# DIY Gooseneck holder?



## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Hi everyone,

I got my 50w floodlights shipped, now I'm thinking of a good way to mount them. I could place them right on the glass top, but I would prefer a gooseneck setup. Does anyone know where I could get the type of gooseneck arm that kessil uses for their mounts or something similar that can hold 50w floodlights that weigh about 3lbs each?

Thanks


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

I did this for a hex I just gave away:

Go to a box store, buy a length of 1/2" metal conduit, and have it bent to at the top to form the "gooseneck". 

Buy a length of 3/4" black vinyl hose and slide it over the metal conduit. Drill a hole at the tip of the gooseneck portion and feed the wire through it.

Buy a grommet to cap the end if desired.

Attach the straight length to the back of your stand with pipe clamps.


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Hey! That seems like an excellent idea! Here are some questions that pop into mind right away. How should I bend the conduit? Would it not be easier to buy an elbow instead? Also, instead of drilling the stand is it possible to use some clamps that are to similar this kessil gooseneck stand ?

Thanks


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

They'll bend the conduit for you right at the store. It takes seconds, literally. You may have to take a hack saw to one end or the other or both to position it to your liking.

Aside from the pendant, I don't think I spent $10.

Personally, I think that design would put too much stress on the glass panel. Just my opinion though. The weight of the pendant and conduit just push me to attaching it to the stand.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Further, depending on taste, you could use other things like wire loom to cover the conduit. You'll find more colors and it would be easier to apply that the vinyl hose. Or you could go as simple as spray paint.


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Hmm, I thought about that too but I thought it would be fine but I guess it's not worth the risk. Mounting it to the stand might be a problem for me because the tank is like 5" away from the wall so it would be hard for me to fit a cordless drill to screw the stand. What if I used PVC pipes rather than steel, that would make the stand lighter but I believe it would still support the weight. What do you think? Another option would be something like these overhead mounts but I still need to find similar frame clamps to use as a base. Another question that just popped into mind is how did you mount the fixture to the conduit?

Thanks


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## Midnighttide102 (Oct 2, 2014)

Take a look here might help you out 

http://snakeclamp.com/


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Yes, I've seen those but unfortunately they are out of my budget.


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## loach guy (Jun 2, 2014)

How about this? It seems like you can save yourself some wiring at least...
Amazon.com : HEAVY DUTY ADJUSTABLE LIGHT HOLDER AC SOCKET GOOSENECK CLAMP / MOUNT 24 inches : Pet Supplies


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## Midnighttide102 (Oct 2, 2014)

The conduit as menchanged above is a great idea and very reasonably priced you might look into a spray can of plasti dip to color it up to your liking


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

loach guy said:


> How about this? It seems like you can save yourself some wiring at least...
> Amazon.com : HEAVY DUTY ADJUSTABLE LIGHT HOLDER AC SOCKET GOOSENECK CLAMP / MOUNT 24 inches : Pet Supplies


I like that! Bit pricey for what it is. But I tend to be on the cheap side.

Bump:


mitko1994 said:


> Hmm, I thought about that too but I thought it would be fine but I guess it's not worth the risk. Mounting it to the stand might be a problem for me because the tank is like 5" away from the wall so it would be hard for me to fit a cordless drill to screw the stand. What if I used PVC pipes rather than steel, that would make the stand lighter but I believe it would still support the weight. What do you think? Another option would be something like these overhead mounts but I still need to find similar frame clamps to use as a base. Another question that just popped into mind is how did you mount the fixture to the conduit?
> 
> Thanks


Well, depending on how big the tank is and the flooring beneath, I can't think of a better option than simply sliding it away from the wall and putting it back in place. You're only talking about two screws, so you could do it easy enough with a stubby phillips head screwdriver. Wouldn't be that comfortable, but unless you have huge hands you can get in there and do it manually with a few more inches of room.

Just my opinion but I would trust the conduit screwed to the stand much more than a gooseneck clamped to the rear panel.

Conduit is extremely light. The difference from PVC is negligable, and the PVC can't be bent to form and will sag uncontrollably, where the conduit will remain rigid.

You screw a hole near the top of the conduit and feed the wire through it.


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Well I can feed the cable through the conduit, but I need to attach the actual handle/hanger for the light to the conduit.


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## loach guy (Jun 2, 2014)

Yeah, $25 isn't a comfy price range for a DIY project. However you need to add everything up. How much is bent conduit, a plug, some kind of covering whether it be paint or conduit and you still haven't attached the light yet. I think that by the time you are done with all of that, you will be at or near $25. If you need to get any tools, then you have gone over for sure. I don't see a need to reinvent the wheel if someone already has the wheel that you need and want for what you were going to spend anyway. You can save a lot of time and possible frustration. Just my 2 pennies.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

mitko1994 said:


> Well I can feed the cable through the conduit, but I need to attach the actual handle/hanger for the light to the conduit.


Grommets.


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Hmm, I don't I understand how exactly to use them. Here is a pic of the lights.


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Ok, So I decided to go with a design similar to this one. The difference is that my fixtures will be suspended about 5" off the glass and 6" away from the wall, so the distance b/w the 2 curves on the conduit will not be as big. Another thing I want to add is a swing-out feature to the stand to get the lights out of the way during tank maintenance. So instead of the two bends in the pipe in the original design, I will have the first bend(coming up from the stand) be an actual conduit elbow, that I can loosen the screw on, turn it to the side and screw the screw on an another hole to prevent it from swinging further. That's the only way I could think of for the swing-out. If you have any other ideas that will make it better. Please let me know.

Thanks


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## mitko1994 (Dec 13, 2012)

Maybe instead of screwing it each time, I can use a hitch pin to lock it in place.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

The thread you cited indicates a need for a tubing bender. That takes this off the "budget" category for a DIY unless you're an electrician and have a need for one. The box stores have one in the electrical section and the bend usually comes at no charge. The rest is largely a matter of aesthetics, and your choice of fixture to be suspended. The attachment methods (conduit to stand, and fixture to conduit) will be dictated by your situation and your choice of fixture to which there's a virtually endless number of variables.


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## Desertsp (Feb 17, 2013)

Google 'cheap gooseneck' and there's some options that might work. Musicians use it for their mic stands.

I included the word 'sturdy' and this comes up, for example.


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