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Making a puffer fish lamp |
Jawa
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 09, 2005
Posts: 225
From: Tampa, FL
|  Posted: 2005-04-01 05:33 am Permalink
Bumping this thread so I can find it again... 
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tikiwinebear
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 30, 2004
Posts: 578
From: Santa Rosa, CA (Sonoma - wine country)
| Posted: 2005-04-01 09:30 am Permalink
I have always been wanting a pufferfish lamp for my outdoor tikibar, and recently found this web site. The prices seem reasonable for the pufferfish... whether you are looking for a basketball sized fish to make a lamp, or just hang a school of pufferfish (small and medium sizes) around the tiki bar area. I will be ordering from them soon.
http://www.shellhorizons.com/details.asp?ProductID=B1-20&Page=2
If you have ordered from this site before and have any feedback, love to hear about it!
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Swanky
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Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4807
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2005-04-01 09:48 am Permalink
Shipping the large size fish from FL to TN would have been $20 or so. That's pretty steep. Especially for what likely weighs 2 pounds!
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Kono
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 08, 2003
Posts: 1266
From: Orlando
| Posted: 2005-04-01 5:10 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-04-01 09:30, tikiwinebear wrote:
I have always been wanting a pufferfish lamp for my outdoor tikibar, and recently found this web site. The prices seem reasonable for the pufferfish... whether you are looking for a basketball sized fish to make a lamp, or just hang a school of pufferfish (small and medium sizes) around the tiki bar area. I will be ordering from them soon.
http://www.shellhorizons.com/details.asp?ProductID=B1-20&Page=2
If you have ordered from this site before and have any feedback, love to hear about it!
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Looks like they're geared for selling to retail stores and don't much care to sell to "individuals for personal use." They have a special fax form for individuals and I'd make sure of the prices before giving credit card info. They also require all Florida residents to send a copy of FL business license.
http://www.shellhorizons.com/order_info.asp
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tikiwinebear
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 30, 2004
Posts: 578
From: Santa Rosa, CA (Sonoma - wine country)
| Posted: 2005-08-29 08:44 am Permalink
Howdy all. Wanted to bump this topic up again.
I am finishing up my Tiki Guest Room, complete with some Bosko tiki's, gravel art, and puffer fish hanging light. The puffer didn't give much of a struggle, after taking precautions with its spikes. I had a box full of shredded newspaper (leftover packaging materials from a recent delivery), and submerged the puffer in the paper to hold it in place. Using my Dremmel, a perfect hole was cut thru its top, to hold the fixture... really easy but wear a mask. I really couldn't believe the amount of cotton batting was stuffed inside it!!! After using an assorted array of tools found in the garage, I took the advise on another TC posting, and used a bamboo rod, cutting notches into it, and twirled it inside the puffer, just like making cotton candy! Took several attempts to remove all traces of the batting, but finally cleaned it out.
With a little work, it turned out exactly like I wanted. Thanks for all the pictures and hints on this posting!
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TikiTikiBoom
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Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 153
From: So Cal
| Posted: 2005-08-29 1:36 pm Permalink
Ooooh I have a whole bunch of those lil light fixtures from Michael's. Used them to create electric tiki torches.
I'm thinking I just found a new use for them. Now if I can just find some more puffer fish.... hmmmm
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2005-08-29 11:47 pm Permalink
I love these lamps.
But it got me thinking about whats happening. Sticking a light globe into a dead animal carcass! (But they look so pretty!)
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kingtiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 17, 2005
Posts: 113
From: Sandy Eggo, CA
| Posted: 2006-01-25 3:29 pm Permalink
I've been reading this post to build my own light and I just found a sight that sells Puffers up top 21 inches - that is a grand soon to be puffer light. It's a little more expensive than the one listed earlier but shipping and handling is not terrible for cross-country. If anybody needs a big fish (also some nice shark jaws), check this site out:
http://www.deltonagifts.com/page31.html
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HelloTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2005
Posts: 440
From: Kailua, Hawaii
| Posted: 2006-01-25 3:54 pm Permalink
I've seen plastic puffefish lights (for those opposed to sticking a light inside a real one)..
They should be online somewhere.
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Tiki Rotterdam
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 14, 2004
Posts: 116
From: Rotterdam, Holland
| Posted: 2006-01-25 4:43 pm Permalink
Wouldn't it be better to use a modern LED?
They generate no heat at all, just as much light as a low voltage bulb , are much lighter & you can make a much smaller hole?
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4807
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2006-02-13 08:35 am Permalink
LED is a good option, but, A) using the old style fixture you have the hanging method built in. The fish hangs from the light cord. B) It's hard to find LED lights already set up to use like this. I spent a lot of time trying to make a tiny LED setup to light a small puffer to use as a rear view mirror hanger and it was tough. I just don't know enough about electricity to do it. Would love to figure it out though. You could run them all off small batteries and never worry about fires.
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Tiki Rotterdam
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Joined: Nov 14, 2004
Posts: 116
From: Rotterdam, Holland
| Posted: 2006-02-13 2:17 pm Permalink
I'm not sure how these lamps are called in English, but they use very little power & generate allmost no heat.
I just found out they also exist in very small sizes..
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TikiJosh
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 01, 2005
Posts: 735 | Posted: 2006-02-13 3:20 pm Permalink
An excellent suggestion. The low wattage flourescent-type bulbs are pretty common; I've seen them at Ikea for pretty cheap.
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2006-02-13 3:41 pm Permalink
I use these at home for everything, and they're great for poly pop lamps, seeing as many of them can't handle a lot of heat.
They also come in different colours!
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Tiki Rotterdam
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 14, 2004
Posts: 116
From: Rotterdam, Holland
| Posted: 2006-02-13 3:51 pm Permalink
"An excellent suggestion. The low wattage flourescent-type bulbs are pretty common; I've seen them at Ikea for pretty cheap."
Funny, i bought them pretty cheap at Ikea too (In Holland that is) 
I am really concerned about fire safety & i also think a normal (hot) bulb will dry out the pufferfish until (after a few years) it just falls apart & pulverizes.
At least that is what happened to my Spanish starfish lamp..
[ This Message was edited by: Tiki Rotterdam 2006-02-13 16:11 ]
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