The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Any Cheap Ideas for Bed Hole Lights

I would like to install Reverse lights in my '51 and really like using the rear small bed holes at the ends of the sides. Every catalog I look at, the prices are insane for just the housing and lamp. Anyone out there that custom made their own? Or anyone have any suggestions?

Denny Graham used Harbor Freight LED flashlights and posted about how he made them work. It's been a year or two since. You might send him a PM. I'm sure he'll help you out.

http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/122737326/large

DG

Thanks. I will try and contact him.

Saw a bilge plug light that is 1/2" npt threaded made from 316 SS. about 30 each.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/9W-LED-Boat...Gear&hash=item3a843f4802&vxp=mtr

There are 12V licence plate illuminators that are small and round, some have a half shroud you can remove. They are cheap. Maybe or maybe not work. you may be able to modify to fit and/or add brighter bulb. Tell me the inside diameter of the bed rail hole so I can find you something. If you like to tinker and dinker. I just replaced one of my wife's 2002 trailblazer headlight bulbs. $10. look at one of those or similar (halogen or less) and think slipping inside the rail, using the rail as a housing and make/buy a clear round plastic/glass from another light lens fitted to end of rail with or without a bezel. think of ways to make it serviceable. that would certainly be bright enough and fry eggs on the rail too! Probably just need the bulb that is the low beam one on a dual headlight system like her TB. Anyway just brainstorming to create thoughts. DG's looks good. Don't know how much $ or how bright. Are you looking for looks.... or function to actually see behind a distance?
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...N0390_-1_2546&pt=N0390&ppt=C0155 ...... says it mounts into 1 1/4" hole, that's gotta be close?

Two pack of HF LED flashlights $2.99:
http://www.harborfreight.com/led-flashlight-mini-2-piece-9-led-3-12-69065.html

Two 1-1/4x 3/4 PVC reducer bushings $1.59 ea.:
http://www.menards.com/main/electri...pvc-reducer-bushing/p-1716005-c-6424.htm

Five pack of carbon film dropping resistors $1.49 (two used):
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062323

Red tail light lens blister pack from Wal-Mart trailer parts rack $3.59 (makes 4 lenses).

This picture is taken at an angle, LED's are very directional as
opposed to an incandescent bulb. How bright you say? Shine one
of these 7LED cluster flashlights in your face and you'll see
it first hand:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/122737355/original

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have many of those I get for free every time I go in there and buy something. Mgeez: If it's a 1 1/4" diameter ID rail, the license light I linked is worth looking at, it fits 1 1/4 and has chrome bezel, ready to go (with hood trimmed off), snaps in!. Would like to try sometime. I don't have a truck to try. Maybe not bright enough, may need brighter bulb. It is only 1 1/2" Dia overall. Dg's idea is proven already so it's a sure thing. I guess the halogens would blind everybody behind you.

what about the switch to make the reverse lights come on. I am thinking about doing the same. I have a 41 chevy with 3 speed on floor.

There are switches that are operated by the (floor) shift lever, Push button type. 60's and 70's trucks have them. When the shifter is moved to REV it pushes on the switch and lights the light. Any momentary, push button, normally open, switch will work. Have to crate a paddle/lever to trip the switch mounted on the shifter or use linkage or shift lever under floor. Here is our buddy Jim Carter's article about a pretty rare switch in 55-56 on suburbans with a picture of the type switch I am referring to. I had the same switch set up in my 71 Blazer, under the boot.
http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/blog/?cat=613

Denny is smack on when he said these LED lights are directional. I put two of them on my panel, underneath the doors. Since the there is some "roll" to the piece under the door the lights do not set perfectly "square" on the body. I used an extra cork gasket to try set the one end out and it helped but......

I let my friend drive the panel and I followed behind in my pickup. I wanted to see, first hand, if I had bright enough brake lights and to make sure folks could see the lights as they are just a tat low.
Well, to my surprise, if the panel was in the left lane, and I was riding in the right lane, one of the LED's would seem just a bit brighter than the other. If I pulled over in the same lane then they both looked the same!

