Another use for RBLs

mikeh65

mikeh65

Supporting Member
I was only able to get ahold of a couple of RBLs over Christmas last year. But I came up with another way to use them. RBCs - Really Big Candles

Parts list per candle:

- An RBL,
- 4" PVC pipe that is 36" long
- 4" PVC cap
- Large serving bowl from Dollar Tree
- Bag of cement
- Left over J-Hook

-Drill a hole to in the PVC cap to accommodate the J-hook. Put the hook in the cap so the hook sticks out the top, and bolt it down.
-Using a hot glue gun, glue the cap, open side down, to the bottom of the bowl. So the hook is in the sticking out in the bowl.
-Mix up the cement and fill the bowl, I used two bowls together to support the weight of the cement. Let the cement set up.
-Once cement is set, un-mold from bowl. You should now have a half round with the PVC cap embedded in the top.
-Insert 36" PVC pipe and put RBL on top. I used two screws through PVC and into RBL to hold the RBL in place.
-Near the bottom of the PVC pipe I plan on making a hole large enough to allow Pixel cable to go in.
-Will cut a 10' Pixel extension cable in half to give me input and output connections.
-RBL has been retro-fitted with 6 pixel insert.
-Will then paint the PVC pipe Christmas Red with spray paint
-Apply white vinyl "candle drips" to top of PVC to complete the look
 

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Pictures of the finished candles, painted and lit.
 

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mikeh65 said:
Pictures of the finished candles, painted and lit.
Click to expand...


Ho. Lee. Smokes.

This needs to dot every lawnscape the same way singing Christmas trees do. I could totally throw pixels up the candle and make it look like one of those barber-shop things. These things need to line stuff, like pathways. Like 12 of them.
 
Can you provide the link to the pixel inserts you used?
mikeh65 said:
I was only able to get ahold of a couple of RBLs over Christmas last year. But I came up with another way to use them. RBCs - Really Big Candles

-RBL has been retro-fitted with 6 pixel insert.
Click to expand...
 
mikeh65 said:
I was only able to get ahold of a couple of RBLs over Christmas last year. But I came up with another way to use them. RBCs - Really Big Candles

Parts list per candle:

- An RBL,
- 4" PVC pipe that is 36" long
- 4" PVC cap
- Large serving bowl from Dollar Tree
- Bag of cement
- Left over J-Hook

-Drill a hole to in the PVC cap to accommodate the J-hook. Put the hook in the cap so the hook sticks out the top, and bolt it down.
-Using a hot glue gun, glue the cap, open side down, to the bottom of the bowl. So the hook is in the sticking out in the bowl.
-Mix up the cement and fill the bowl, I used two bowls together to support the weight of the cement. Let the cement set up.
-Once cement is set, un-mold from bowl. You should now have a half round with the PVC cap embedded in the top.
-Insert 36" PVC pipe and put RBL on top. I used two screws through PVC and into RBL to hold the RBL in place.
-Near the bottom of the PVC pipe I plan on making a hole large enough to allow Pixel cable to go in.
-Will cut a 10' Pixel extension cable in half to give me input and output connections.
-RBL has been retro-fitted with 6 pixel insert.
-Will then paint the PVC pipe Christmas Red with spray paint
-Apply white vinyl "candle drips" to top of PVC to complete the look
Click to expand...


Hi Mike,

Since you have more experience with the mechanical aspect of this, I wanted to ask your advice. Say I totally wanted to duplicate your idea, but I wanted to switch out the RBL and have a cylindrical topper instead, with a wider diameter than the PVC? So for example your PVC is 4", and I wanted to fit an 8" acrylic cylinder with a base on top, with a hole in it to accommodate wires. Never mind about the look of it or the diffusion--how would you go about affixing that cylinder, if someone asked you? I can think of ways, but I suspect you can think of better ones.

thanks!
 
1pet2_9 said:
Hi Mike,

Since you have more experience with the mechanical aspect of this, I wanted to ask your advice. Say I totally wanted to duplicate your idea, but I wanted to switch out the RBL and have a cylindrical topper instead, with a wider diameter than the PVC? So for example your PVC is 4", and I wanted to fit an 8" acrylic cylinder with a base on top, with a hole in it to accommodate wires. Never mind about the look of it or the diffusion--how would you go about affixing that cylinder, if someone asked you? I can think of ways, but I suspect you can think of better ones.

thanks!
Click to expand...

are you talking about doing something like what i did here in this picture? Use a coupler, drill 3 holes, then tap them out then use nylon screws to secure.
 
1pet2_9 said:
Hi Mike,

Since you have more experience with the mechanical aspect of this, I wanted to ask your advice. Say I totally wanted to duplicate your idea, but I wanted to switch out the RBL and have a cylindrical topper instead, with a wider diameter than the PVC? So for example your PVC is 4", and I wanted to fit an 8" acrylic cylinder with a base on top, with a hole in it to accommodate wires. Never mind about the look of it or the diffusion--how would you go about affixing that cylinder, if someone asked you? I can think of ways, but I suspect you can think of better ones.

thanks!
Click to expand...

I would have to see the top being used. Mostly I would go to the HD plumbing department and see if I could find transition adapters. Or try to design a part to print on my 3D printer.
 
mikeh65 said:
I was only able to get ahold of a couple of RBLs over Christmas last year. But I came up with another way to use them. RBCs - Really Big Candles

Parts list per candle:

- An RBL,
- 4" PVC pipe that is 36" long
- 4" PVC cap
- Large serving bowl from Dollar Tree
- Bag of cement
- Left over J-Hook

-Drill a hole to in the PVC cap to accommodate the J-hook. Put the hook in the cap so the hook sticks out the top, and bolt it down.
-Using a hot glue gun, glue the cap, open side down, to the bottom of the bowl. So the hook is in the sticking out in the bowl.
-Mix up the cement and fill the bowl, I used two bowls together to support the weight of the cement. Let the cement set up.
-Once cement is set, un-mold from bowl. You should now have a half round with the PVC cap embedded in the top.
-Insert 36" PVC pipe and put RBL on top. I used two screws through PVC and into RBL to hold the RBL in place.
-Near the bottom of the PVC pipe I plan on making a hole large enough to allow Pixel cable to go in.
-Will cut a 10' Pixel extension cable in half to give me input and output connections.
-RBL has been retro-fitted with 6 pixel insert.
-Will then paint the PVC pipe Christmas Red with spray paint
-Apply white vinyl "candle drips" to top of PVC to complete the look
Click to expand...


Update to the instructions:

- Before painting PVC, instead of using vinyl to create the "candle drips" I masked off the top of the PVC with painters tape. Drew
on candle drips, cut out tape to leave the candle drips. Then spray painted. After several coats of paint and after waiting until paint
was completely dry, removed the tape. White of PVC provides the look of drips.

- Also suggest sanding the PVC prior to painting. This will clean it up and to rough it up to take paint.
 
Did you use Krylon Plastic paint ?
mikeh65 said:
Update to the instructions:

- Before painting PVC, instead of using vinyl to create the "candle drips" I masked off the top of the PVC with painters tape. Drew
on candle drips, cut out tape to leave the candle drips. Then spray painted. After several coats of paint and after waiting until paint
was completely dry, removed the tape. White of PVC provides the look of drips.

- Also suggest sanding the PVC prior to painting. This will clean it up and to rough it up to take paint.
Click to expand...
 
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