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Making a puffer fish lamp |
Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
|  Posted: 2004-01-07 6:50 pm Permalink
Here is the hardware you are looking for. You should find this at Lowes or Home Depot, but you'll have to search. It'll be in the lamp parts area with harps and other things.
It has this notch near the edge. What you are doing is making a hole about 1 inch in diameter, and squeeze these prongs and stick the sucker in the fish and set it so the cut out in the prong gets fish in it to hang onto. Below I have used a piece of cardboard to demonstrate.
A puffer fish is VERY tough. I started by drilling a set of holes in the fish to act as a guide. I drilled more and more holes until I was close to making a full circle cutout. I then used some heavy snips to cut around. I found I needed the hole to be bigger and it was tough going. These guys stink too. You have to be careful not to damage the quills as you do this, so try to be gentle.
Use a lot wattage bulb.
That's all there is to it. The tough part is cutting the hole without damaging the fish. A jig saw would work if you had one.
Here is mine from the top. He's a big mutha, which made it a bit easier, but, maybe he's a bit thicker.
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2004-01-07 7:07 pm Permalink
Is that George Cates' "Polynesian Percussion"?
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Traderpup
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 26, 2002
Posts: 1041
From: Long Beach, CA
| Posted: 2004-01-07 7:23 pm Permalink
I believe it is! And he's using it as a work bench....!
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2004-01-07 8:26 pm Permalink
Yeah the freakin' records are everywhere! You can't saw a fish without laying it on one...
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2004-01-08 7:38 pm Permalink
Another (easier) way to cut the hole is a Dremel with a rotosaw bit. Takes about 5 seconds, but wear a dustmask, or you'll taste dried fish funk for a week.
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SES
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2003
Posts: 992 | Posted: 2004-01-08 11:54 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-01-08 19:38, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Another (easier) way to cut the hole is a Dremel with a rotosaw bit. Takes about 5 seconds, but wear a dustmask, or you'll taste dried fish funk for a week.
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Voice of experience?
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2004-01-09 11:09 am Permalink
Yup.
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FLOUNDERart
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Joined: Sep 02, 2003
Posts: 1140
From: Orlando Florida
| Posted: 2004-01-10 1:32 pm Permalink
I found a lady who sales blowfish. She didn't have any of the large ones in but is getting more, she sales them for $29. Seems like a fare price to me. I did buy a medium one for $7.50.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2004-01-10 2:09 pm Permalink
When we were coming back from Hukilau we stopped at gas staion souvenir shop that had lots of dead critters, including small puffers. I plan to pick up about a dozen next time for a new project I have in mind. Gotta get them cheap as possible.
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tiki-riviera
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 11, 2003
Posts: 658
From: Long Beach
| Posted: 2004-01-12 2:26 pm Permalink
Where would you find small colored lightbulbs
to fit the fixture?
Thanks!
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2004-01-12 2:29 pm Permalink
tiki-riviera -- check out Display & Costume Supply, they're on Roosevelt near Northgate Mall. They have a large year-round Christmas display section, including a large area dedicated just to single colored bulbs in an array of different sizes. While you're there, check out their tropical display section -- they're the area's source for thatch & such.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2004-01-12 3:49 pm Permalink
Yeah, the fixture takes regular Christmas bulbs, and when you are a lamp freak like me, you have a box full of all size and shape bulbs around at all times...
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FLOUNDERart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 02, 2003
Posts: 1140
From: Orlando Florida
| Posted: 2004-01-12 4:06 pm Permalink
Swanky, I'm a fellow lamp freak as well. I have been trying to get rid of them lately but it's hard to give em up.
Can't wait to make my tiki room and add these.
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Tacky Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 258
From: Tackyville, N. CA
| Posted: 2004-01-13 1:46 pm Permalink
Aloha!
This weekend I made my lamp. I cut the hole for the fixture with a miniature jigsaw after drilling a pilot hole first. The jigsaw made it really easy.
We had a fixture lying around from an old nightlight or some ceramic thingy, and a whole assortment of Christmas bulbs. The hardest part was deciding what color bulb to use!
So far I have only spent 69 cents plus tax on the whole project. That was for the eyes, which I will install on Saturday. Everything else was either given to me or found.
When I cut the hole in the fish it didn't have a smell-I think it's been dead longer than I've been alive. I think Puffy has been preserved since the 50's! He came from an estate sale.
Good luck everyone with your lamps!
Tacky
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mrtikibar
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2002
Posts: 832
From: Neskowin, OR
| Posted: 2004-01-13 5:12 pm Permalink
Swanky,
Your post inspired me to complete my own puffer-fish lamp. (It had been hanging, unilluminated, for a couple years.) I cracked the guy a little bit drilling the hole but a touch of gorilla glue fixed that.
Now it's just a matter of choosing a color for the bulb.
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