Ynot Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I'm looking for a source of non-LED head torches with which to make up a set of miners' helmets. They need to be easily modifiable to allow for a remote switch to be cabled down to the actors - just as the old miner's kit would have been, but just not with the huge batteries they had! At this stage having an LED light source is not an option as that's rather obvious even to a punter in the stalls, but trawling Fleabay and Google doesn't so far bring up many options of that ilk. So - whilst I continue to dredge through the 'net, does anyone have any suggestions for where to purchase? Budget is limited (isn't it always!) but not totally restrictive. But buying a dozen at £30 each is NOT an option! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 When we did Brassed Off a little while ago, I tried without sucess to locate something incandescent to get the "right" look. Wardrobe had bought a bunch of LED things, and we had a minor inter-departmental falling out over the expenditure when I rejected them. Finally found a set at another society, conveniently attached to some decent looking yellow helmets, from their Brassed Off. The torches looked like they were intended for bike headlight use, powered by a pairt of AAs, but with the switch on the side of the torch, which was good enough for the job. The torches were attached to the helmet using double sided sticky. The helmets had a metal bracket where the pukka lamps would have been mounted. Worth all the aggro - they looked brilliant through the fog, in away that the LEDs simply would never had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mi-ul Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Can you be creative and make something using MES bulb holders http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-gb%3AIE-Address&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=mes+bulb+holder&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Unless a drama society or props company has some it will be difficult as everyone has gone over to LED. UK Coal may have some hanging around but the best bet could be contacting Unity or Aberpergwm mines which are smallish drifts recently reopened. The old boys there probably have a few hanging around from earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatman Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Is this one from Amazon any good at only £5.99? It's got LEDs in it but also a Krypton lamp for a good beam. http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000QHIF7W.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 When we did Brassed Off a little while ago, I tried without sucess to locate something incandescent to get the "right" look. Wardrobe had bought a bunch of LED things, and we had a minor inter-departmental falling out over the expenditure when I rejected them. Finally found a set at another society, conveniently attached to some decent looking yellow helmets, from their Brassed Off. The torches looked like they were intended for bike headlight use, powered by a pairt of AAs, but with the switch on the side of the torch, which was good enough for the job. The torches were attached to the helmet using double sided sticky. The helmets had a metal bracket where the pukka lamps would have been mounted. Worth all the aggro - they looked brilliant through the fog, in away that the LEDs simply would never had.Yup - sounds like you have the same principles I have! LED just isn't going to cut the mustard for a 'period' piece.My need for the on/off switches being wired down is the director wants all the headlamps to be turned off at as close to the same point as possible - getting them to fiddle with switches on the helmet just doesn't strike me as a practical option unfortunately. Kerry - might well look at those ideas, BUT I'm not sure having the big battery packs will be an option - though it may be workable... As for creating lamps from the ground up with MES, nope - I simply don't have the time to make that sort of effort, especially as we need a dozen or more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossmck Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Unfortunately most of them are LED ... Knew someone with similar problems trying to find them for a production of Billy Elliot... ended up with LED ones that were gelled (not ideal, but better than "white" LED) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 There's "warm white" LED's available - would a better solution not be to purchase something LED and simply replace the bulbs with 2mins soldering? A lump of glue-gun glue over the bulb cluster and you'd end up with something that to all intents and purposes would /look/ like a traditional filament bulb torch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 There's "warm white" LED's available - would a better solution not be to purchase something LED and simply replace the bulbs with 2mins soldering? A lump of glue-gun glue over the bulb cluster and you'd end up with something that to all intents and purposes would /look/ like a traditional filament bulb torch?Hmmm...Most I've seen that have an outward appearance that I'm after tend to be a multiple array of small LEDs, so not quite as simple as a basic replacement. I may in the end have to resort to some sort of butchery, but in the short term I'm looking for something I can just bolt on to the helmets and extend the wiring easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 first google image brought up http://www.sailgb.com/p/ring_automotive_mechanics_headlight/ its even focusable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 first google image brought up http://www.sailgb.co...nics_headlight/ its even focusableThat is indeed a possible.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatman Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Did you miss my post above (#5)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seano Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 You might find a caving shop could sort you out with a hire of something suitable.(I'd suggest giving Phil a call at Caving Supplies to see if he can suggest anything.) Do you have a bit of time? There are always a few Petzl Zooms on ebay, they typically go for about a fiver or so and probably have the look you're after. You could probably amass a dozen old ones over a few weeks. And if you decide to go down that route, I'm pretty sure I've got an old Zoom kicking about somewhere you can have for nowt to start you off. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Did you miss my post above (#5)?Umm...Yes - looks like I did, as I posted around the same time...Yup, and that's a cheaper option.Always good...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edwards Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I have the one that Boatman posted. It has a single button which rotates between 1 LED, 3 LEDs and the krypton. The krypton one is last so it will go straight to off and without going through the others. Might be a tad fiddly to extend the switch but not impossible as the circuit boards are held in place with screws. HTH Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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