Glass Float Lights

Hi,

I just finished reading some very old posts about glass float lights and wondered if any had been found or if anyone has figured out how to reproduce them.

Does Oceanic Arts sell glass float lights?

Thank You,
Gem

Sparklegem,
Here is a thread to check out about lighting floats.
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic-new.php?topic=1872&forum=1
I have an Oceanic Arts catalog but could not find a glass float light listed.

[ Edited by: mrtikibar on 2004-04-15 10:21 ]

A vintage one from some bar came up on Ebay recently for $220. No bids. The Trader Vic's in Atlanta has some extras in storage, but they want $400 for them!

I've learned how to tie the netting properly, now I just need a big glass ball to tie it around!

I'm working on a non-glass repro and will post pictures when I've done one.

I saw cheapie 16"D (50"C) (and other smaller sizes) at the tourist trap on I-75 around Alachua / Ft White (FL). The one that has the billboards proclaiming "SEE THE 13 FOOT ALLIGATOR!". (Ok, ok, but I expect I'm not the only one on the boards that's a sucker for cheesie Florida roadside tourist traps...)

The 16" were $50 and looked cheap and thin. The color looked kind of washed out.

That place also had the most stuffed alligator heads for sale that I have ever seen in one place. Impressive. As such things go.

you could use those "garden spheres" found at garden and lawn shops and spray paint them. You could also purchase round, glass lamp post tops from the home stores (home depot, lowes, lamp stores, etc), paint them, frost them, stick a light in them (because they have an opening) and you'll have a hanging glass "fishing" float light.

Tally-Ho marine surplus, here in San Pedro, has some vintage fishing floats, but he wants $$$$ for them. PM me if you're interested.

Thank you for the great ideas!

What type of selection of glass floats does Oceanic Arts have? Do they have vintage or new? How are their prices?

After reading all the posts on floats and lights, I think that we may end up just trying to shine some type of light on the float instead of getting one that lights up.

Some of the posts mention that Trader Vic's used balls that look like floats but were not floats. Does anyone have more info about that?

Thank You!
Gem

[ Edited by: sparklegem on 2004-04-15 14:44 ]

Dave at the Purple Orchid used some small halogen lights mounted on the outside of some large glass floats to nice effect - no cutting necessary!

On 2004-04-15 14:45, Doctor Z wrote:
Dave at the Purple Orchid used some small halogen lights mounted on the outside of some large glass floats to nice effect - no cutting necessary!

Here's the post from Humu about this.

I was just about to suggest the same thing myself, with a cover over the mini halogen made of bamboo. You could either find a piece of bamboo that's slightly larger than the light to cover it, or split a smaller diameter piece & fan it out around the lamp.

Thank you for the great suggestions! I saw a picture of a bamboo cover on an older post and it looked really nice!

FYI:

I was in the Shell World at mile marker 106 in the Fl Keys this week. (And we were at my parent's Conch house in KW when Katrina brushed by. 24 hours of wind and rain, three leaks for those keeping score at home.)

Along with the usual el-cheapo reproduction balls (some of them seemed pretty heavy) they had a pile of about 18 12"D (38" C) pale blue/violet and amber floats sitting in the front yard. I asked about them and they told me they were $25 apiece, unwrapped.

I haven't looked too closely at a lot of the reproduction ones, but these seem pretty thick and heavy to me.

They also had some very dark cobalt 8" that seemed like they could be the real deal for ~ $74.

Right from the side of the bag:
SW MM 106 - (305) 451-9797
SW MM 97.5 - (305) 852-8245
Key Largo, FL
[email protected]

[ Edited by: Philot 2005-08-31 18:41 ]

[ Edited by: Philot 2005-08-31 18:43 ]

... you can also use translucent butyrate cabachons, install low voltage lighting (ikea - cheap) and glue them together... or string 'em... led's are dropping (slowly) in price... another low voltage (and discreet) option for lighting... you can get small solar kits and string the interconnect to the interior lighting area and run low voltage form your solar collector..