Converting netted glass float balls into hanging lamps

I am trying to convert reproduction float balls into lamps and need some info
to convert these.I need to know how to cut the holes in the glass without breaking
them.Also looking for the right spray to fog the inside of the glass after glass
holes are cut.Any info I would be most appreciative.

[ Edited by: Bora Boris - Adjusted Title. - 2011-03-05 14:42 ]

I guess no one wants to share their secrets.You can PM if you wish.
Trad'r Bill or Polynesiac I know you guys make these float ball lamps.

Did you try Search for glass floats.I think this has been discussed before.

sounds like an awful lot of trouble to acheive the same result by just buying the globes with the holes already in them....you can also buy the caps that cover the hole and hold the socket and globe in place.....they suspend from the cord but once you put the netting over it you can suspend it with that and let the cord be free....

as for where to buy them....that's the secret part. i'll leave that up to you but they are out there..i have seen them.

On 2009-06-11 09:03, 1961surf wrote:
I guess no one wants to share their secrets.You can PM if you wish.
Trad'r Bill or Polynesiac I know you guys make these float ball lamps.

As already mentioned, use the search function. There are tips on drilling the holes and frosting the interior, etc.

Go ahead, try it:
http://www.tikicentral.com/search.php

Thanks guys , I did do a search prior and did not find .

Maybe you didn't try "glass""floats" as search terms?

http://www.tikicentral.com/search.php?term=glass+floats&submit=Search&srch=both&frm=all&usr=&srt=newest

There are no "secrets". It's all here.
Once you start reading and following the leads you get such info as:

"There is this gel you can get from "Micheals" called Glass Etch Bath."

"I drilled a hole (with a diamond head dremel bit"

"Go to a stained glass store and get a diamond bit there. You will want to use water on the bit when cutting the hole. Go slow when attempting. The knot on the glass would be the hardest place to cut through. The stress on a glass ball is everywhere."

"...local glass blowing shop. They sandblasted the outside giving it a wonderful glow when lit. If you have a local shop they might do it for you at a reasonable price. I paid nothing extra to have mine done."

There's more, much more.

Thanks Lugi -I was using the wrong search words in the beginning .
I have been reading alot of the comments and info from way back, and I am
definitely taking on a task here for sure.I contacted a long time friend of
mine from high school that runs a glass specialty company that is going
to drill out the holes for me today .I appreciate the time people have taken
in the both past and present posts that address this projects.Now I know why
polynesiac charges what he charges for his lamps.If anyone needs the large 12"
reproduction float balls I can get as many as they need in about seven colors
direct from the importer locally in OC. I will do a follow post up with my progress .

Hey Surf,
Can you PM me a price of one of those globes shipped to Ohio?
If I can get one from you I will put a hole in it.
At least I will try. I may need two of them.
And I will show you all how I did it right here on TC.

Ok Folks I am back with my progress on converting the glass float balls.
First of all after a half dozen different glass shops and several broken
balls later -no pun intended .I found a local glass place to cut the
2 1/2 " holes for me.The only downside is they are charging me way too
much money, so I have got to come up with plan B.Moving right along I
wanted to use all UL wiring as well as a porcelain socket so it would not
get dry and brittle and crack down the road from the heat,sun,salt air,
elements etc.

I live by the ocean so I wanted the electrical part of the lamp to
be able to with stand the elements outside.I utilized a local lighting
place that I have used in the past to create the first kinda prototype
if you will.We extended the socket with a brass lamp part that helps
bring the bulb down to the center of the glass sphere , thus creating
even over all light thru out the glass ball .The top cover cap has two
clips that spring out after cap is installed, keeping the cap snug
against the top inside glass ceiling .

I went two steps further and got shrink plastic wrap that you heat and
forms tightly over spring clips so they wont chip or crack glass when
you change or replace light bulb.To diffuse the light so you don't see
the light bulb , I found a glass frost in a spray can by Rustoleum at
Home Depot .You have to make sure the inside glass is clean with no
residue or powder from the drilling of the glass with water.

I sprayed one good solid coat on the inside of glass and then let it dry
for an hour, then came back and sprayed a second coat evenly thru out.
I will come back and post better pics, I did not take the time yet to
crop and size these pics.I wanted to get an idea of what it looks like.
BTW Tikiship I have not for got about you, still planning on sending you
a couple of floats.

More pics to follow

Well done '61surf! I like the neato clasps you used to hold the fixture in place. The inside frosting technique looks good too... once you figure out how to easily cut a hole in the glass without breaking, let me know :wink:

Trad'r Bill

Buy a Dremel and grind a hole. Easier than cutting and if you keep it wet, no breakages. At least that's my experience.

The spray will not survive the elements that you want your globe to be in. It will come off.

The only way to keep your globe frosted outside in the elements is either to use acid, or to sand blast it. Or (much easier option) go to OCEANIC ARTS and buy one of theirs. Their globes are now sandblasted on the inside.

Listen to KH. He knows what he's talking about.

