# Another Way to Hang a Light



## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

Interesting Hoppy. I can't wait to see how this turns out.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

It wasn't obvious how much load a linkage like this can hold up, since it relies on friction between the ends of the tees to resist the hinges turning. So, I connected it up with a 4 foot piece of 2 x 4, figuring that would just about equal a 4 foot T5NO fixture in size and weight.



























The last picture is with the "light" raised several inches.

The good news is that the idea works, and the hollow PVC piping provides a place to hide the power cord for the light. The less good news is that 1/2" PVC is probably not enough for a 4 foot light fixture. It takes wrenches to get the bolts tight enough to hold the linkage in position with that much weight. But, I suspect one of these made of 3/4 PVC would work fine, and with 1" PVC it would work very well. If the tank is close to the wall, the linkage has to fold above the light, but if the tank is several inches from the wall, the linkage could fold behind the tank. However, then retightening the joints would be a big problem. This 1/2" PVC linkage is probably limited to 30 inch or shorter lights.

This is easy to make, and takes less than a couple of hours total. It is cheap, so even if it ends up not working, you don't lose a lot of money.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The attachment to the "light" is a 1/2" pipe flange, with a PVC 1/2 NPT to slip joint adapter. There are PVC slip joint flanges available at McMasters and Carr, but for 3X the price. If I were making this for a living room tank I would use the PVC flange.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

I'd suggest thread lock nuts or thread locking compound on the finished project. Wing nuts, or any not locked nut will work loose. At the worst possible time, and usually causing the most possible damage - at the worst possible time.

Cool idea though.


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## intermediate_noob (Jan 23, 2007)

Just because I think it would be neat to know, what exactly were you looking at or doing when the light bulb went off and sent you to work creating this?


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

nice!


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

How would it connect to the wall? That's the important part, hopefully not with a clamp


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

looks like he has a vertical pipe running that could be attached using pipe hangers. 









That is how I attach my conduit light stand to my tank.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

over_stocked said:


> looks like he has a vertical pipe running that could be attached using pipe hangers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, exactly. This leaves you with almost none of the vertical conduit/piping showing, and if the hinge linkage is painted white it will almost be invisible if the wall is also white.



[email protected] said:


> I'd suggest thread lock nuts or thread locking compound on the finished project. Wing nuts, or any not locked nut will work loose. At the worst possible time, and usually causing the most possible damage - at the worst possible time.
> 
> Cool idea though.


I have been thinking about this some more. The tees I got have raised lettering on one end, making the end sort of pebbled. I mistakenly put this together with the smooth ends of the tees together, figuring they would lock up if I had the pebbled ends together. But, that might have worked much better. Another potential problem is the tendency of PVC to creep under load. This could cause the friction in the "hinges" to disappear over time, allowing the light to drop. I thought of using star washers to keep the bolts from loosening, but if the PVC creeps star washers would be of no use.



intermediate_noob said:


> Just because I think it would be neat to know, what exactly were you looking at or doing when the light bulb went off and sent you to work creating this?


I was doing my monthly attempt to find a way to make standard LED light modules work out well, and not cost so much. For some reason I drifted off into thinking about how such modules could easily be suspended, which led me to the idea of a hinge bracket, which made me think of DIYing hinges someway, which eventually got me to thinking about PVC fittings.

This idea clearly needs some refining.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Great ingenuity, as always, Hoppy. I would imaging you could use one of those for a small light fixture, or simply use two for a larger one. Lights would be easy to raise and lower with one of these. Bravo!


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

While they can be a lot more expensive, the mounts for LCD monitors are very sturdy. Some use adjustable tensioners to keep the balance.


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## ReefkprZ (Aug 21, 2010)

if you make "V" notches in your pipe fittings you can get a solid incremental setting with less torque on your bolts and more reliable against accidental slippage that may result in a light system sitting in your tank.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

ReefkprZ said:


> if you make "V" notches in your pipe fittings you can get a solid incremental setting with less torque on your bolts and more reliable against accidental slippage that may result in a light system sitting in your tank.


Do you mean notches across the faces of the tee ends, which rub together for most of the friction that holds the angles? Or are you referring to pipe threaded fittings? I'm still thinking about how best to do this, so your idea interests me a lot.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^ he means cut the places that use friction like gears. great idea - hard to do.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60075295


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

oldpunk78 said:


> ^ he means cut the places that use friction like gears. great idea - hard to do.


Cutting any matching patterns, so they interlock, would be virtually impossible with hand tools. One possibility would be to find something made of steel that has the desired pattern, then heating it and pressing the pattern into the PVC. That would be very doable. It might even work well enough to just increase the coefficient of friction between the mating parts. A hot file, for example.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

This morning I used a hack saw to cut very shallow grooves in the mating faces of the tee ends, to increase the friction between those faces. Then I tightened the screws that hold the joints together even tighter. Now, it works great! The 4' 2 x 4 stays where I adjust it to, even when I rock it back and forth a bit. The screws could be even tighter if I wished, but then adjusting the position would be difficult. I suppose one could do a final tightening after the light fixture is in place, then nothing would move it until the screws were loosened a bit. Right now I can raise or lower the "light" with relative ease and it stays where I leave it.

Next time I need to suspend a light I will use this idea. I like it much better than the bent conduit with cables idea, and my wife would love to get rid of those conduits I'm using now.

The vertical pipe that holds the fixture has to be attached to the wall behind the tank, and it does need to be attached with 3-4 of those conduit clamps so it can't easily twist. Some ability to twist it would help in aligning the light with the tank, but any more would be a constant nuisance.

I think a 24 inch typical light fixture could be suspended with this type of device made with 1/2 inch CPVC, which is even smaller in outside diameter, and less obtrusive. But, I haven't tried this yet.


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## ReefkprZ (Aug 21, 2010)

Hoppy said:


> Do you mean notches across the faces of the tee ends, which rub together for most of the friction that holds the angles? Or are you referring to pipe threaded fittings? I'm still thinking about how best to do this, so your idea interests me a lot.


the first, and its super easy to do time consuming but not difficult, get a basic flat file (probably find one for a couple bucks at your local tool store). just find the widest point on the pipe and put the corner of the flat file against it and give it a few strokes to make a very small notch. rotate a small margin and do it gain until you have done the entire circumference (try to get the notches as even as possible, you can go overboard and actually measure and notch untill the peaks meet thats more difficult but far more accurate), repeate on both faces. then try to mate them, up, widen a couple if you need to but they don't have to fit perfect. just straight. experiment with just two scraps first until you figure out the best way for you. you will be amazed at the gain in position strength.

if you want limited mobility (like if you know the range of motion a given joint is going to make you only need to do enough notches to cover that range then cut one side back to the valley of the notch. so the notches are in fact spikes. if you get my meaning.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I have been spending more time on this idea, and have it more refined now. Here is the latest version:

























This is shown holding a light fixture for a 10 gallon tank, 20 inches long, but it will work equally well for at least 36 inch long fixtures, as long as they aren't extremely heavy. For heavier fixtures larger diameter PVC fittings can be used - this one is made of 1/2" CPVC fittings. It uses spring lock washers at each end of the swivels to supply the squeeze needed to get the friction to hold it in place. It works great this way.

It took me about 2 hours, and about $15 to make this, so it is easy and economical. Here is a better view of how it is assembled, for anyone wanting to try it.


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