I am installing a large wall unit that has lighting. The lighting is mounted behind stained glass, leaded doors.
Here is the problem. The lighting fixture can be seen through the stained glass, when illuminated. Customer doesn’t want to see fixture (antique brass finish). My thought was to paint the fixture white (the color of the cabinet backs). Customer’s concern is whether the finish would hold up over time… being exposed to heat from the bulb (25 watt tube bulb). The baffle for the fixture clips directly to the bulb.
Not being a paint type guy… I thought I’d ask here.
My initial thought is to paint the fixture with automotive enamel. Is there a better alternative?
The supplemental question… do you have a suggestion for a better lighting system? Needs to surface mount due to design. Needs to have even lighting… due to stained glass effects desired. Needs to be soft light… halogen would be to stark, IMO. Current fixture is a cabinet light with baffle… open to suggestions if it would improve the overall quality of the aesthetic.
Replies
Automotive exhaust manifold paint. Barbecue paint.
I've seen white high-temperature spray paint in hardware stores.
Will your fixture take a compact fluorescent? They put out much less heat.
Yes, on the right track. Sand that brass hard, and go to auto store.
There will be a couple of different designations, the temp rating will be on the can. There is engine enamel and exhaust paint. each will say how hot they will accept, but I think any hi temp will do, including BBQ paint.
-zen
Thanks guys... hadn't thought about the engine paint... makes tons of sense. I had originally thought of regular ole auto paint.
As far as the flouresent... the fluorescent light would be unacceptable for the stained glass I am afraid. Florescent would probably be too stark also... as with halogens.
The ideal would be a light source that was diffused... yet very thin surface mount. Imagine a halogen hockey puck ... only softer and difused (not asking much, am I? LOL)
i'm still not getting a clear picture of what your situation is... the fixture itself is within, not above, the opening for the stained glass?
IMO, no light looks good if it's located within that area, no matter how diffused. fixture should be out of line of vision, and angled away from viewer, illuminating the wall behind (or a false wall painted a light color). that will give the softest, cleanest, and evenest look for the stained glass. if you can't hide them from above, can you mount the lights below the window area instead?
i may be totally off-track here-
Light is center mounted (on back of vertical face) relative to the design on the stained glass and lead design. The center mount accents the leaded and stained glass areas where it is at. Top mounting or bottom mounting produces weird effects on the glass. (Real detailed design).
The light is visible... due to the angle of the doors (about 60 degrees from wall). Looking straight on to the unit... the side doors are visible due to the angle. Looking straight on to the doors, the light is behind the frame and is not visible.
Basically, I am looking, ideally, for a low profile fixture that will blend into the white background, that meets the "soft" needs for the lighting. The current fixture is giving off the light in the proper way... just is too big in size for that "perfect" look.
False-wall would work in many situations... and I considered it here... but it created shadows that are more visible than what is currently there (as long as I can camouflage the fixture to blend with the white background)
Edited 3/2/2005 11:32 pm ET by Rich from Columbus
hmm.
the problem is that right up next to a light source (the bulb) even pure white material (the painted fixture) goes "dark" by comparison.
can you add a thin layer of frosted plastic against the inside of the stained glass? this would diffuse the light to the point of nearly obscuring those darn fixtures. the white paint will help camoflage them when those lights are off, but when on, there will always be an area of high contrast (a personal peeve of mine. stained glass should just glow softly with no sign of where the light is coming from, IMHO.)
I think that you need to look at a different concept. A diffused source of light.Some kind of area lighting. Like that behind an LCD monitor.One simple one would be rope lightings that you wind back and forth.Some googling got some of these as starting points. Some are assemblies, some are bits and parts.http://www.elwirecheap.com/elwirebyfoot.html
http://www.elwirecheap.com/coldcathodes.html
http://www.luminousfilm.com/el_lamp.htm
http://www.radlites.com/led_strips_boards.htm
http://www.gelcore.com/markets/channel_letter/
http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?handler=data.getPcodes&pcode=JKL%2BCCFL%2BCold%2BCathode%2BFluorescent%2BBacklighting%2BLamps&pcodenumber=56000
http://www.mouser.com/?handler=data.listcategory&Ne=400&N=441
http://www.lumileds.com/solutions/solution.cfm?id=2
http://www.glthome.com/tech2.htmhttp://www.glthome.com/tech2.htm
If you get a "full spectrum" fluorescent it will probably be a better choice than incandescent, in terms of showing off the colors. The best are "Ott" -- expensive, but used by thousands of quilters and artists.
wood stove paint..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I have painted steam radiators with regular wall paint. I don't know how hot they get, but you can't leave your hand on one when it's up to temp. I'm going to guess between 150 and 200 degrees. One year and one heating season later, they're holding up just fine.
There's been no color change either. On the other hand, they weren't white.
-Don
Stove paint (though that's only available in black, I suspect) or engine paint.