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Black Wrap on Work Lights?

thefilmgeek

thefilmgeek

Have any of you folks ever molded black wrap around worklights as barndoors? Was there any overheating issues?

I'm worried that the bulbs or something may overheat or the work light may catch fire (I'm an electrical newbie :) )

I'll be using these lights: Two 650w halogens, two 250w halogens, and a 500w halogen.
 
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Since I'm one who suggested you use blackwrap, you know MY answer.

Don't cover the vent, don't mold the blackwrap around the light fixture, use
it to shade areas where you don't want the light to be.
 
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Well, I don't have the vent grate thing attached, I took that off because it was causing unwanted shadows.

What I planned on doing was basically making a square shape so it'll turn the work light into sort of a straight on spotlight for a key. I was just worried maybe that even something like that would cause an overheat, I wasn't sure how much of the heat escaped out the sides top and bottom.

The square shape would be attached to the work light itself, on all 4 sides, and heat would be escaping straight forward along with the light.
 
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I'm not talking about the grate that protects the bulb, but the vent on top
of the lamp that allows heat to escape. Of course if the type of worklight
you're using doesn't have a heat vent then just be aware of where the heat
is venting and don't block the circulation by molding blackwrap over the
lamp. It's okay to use several pieces of blackwrap and not one, large piece.

If you want a spotlight effect you could make a tube and attach it to the front
without touching the sides at all.

As you do your tests, you'll figure it out. I know I did, and I didn't have a forum
like this to ask questions. And frankly, I'm not too bright.
 
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Hehe yeah I suck at practical things. This worklight is a dual head, and each head is... massive. It's gonna have to be a DAMN big tube, or a good chunk of black wrap. I'll read the manual and inspect the light here this weekend when I get a chance and figure out where the heat vents from.

As long as I don't block the vents, and I don't literally mold wrap completely around the front and block everything, I should be okay?
 
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Yes each lamp is seperate. Each lamp has a 150w bulb, and a 500w bulb, so each lamp has a 'high' and 'low' setting. However, I was going to use one lamp of course, but literally take black wrap and mold it around the front of a single lamp, as barn doors.
 
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I believe the majority of the heat from these lights is transmitted out the front through the glass, and radiated out through the aluminum casing. There generally are no vents, just be sure you don't cover up too much of the glass or you'll create a heat pocket that could shatter the glass, and/or the bulb and possibly start a fire.
 
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I don't plan on covering the glass, front wise. I'm going to take black wrap and make a square box that goes in on the front, so basically it'll be a square spotlight shooting forward. The heat will be able to escape forward, and the wrap will be clipped as judiciously on the sides as I can.

I was just afraid that maybe doing even that would cause a fire or explosion issue, I didn't know if enough heat would be escaping forward through the square.
 
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