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How to Build Stage Lights for a Band

So your band's finally ready to rock out in your first live concert - your music's pumping, you've landed a sweet venue to play at, and you've finally gotten a fan base that consists of more than just your mom. But the one thing missing to make your show truly righteous, though? Killer stage lights. Sounds expensive, right? Not so fast, you Hendrix incarnate. Just follow these simple steps to learn how to make your own on the cheap, and you'll be tearing up chords under the warmth of awe-inspiring stage lights as the crowd cheers on.

Things You'll Need

  • 3 500-watt Halogen work lights
  • 3 Rectangular heating register starter collars
  • Reflective silver heat resistant duct tape
  • 1 Can flat black spray paint
  • 3 Par 38 gels (optional)
  • 3 Pieces of cardboard the size of the par 38 gels (optional)
  • 3 C clamp
  • 2 New Work electrical gang boxes
  • 3 Wall outlet dimmers
  • 3 Three-prong wall outlets
  • 1 Three-prong power cord
  • 2 Short bolts
  • 6 Cover plates
  • Several feet of electrical cord
  • Pliers
  • Drill with 1/4" bit
  • Heavy duty tin snips
  • Pencil
  • Box cutter
  • Flat head screw driver
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Instructions

  1. Building the Stage Lights

    • 1

      Cut all four corners of the starter collars with heavy duty tin snips and bend the starter collars with your pliers to fit the work lights. Drill several air holes in the starer collars with your drill.

    • 2

      Spray paint the inside of the starter collars before attaching them to the work lights. This way, the light won't reflect off the starter collars' aluminum finish. Let the paint dry before you proceed.

    • 3
      Halogen Work Lights

      Attach your starter collars to your work lights with your duct tape. Plug the work lights' cords into the extension cords.

    • 4

      Place the round end of the starting collar in the center of the cardboard and trace the circle with your pencil. Cut the circle out with your box cutter and attach the gels onto to cardboard with duct tape. This can now be attached to the round end of the starting collars with duct tape when you want to add color to the stage.

    • 5

      Connect the light to a pole or beam using a C clamp. Make sure that you place the lights at least a foot higher than you'll be on the stage to get an optimal lighting effect.

    Building the Dimmer

    • 6

      Connect your two gang boxes together by drilling holes the size of the short bolts in them. Drill two holes on the left of one gang box, and two on the right of the other gang box.

    • 7

      Drill a larger hole on the same side that you drilled in before. This is for the wires, so make sure these holes line up. Bolt the gang boxes together with your two bolts. The right side will be for your outlets, the left side for your dimmers.

    • 8

      Wire the boxes up by connecting the dimmer wires and outlet wires to each other. Make sure you leave a bit of slack in the wires so that they don't break, and wrap all of the wires in electrical tape to protect them from the bolts. Also, put a knot in the power cord so it doesn't slide out of the box.

    • 9

      Set the dimmers and outlets in the gang box, making sure the wires don't get pinched. Then, screw on the cover plates.

    • 10

      Test the dimmer by plugging the lamps into the outlets, making sure the dimmers are in the off position. After plugging the power cord into a working outlet, check each light one at a time.

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