Plugged in my Stanley halogen light stand this afternoon. I don’t use it often…last time it saw use was about 1-1/2 months ago on a differrent job. Anyway, after plugging it in and turning on both lights, I noticed that one light seemed hazy…I thought perhaps the lens was just dusty, so I took in a breath of air and then quickly exhaled; blowing off the dust.
To my surprise, as soon as I moved my head away from the light’s glass lens ( which was fortunate for me!) the bulb inside the lens exploded and actrually shot through the glass! The glass lens cracked into a million pieces, but a few pieces in the center of the lens blew out onto the floor. I was flabbergasted!
Now….what caused that explosion? When I originally installed the halogen lamp (bulb) I held the lamp by the wrapper they give you so as not to get oils on the lamp. I installed this lamp sometime long ago. Indeed I hadn’t replaced the lamp (bulb) in who knows how long….there was no visible sign of moisture behind the glass lens.
Anyone else ever experience this problem? The light stand was the miniature type made by Stanley. I have a large light stand and never experienced any problems…infact, in all my years of using light-stands, whether store bought, or home made…nothing like this has ever occurred to me before.
I’m currently thinking about just trashing this little light stand.
Any thoughts? comments? Thanks.
Davo
Replies
Any thoughts? comments? Try using Listerine.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Roar !
That was COLD !
; )
"Criticism without instruction is little more than abuse." D.Sweet
ROAR!!!.. I won't be able to catch my breath for the rest of week...
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!
ROFLAMO! Just like the exploding light bulb...you too, caught me off guard!
I guess my Scope ain't getting the job done anymore....Listerine you say?
Davo
Blowing on a halogen bulb is a no-no (lots of water vapour in an exhale) - some brands even say so on the box.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Yeah, I'm thinking water in your breath as well. Sometimes, if exhaling rapidly, you can get expel some small droplets of water. Glass does like going from 2800F to 212F instantly. Differential contraction and all. So . . . crack!David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
Good point ... but his fixture had a glass shield over the bulb. Do you suppose the moist rancid breath caused the lens to break, and that in turn broke the bulb?
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Semi-open fixture; convection cooling; breath gets drawn into fixture. Maybe the bulb/fixtrue was alreay fractured and it didn't take much..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
The hazy light indicates that something was wrong with the bulb, I suspect. Probably it had developed a small leak (likely around one of the metal contacts) and the halogen gas had escaped. Then the envelope fogged and the heat/pressure caused it to shatter.
hate see what ya'd blow on a breathalyzer...go directly to jail, do not pass GO, do not collect 200 dollars..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
nah ...
he'd just blow up the machine ...
no evidence ...
no crime!
pretty crafty if ya ask me ...
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
done that..Pa. State Police Limerick barracks, 1990.
.28...whew, the cop couldn't belive it...I was doin just fine.
He said and I quote" Man, you have some serious tolerance to alcohol, most guys would be passed out or barfin LONG before .28"
I told him, "practice don't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect"
he then commended me on making it through all those "p"'s with out tripping over my tongue..as he described how we do fingerprints and mug shots...lol
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I tell ya, I gotta give Sphere a hat tip and a box of milkbones.
If there's one guy who posts here that can make me guffaw and laugh outloud it's him!
Be a posterchild.
sobriety is the root cause of dementia
Edited 8/25/2004 3:06 pm ET by rez
Rez-ster..the sad thing is I don't have to try, my life has been a comedy of errors..jus gotta laff..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
We hauled a kid into the hospital with BA of 301. had stomach pumped and he was still in an alcoholic coma for another three hours.
Another old guy who was constantly pickled went to the joint - he was normal at 250 and could go to 400 before he got noticeablely drunk.
I'd hate to see his liver.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
when I was "bad", Pif, a case of beer a day was norm..that night I was guitar, my buddy was Bass,, he was sposed to be the DD..I was the OTHER DD ( dedicated drunk) he started in on TeKill ya before the last set, I hadda drive his moms Renault home ( this car had NO straight sheetmetal on it, and the wiper blades wuz held on w/ lawn chair webbing) Is it any wonder we got stopped at 4 am?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
LOL - Sphere, for all the things you do so well, serving as a bad example seems to be one of your least appreciated gifts! :-)>Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Kevin, you don't have a clue...lol
I am gonna write a book.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Hi Y'all.
Well I've been reading all your posts on this subject and after further contemplation about what "went wrong" ...I think Ed Hilton undoubtedly solved th mystery...
It musta been my MOIST RANCID BREATH that blew that sucker up!
I loved that one!
Davo
Did the color of the light change towards blue just before the explosion? That's what happens if the filament breaks and you get an arc inside the envelope. I've had that happen on 1 & 2 kW open face fixtures, caused by a sharp impact. The drill when you get one arcing is to stand clear and let it blow. If you turn it off, you're left with excessively high pressure in the envelope, which makes it dangerous to change. If it were me, I'd clean up the fixture and keep using it.
-- J.S.