Polynesiac - putting the "F" back in "ART"

[ Edited by: Polynesiac 2009-08-22 18:37 ]

Thanks Jim and KH any info is VERY appreciated .

I may just have to try the dremel trick.

I was out and about and stopped by the local Craft Warehouse in Gresham - Halloween is coming soon and I need to start planning the latest addition to my home haunt. I rounded a corner and saw several bins full of various sized floats. The biggest ones were about 12" in diameter and they had smaller sizes as well. The best part is that they were all on sale. I grabbed a couple of the larger ones @ $19.99 each - and some of the smaller ones too. The only problem is they only had dark and light blue available.

It looks like Craft Warehouse is only up here in the NW though.

Looks good.
You are making things hard on yourself
with the way you are doing the electric
on this light.
Plus it costs more that way.
Look at the old floats and see how they did it.

I was just thinking this morning that I remembered the Alabi here in Portland had plastic float lights outside.

Last year I built a crystal ball table for my home halloween haunt and used a 12" clear ball. They sell a frosted white ball as well. You can get these with or without a neck - but the hole is smaller on the with neck version - and you can simply cut the neck off with a hacksaw or something.

Check these out -
neckless - http://www.1000bulbs.com/White-Acrylic-Globe-Lamp-Covers-with-Opening/
with neck - http://www.1000bulbs.com/White-Acrylic-Globe-Lamp-Covers-with-Neck/

On 2009-08-23 10:48, KeithH wrote:
I was just thinking this morning that I remembered the Alabi here in Portland had plastic float lights outside.

Last year I built a crystal ball table for my home halloween haunt and used a 12" clear ball. They sell a frosted white ball as well. You can get these with or without a neck - but the hole is smaller on the with neck version - and you can simply cut the neck off with a hacksaw or something.

Check these out -
neckless - http://www.1000bulbs.com/White-Acrylic-Globe-Lamp-Covers-with-Opening/
with neck - http://www.1000bulbs.com/White-Acrylic-Globe-Lamp-Covers-with-Neck/

Great links! Quite a price jump after 12 inch diameter, but sweet jesus! 20" diameter!!!! That would be AWESOME.
I'll bet you could spray (or airbrish) on some color, then drop in a colored bulb, net it up and you're done! I think I got a small one lying around somewhere from HOme depot...

I hear what you are saying tikiship, unfortunately every vintage glass float
ball lamp I have seen is hanging high up in the ceiling so I have no way to really
see how the electrical socket is done or the cover cap that goes over the hole.

On 2009-08-24 10:12, 1961surf wrote:
I hear what you are saying tikiship, unfortunately every vintage glass float
ball lamp I have seen is hanging high up in the ceiling so I have no way to really
see how the electrical socket is done or the cover cap that goes over the hole.

Typically no "cover cap". It's not really needed unless you're looking to hang the float outdoors.

Lugi-Looks more like a finished product regardless of how they did the vintage
float lamps...interior or exterior.I guess I am just a detail orientated person.
Bongofury finished his off for Oasis with a round cork at the top which looked good
and I had not seen done before.

Irregardless of how they used to do it, unless it's for outdoor use and you need to keep out rainwater, I feel that the caps look too slick and polished and not enough nautical flotsam and jetsam. I too am detail oriented and that's why I prefer no cover cap, but that may be just me. The big cork stopper idea is a good one. It's nautical and it's not going to look like it came from LampsPlus.

Saw this 12" vintage float (no light) at an antique mall today, in Ventura. Going for $180, seemed a bit high to me?

1961 Surf,

I would seek out Bongo Fury, the master of all tiki-lamp-glass-float light projects. His stuff at Oasis this year was great.

DC

On 2009-08-27 17:15, Swamp Fire wrote:
Saw this 12" vintage float (no light) at an antique mall today, in Ventura. Going for $180, seemed a bit high to me?

This looks like a nice one - I've noticed the marking makes a big difference on price range. If it has a rare marking, it may be worth $180... if not, I agree it sounds high.

Trad'r Bill

On 2009-08-27 14:29, Hakalugi wrote:
Irregardless of how they used to do it, unless it's for outdoor use and you need to keep out rainwater, I feel that the caps look too slick and polished and not enough nautical flotsam and jetsam. I too am detail oriented and that's why I prefer no cover cap, but that may be just me. The big cork stopper idea is a good one. It's nautical and it's not going to look like it came from LampsPlus.

I hear what you are saying Lugi and I agree with you, however the first four of them
are going to be outside in the elements close to the beach.The next set I do will be
for the interior .I did however not paint or coat the cap so it will eventually start
rusting ,giving it a more rustic look...no pun intended .I looked at one of the caps
yesterday it is already starting to turn , just as I thought it would.

Here are a couple more glass floats with the holes cut and ready to be frosted
on the inside.More pics and info to follow tomorrow.

Those are mighty fine balls you have there 1961Surf... :wink:

For anyone interested I saw this float on ebay and it has the whole already cut out.. has a buy it now..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310167593019

I know this isn't the marketplace but I figured there enough people looking for these..

