Yet more under water lights

I seem to have an obsession for fiddling with them. I cobbled yet
another underwater lighting fixture up, out of easy to come by stuff
and very easy to make.

I use the 4 watt low voltage light bulb. I use the sockets from the
Malibu brand lights (pack of 6 for under $3.00 ) Big Lots sells a pack
of the 4 watt bulbs @ 10 for $1.99, and a 50 foot piece of approved
low voltage lighting wire which can be submerged for under $4.00

Take a piece of 1/2" flexible pond tube ( I used the stuff sold at
Lowes made and marketed by Little Giant) but anyway its flexible and
1/2" ID. Boil a cup of water in the microwave, and insert the end of
the tube into the hot water to make it soft and pliable. Once its
pliable, hold it with a rag, or gloves (barehanded if your like me)
and pushs a light socket into the one end. Use a small dowel to finish
pushing socket down past the end of the tube. The grab a light bulb,
and align it up with the socket, and push it into the tube and seat it
in the socket. Use a rag to push against the light bulb in case it
breaks on you. It goes n pretty easy though if the tube is hot and
pliable. If its not down far enough pull bulb out and put tube in hot
water and puch socket further down into tube. If its too far down just
cut a bit of the tube off. I leave justs the portion of the bulb
exposed from where it transitions from straight sides to the round
end. It gives plenty of light. Allow to cool or place under cool water
to speed up the process. Determine length of tube you need for your
light fixture, and cut it to suit, making sure not to cut the sockets
pigtails, but make it long enough to push the spliced lead wire to
socket pigtails in tube. Then fill the bottom open end with RTV, and
allow to cure. The bulob is easy to pull out if it burns out, but snug
enough so that it does not leak. I have had one in water for sometime
now and cutting it open to examine it, it showed no signs of leaking.
YOu can always snug up a nylon tie arond the tube against the bulb and
that shold make a more than adequate seal if need be.

I placed this light under the plant racks in the half barrel. On top
of the open grid, I laid flat rocks between the various pots, so it
forms a sort of underwater ledge. The light is placed under this ledge
and secured to the center plant support racks center support leg. YOu
can not see the light looking down directly on it, but it illuminates
the entire liner with just enough soft light to make all flaoting
plants show up, and enough comes up to cast light on some areas of the
plants growing out of the water. Not hard just a soft subdued light.
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