vintage garage lighting?

I have been trying to find older style lighting fixtures for my garage, which is a converted 1920s carriage barn. I have been remodelling my house, using a lot of salvaged materials (cast iron sinks, solid wood doors, etc) and would like to keep the early/mid-century feel of my garage. It will really make me feel good to work on the cars in a place with history and warm, dated look.

Specifically, I want to use conduit drop fixtures -- incandescent lights with a canopy and cage. I haven't found any through salvage yet, and I don't even know what to properly call them.

I have checked with several electrical supply houses and they tell me that "no one uses that anymore" (exactly why I want it!). New units are all HID buzzboxes.

Anyone know what I'm looking for, and where to find it?

 

Know anyone in the demolition business? I've salvaged stadium lights, surgery lights, supermarket lights and fixtures from a 1910 courthouse.

You saw my thread about the 62 Galaxy in the back of a warehouse? The warehouse that it's in is where I find a lot of the old lights I've used. How many do you need? I'll have a look when I go back either this weekend or next.

The lights you're looking for are easy enough to find, but the enamel chips and cracks so if you're looking for pristine ones they might be a bit tougher.

 

i found these at restoration hardware. They are for outside but pretty cool. The canapy isn't real big



rejuvenation hardware makes cool vintage light fixtures too.. it's all kind of "fancy". They do salvage light fixures though, so you might give them a call. They have a pretty good inventory I hear.

http://www.rejuvenation.com/

 

Look in McMaster-Carr and Granger.
They use them in Walk in coolers.
The bulb must be covered and the cage stops the glass from breaking.

 

I picked up the ones for my hanger at the Pate Swapmeet,

No glass, but nice canopys and came with conduit. $15 I think.

Im looking for the 40's feel to light my 1949 Swift GC-1B.

 

Try this: www.ANTIQUELAMPCO.COM

 

Thanks for the leads, guys.

I am looking for something like this:



I will be using explosion/vapor-proof down lamps at the doors, but for the drop lamps I just want ones with a large canopy/shade and a wire cage.

 

How many do you need? and are you worried about condition? I'm pretty sure I can get them for you.

 

Don,

I think you're looking for "Vapor Sealed" or "Hazardous Environment" lamps. All of the ones that I've seen (even new) look like they could have come from 1940.


Ed

 

I just PM'd you Don.

 

If you can't find a reasonable price....get the home depot over the kitchen table lights, paint them your favorite industrial color and buy some cheapo fans for the grills.

 

I just came across this site:

web page

go to the E-Catalog and under product home page there is the lighting home. They really have some neat industrial lighting.

 

I have a few of these in my shop:

Cheap @ 25$ from Ikea...
Your post got me thinking I should fabricate some cages out of brake line tubing...

 

this place has some really cool lights.

http://www.barnlightelectric.com/pendant-lighting/barn-pendant-lights/

 

Holy thread ressurection! Cool lights Motorcity, but they sure are proud of them! They probably have about $20 in materials for those. But put a "designer" tag on them and the industrial look is suddenly golden!

BTW, love your signature!

 

Isn't barnlight.com an alliance dealer?

 

Looks like you got all the help you need to find them already. But I will add that I was a Property Manager for many years and these lights are still in the Catalog. Forest Green ouside of Bell and White inside Bell. I agree with the other posters you can find them at Salvage or Surplus Electrical if you want them now. Seems like will find them at a cheaper price after you bite the bullet and buy them. Good Luck

 

I have made some out of steel trash can lids and wire or thin steel dowel that look very similar to what you are looking for.

 

I like the look of vintage light fixtures. But as an electrican I also apprecitate getting the most light for energy used and money spent.A working shop should be very bright in my opinion.You might find vintage 4 foot flourscent fixtures,the ones that have a porcelin finish with reflectors.Thow in modern ballast transformers,T-8 tubes,about 25- 30 bucks cost per fixture to retrofit and whatever the fixtures cost,usually cheap or free .My two cents.........

 

I totaly agree with truckedup as to amount of light for the bucks. You can never have to much light in your shop and flourscent is by far the most bang for the bucks.

 

you'd want old gas light fixtures and just convert them