Aloha

BB

I have been looking for some original NOS vintage corks for quite a while and I finally
found a small quantity of 4" diameter and 2" thick corks to use for some lamps and
nautical decor for my back yard.This size is perfect for quite a few nautical applications
and for some reason darn hard to find .When I say hard to find....I have been scouring
estate sales, garage sales , flea markets and the internet for over 11 months before I
found these ..... and I could definitely use alot more.After alot of work , I am pleased
with the results .Here are some pics of finished lamps for yah!
Whatta yah think ??

A couple corks used on this one for a little more nautical look

The red at night looks absolutely incredible

Cobalt blue glass looking xlnt as well

And this is what they start looking like after about three zombies

Those lights are awesome! Good job bro!

I've also been looking on the web for corks n stuff and I came across this website: http://www.the-corks-store.com/. Aparantly they can make any design out of cork to any spec. Of course it will be brand new cork but nothing a little knife work and a torch can't handle :wink:

Yeah that company does not offer the type of corks I have shown in my pics .

Will be posting pics very soon of my finished glass floats lit up at night.

Here are some more pics of outdoor night shots .
More pics to follow soon of other colors available.

[ Edited by: 1961surf 2010-08-24 15:50 ]

Puffer fish and glass balls = puffers lite up inside glass float balls ...of coarse !
Stay tuned.

Looking forward to seeing that!!!

Here is a light blue and green glass cut and ready for the next stage of being frosted inside.

Here's what you haven't seen .I am so damn frustrated lately.I am having one out of
every four glass balls break.There are no two pieces of glass the same since they are
hand blown .Some glass is thicker, others are thinner .Some glass floats weigh more
then others do .There doesn't seem to be any consistency what so ever .I guess I must
really consider the source.....China .My glass cutter as stated the glass has blown
like there was air or pressure in them ...which I guess is possible since they are
hand blown.I just have not had this many break before.I guess you could say I have
really been busting my balls trying to get this done the right way !
Stay tuned.... puffer fish inside the glass float lamps are in the works.
If If am real lucky I will have several completed for Tiki Oasis .
BTW Velvetglass or any of you that work with broken glass as a tiki art ,
I can save this broken glass instead of tossing it .

Looks like a broken HEART I feel your pain brother>
Walk away and taake a deep breath.

That's why I gave up on putting holes in glass floats.
I think the blown glass just breaks so easy.
Kinda think it's the small air bubbles in the glass, they heat up
and then crack the globe.
You can not microwave blown glass for this reason.
I know this because I microwaved my wifes deperssion glass and got kinda depressed
when it cracked up in the microwave.
Plus when I did get one "good" hole cut their would be small cracks forming
around the edges of the hole that was cut.
I was afraid these cracks would soon git bigger and I would have one pissed off customer.
So I said enough of that.
But you are right there is a lot of money spent trying to get these lights or any art type
thing right.
Good luck!
Can't wait to see yopur Blowfish light.

Thanks Tikiskip for your kind words .Yes I have gone thru alot of $$$ trying to make
these right.Everytime glass breaks...it's $$$ money .I get a sudden pain in my gut .
I will try to remain calm and not blow a head gasket .I will say the ones I have
completed.... look and light up fantastic!

On 2010-08-11 20:31, 1961surf wrote:
I will try to remain calm and not blow a head gasket .

Like how you did to my Turkish shop neighbor?...

Oh you must be talking about the mean guy that left his car parked in the middle of the
aisle locked up,and I had five cars stacked deep behind me honking ...yeah that guy .
Guess he won't be your neighbor much longer ...will he !
Nuff said on that subject Ben .

[ Edited by: 1961surf 2010-08-11 21:37 ]

On 2010-08-11 19:02, tikigodz wrote:
Looks like a broken HEART I feel your pain brother>
Walk away and take a deep breath.

I have taken your advice tikigodz , and have taken a break for a few days and got some
surf in .Really helped me cool my jets over all the broken glass lately .
Thanks for the good advice .

Don't give up Bill, I am one satisfied customer. I love my big green float lamp!

Chris

Thanks Chris .Finishing up on a cobalt blue float for you today ,you will be just as
stoked with this great looking color of glass float .

Had two more glass floats break again while drilling with diamond bit , however the third
one came out A ok. Since these are hand blown , there are thin on oneside of the glass
ball and thicker on other sides.Until you actually start cutting you really cant tell
which side is thicker or not.Thought about cutting and drilling hole where the nipple is
from being hand blown , but the bit won't come down close and even to surface while
drilling .Here are a couple of pics of the cobalt blue glass float before I frosted it
and shipped it off to WestADad in Nebraska .

On 2010-10-27 15:06, 1961surf wrote:
...Until you actually start cutting you really cant tell
which side is thicker or not.

Maybe it's possible to determine which area is thickest by putting the float in water? The thicker area would be heavier and while floating would rotate to the bottom? I don't know for sure if this would work, I'm just theorizing.