I've been looking to light my Detolfs for a while but wanted to avoid the halogen Non lighting because of heat. I was lurking around another statue collecting forum and someone had suggested the $39.99 Dioder kit from Ikea. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20119932 It's basically four thin LED pucks that plug into a junction box which plugs into an outlet. I went with "white" but they also had a multi-color version that toggles through colors every time you hit the switch. A little too Fast and Furious for me but I'd be interested to hear from anyone that's tried them. I experimented with a few arrangements. I tried four pucks on top which recreated the overhead flood lighting you'd get from a Non. Two on every other shelf seemed okay. When I tried one on each shelf it didn't seem bright enough. However when I used the same arrangement on the adjacent shelves, the cumulative effect of the lighting was perfect. I used the rubbery grommits and twist ties from the kit packaging to secure and conceal the wire against the frame. Save the rest of those twist ties too because you're going to have a rat's nest of wires on top! The result is a nice low temperature light with every shelf getting to shine. My display isn't necessarily up to date because I buy more than I have room to display... A wider shot of my office. I'm really pleased with the results.
That's a great setup. I've been looking for lighting for my detolfs for awhile as well. I've used the stick on LED lights, but these seem a lot brighter than the ones I have. Is the chord to the junction box very long? The only outlet close enough to the detolfs is being blocked by them, so I wouldn't be able to stash it behind. I might have to set it up on top of the detolf, if the the chord to junction box is long enough. I might buy a set just to try it out.
That makes me want to get some of those Detolfs. One thing you might want to do, place a riser at the bottom of the detolf...like Lorne did for the Kaiju show. It's a pretty simple and cool idea that makes a world of differece.
Thanks guys! Mike, all the cords are pretty long. I've got the junction box and switches all up top with plenty of wire to spare. Are you using the Rite Lite pucks? I was considering those but the reviews I read said the battery life was no good. Kirkland, the kit gives you a few mounting options. Screws (probably a bad idea with these shelves, hehe) and foamy cut-to-size double adhesive stickers. I actually used good ol' fashion Scotch tape because I wasn't sure how I was going to arrange the lights. They're light enough that you could probably use rubber cement or poster putty.
Not sure which ones I'm using at the moment. All I know is I picked them up at Mervyn's. LOL Don't use them too often, so I can't say how long the batteries last, but they are definitely a lot dimmer than your setup. I'm gonna buy one set to test it out. I'm gonna have to figure out how to set it up given that I don't have much space between the walls and detolfs.
I think you might have set a whole new standard for detolf users. I've been wanting to get some kind of light for my shelves, especially the GID shelves for awhile this seems like an excellent option. Are replacement bulbs hard to find for these? Chris
Oh, is there any specific light bulb that could keep the GID glow in their extreme brightness (without fading out)
Andy, Thanks for posting this I've been toying with the idea of using those lights for awhile now (wasn't sure of the brightness) But now I'm sold
LED's are the shiat! The amount of light that can be pumped out of the very newest ones are amazing. 200+ lumens from something the size of a nail's head. Luxeon, Seoul Semiconductor and Cree are at the cutting edge! I can highly recommend ANY of their products. Cree is the USA's shining star in the field of led's btw. Those who still use incandescent flashlights, get rid of em! There are no "black light" led's yet...but there are UV led's...but unless you can solder and etc know exactly what you are doing it's not going to be easy, but I Highly recommend against it anyway.(your eyes) UV led flashlights are a great way to quick charge any GID object. Inside those things are probably an array of led's and if 1 dies the rest will still light no problem. They have a crazy long life more than fluorescents. 35k+ hrs, and the run quite cool compared to incandescent or halogens. The biggest thing, is that led's are VERY directional, so a good dispersal dome/item is very important.
those are really bright!!! thank you for posting iv been looking for the lights for a while (lazily)!!
Wow, meczilla- those lights really look great! I've used the Dot-It puck LED lights to light both of my display areas for about a year now and really like the chilly, clinical quality of light they give. They're very, very directional, tho- the diffusion you're getting with this set from Ikea is quite impressive. When I had the Dot-Its in my Detolf (stuck to the roof and the shelf-undersides, basically the same way you have these), I had a piece of mirror cut to fit the floor of the shelf, to provide some bounce-back. I think I will have to look into these...tho I have to say I will miss the wireless-ness of the Dot-Its...
i just came back to this and damn these lights make the cases look fuckin' good. i may have to rewire my detolfs...
