Build Some PAR38 Cans Using Coffee Tins

I needed some light fittings to take a couple of blue PAR38s that I had lying around.

Here we use some coffee tins to protect the bulbs, as we don't need to worry about gels (they're already coloured) or lenses (they're already focussed as floods).

Materials Used:
- 2 coffee tins, sans coffee and lid.
- Several wood offcuts.
- 2 hinges I found years ago and thought would come in handy someday.
- 2 ES light fittings - you can get these from people who sell parts/components.
- 2 bits of wire, with plugs
- Length of slotted angle iron.
- 2 corner braces from an old shelving system.

Cut a hole in the coffee tin big enough to allow the light fitting to pass part of the way through.

This wooden bracket hold the lamp fitting. It also provides support to the tin, you'll see in a later step how the tin is fixed to the bracket.

I used wood because it means that the light fitting is fitted to a NON CONDUCTIVE surface. This is important if you don't want to risk getting an electric shock!

The wood is simply cut to fit the tin as you can see in the image, and the pieces secured with screws.

This light fitting is an ES or Edison Screw fitting.  It is made of ceramic, and as such is designed to withstand high tempretures. The PAR38s can get warm during use, so this seemed like a good idea.

Line up the light fitting by holding the tin can over the wooden bracket (as it would be when assembled), then put the fitting through the hole you cut in step one, and mark the screw holes in the wood with a braddle or pencil.

Remember to attach the wires to the fitting before screwing the fitting to the bracket, as you can't get at the wire screw clamps when it is attached to the wood!

Now push the coffee tin over the light fitting so it is resting on the wooden bracket, and use two screws with big washers to hold the tin to the bracket.

The washers are there to stop the screws from pulling through the thin tin.

This pre-assembled bracket found in my box of 'brackets and wheels' is perfect for the job. Simply screw it to the back of the wooden bracket.

Make sure the bolt is done up nice and tight with a spring washer, but not so tight that you can't move it ever again!

I Bolted the lamp bracket to one side of the angle iron, and a small corner brace to the other side. The corner brace just stops the lamp from tipping over when the lamps are facing forward (perpendicular to the angle iron).

This stand is designed so that everything can easily be dismantled when I want to use the lamps in some other configuration.

Bolt the other lamp on the angle iron and I have an up-lighter giving a blue flood fill.
Job done.