had problems they have been good at sorting them.

 

My only comment would be to phone them, I have had many emails not get replies, or when they do it may be a few days later. But they are most helpfull on the phone.

 

J

[Brian]

My only comment would be to phone them, I have had many emails not get replies, or when they do it may be a few days later. But they are most helpfull on the phone.

I think that's a useful tip for dealing with any business.

 

It's so easy in this 'net based world to send off emails when you think of something, often at 3am. What it's easy to forget is that, especially in a small business circle like ours, relationships count for a lot. Take the trouble to speak to your suppliers once in a while and to get to know them. Go and see them at least at a trade show if not at their premises. If someone wants to come and see you then say 'yes' and stick the kettle on.

[Hypersound]

Brian, I would be being unfair to the moderators if I explained how much your post made me laugh. It isn't you I was laughing at I hasten to add.

 

What I would say is that my background is in law and, while I prefer to deal face to face or by telephone I think that there are many situations where you absolutely would be much wiser to have a written record of what transpired. Unfortunately you can't always trust people to stand by what they promised on the phone and that could cost you a lot of money. Sorry for stating the obvious and making a bit of lecture out of it but I have had to help people deal with the consequences and tell them that they have been stitched up and there is nothing that they can do about it.

 

Bearing in mind my legal background, I would like to point out that, if I was to say anything offensive about UsedLighting on this forum then it would be open to Used Lighting to take legal action against the forum for publishing "a liable" even though it was me who said it rather than the forum and what I said wasn't defamatory. So I won't because that isn't fair on the mods. I think they are wonderful people who are totally honest and will always stand by their customers when things go wront. In particular, Mr. Denis is one of the nicest, helpful and most balanced people that I have ever dealt with. He will always be willing to sort things out when things go wrong......etc etc.....OK?

 

All I am saying is that after a large number of extremely satisfactory and professional transactions with Used Lighting, after the last one I would never buy from them again and would not advise anyone to even consider buying from them.

 

Mods would it be possible to increase the gaps between lines?

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

New word. "wront" It is always nice to add new words to the OED.....