The Copper Spot

This old 1000 watt Times Square follow spot was given to me about a year ago and it had been gathering dust and rust in a corner. Last week I was asked to do some scary lighting for a Halloween party and got the idea that maybe I could somehow insert a gobo of a witch or a ghost into this follow spot and then have it fly around the room as I move the light around.

Unfortunately, on closer inspection, this light was an accident waiting to happen. The wires were frayed and the socket was arcing. It was too dangerous to even turn on. So this past week I took it completely apart, cleaned it, replaced the socket and power cable. Unable to find a lubricant that is non-flammable, I used powdered graphite to lube the shutter, iris and sliding focal lens. Then I repainted it using high-temperature Rustoleum spray paint. The hardware store carried 3 chioices of high-temp paint; black white and this copper color. The original color was a dark grayish-brown so I thought the copper would really jazz it up. After all, it's an antique (probably from the early 60's?).

I think the copper color really emphasizes the retro look. I love it!