One thing for sure though, day or night, anyone that can't see these LED's must have their eyes closed. Here is a pic of when I installed them. (no, the brakes lights are not on)

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/100_1357.jpg


Back on topic:
I like the bed rail lights and may try the O'reily deal on my 37. Dang it, I drop by their today and forgot them. All their customers were treated to hot dogs, burgers and stuff and since I work for Carolina Driveline....well, you get the pic....yum yum.

I measured my rolls. they are 1 1/2". I just sawed 2 pcs of 1 1/2 steel tubing. I ordered 2 Eiko 1007 bulbs w/ bases for $7 shipped. I have no plan yet until I see a bunch of components in front of me. My plan is to make Backup lights. the miniature 1007's are 55 watts each. I will keep looking for different mounting options if the Steel tubing slides inside the rolls tonight. I will post if I have any progress.

Denny. I have a bunch of those hf flashlites also. The 1 1/2 steel tube fit perfect. I will have a brewski later and do some brainstormin with the flashlites. I dont have the luxury of a lathe to turn a fitting down. Even if i did i probably would cut some fingers off in the process. Serviceability is a big issue for me so that will figure in.

Now you're cookin. It takes me 3 or 4 days of putting myself to sleep planning a project to get the bugs out of the plan. Getting some parts to stare at is my no. 1 favorite thing to help. But engineers and designers are a bit goofy. Oh yeah, and some machinists I have run into.

Since I do my own work, cheap means, not much money spent out of
pocket and I don't have to factor in the labor cost. So
a "Cheap Idea for Bed Roll Lights" is what I've come up with,
but....it is labor intensive making your own prototype parts.
Add it up and it comes out to around five bucks each
with some left over materials. That's Cheap in my book.

Denny G

Inexpensive Denny, inexpensive. Cheap means Chinese.

Everything is made in China, except Chinese Checkers are made in the U.S., but they are cheap. The poster used the word "cheap" and Denny was trying to stay on topic, unlike me.

My Mrs calls me cheap. I don't know if she means she got me cheap or if she just considers me so cheap that when I lift my arms straight up my toes curl up

Man, if I were to charge myself my own labor rates I couldn't afford myself And I'm supposed to be cheap

Dave

Mgeez, do you have a super good paint job on truck or patina? I can give cooling ideas if you need them but you are the "refrigerant engineer". Let me know. The heat will possibly bubble the paint , not sure but want to mention, Halogen is Hot!

I originally thought of 55 watt mini bulbs, but i think that is too hot, so I have some G4 sockets and 20 watt G4 bulbs coming. The fixture I made will not vent any heat at all. Hopefull since reverse lights are on so little of a time, bulb heat will not be a factor. The clear lens was the hardest part to scrounge up, i believe the ones i found in the salvage room here where i work are glass. I ordered some cheap (inexpensive) ones, but they are real thin plastic. Although they might work.

A 20 watt bulb will generate a lot of heat if it's on for very long. Good luck with your project.

A copper pipe, probably 3/4 will fit inside bed tube. You can by 2 ft at Home Depot for $8. Use 1 Ft each side. Mount bulb inside of copper as deep as feasible. Use round wood/plastic/dowel supports which are sized very close to ID of bed tube. You may want to cut notches in at least the rear support for two reasons: To slide in easier and air flow. The copper "heat sink" must be sized to leave air space between itself and ID of bed tube. 3/4 should work for leaving that space and for mounting bulb inside. The air flow and the fact that copper conducts heat 10 times better than steel, will keep the whole area cool by carrying away the heat and radiating it down the bed roll thru the air. There will be some heat "transfer" into the bed metal also. See my sketch. One sheet metal screw thru bed tube and into copper will hold it. Bulb flange touches copper. copper touches screw, screw touches bed= the ground. Maybe bulb flange can be soldered to copper to hold it. Slide all out for service. Wires routed out the back of copper towards cab. Pic on request.

Still experimenting and today when I stopped at HF to pick up a
tarp, they had these 31 LED flash lights on sale for $4.99.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/152903545
Still only powered by three AAA bats totaling 4.5v. So they're
great for use with a 6v system. Just gotta insert a dropping
resistor in series to suck up 1.5v.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/152903543
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/152903544
Haven't got the time to cut some red lenses or turn a body to
mount the head to. These really throw out the light and would
be great as tail stop or turn lights. I think there might be a
possibility of using two different value resistors so you could
use them as running lights and a lower value in a brake circuit.


Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL