PVC Candle Build

**ElevenXFrost** · 09-29-2010,06:08 PM

I love this idea and was gona try it, but my thing is, How do you get the writing/lettering off the pipe. I was thinking sand it, but then it wouldn't look smooth, and wasn't sure if you could paint over it, like if it would cover it well enough.

**msmello** · 09-29-2010,06:50 PM

I just used a cheap primer in a spray can over the lettering and when I painted the whole thing it looked great. I do think some people sand - I don't have that much patience. LOL

**ElevenXFrost** · 09-30-2010,07:45 AM

Yeah, I'll have to try the primer, Thanks.

**Bohica** · 09-30-2010,08:08 AM

I just give two coats, sometimes three of paint, covers it up nice.

**Sir Gregor** · 09-30-2010,11:28 AM

I tried nail polish remover, but it did no good. I'm sure there is probably some paint thinner or something that will take it off. I just give mine a couple coats of grey primer and they turn out great.

**Push Eject** · 09-01-2011,07:44 PM

Yes, just spray it with some primer.

**VroomRollLex** · 10-10-2011,12:44 AM

Originally Posted by thud

A double-post, but I double-questioned and answered.

As I've continued looking around for notes on how to assemble and use custom light strings, I came across this great resource:

Custom extension cords & C7/C9 Stringers

In this article:
Safety Tips
A few notes about wire terminology
Are they cheaper than regular cords?
What gauge & insulation should I buy?
Sockets, Plugs & Light Sockets
Making a custom cord-set
Making a custom C7/C9 string

It also includes a step-by-step walk-thru for assembly.

Hope this of some help to other haunters out there.

i'm a total beginner when it comes to this, but i'm reading more and more. i just found this forum a few days ago.
anyways, is there a limit or a "safe" number of bulbs i can use in a strand if i make my own lighting?
minimum or maximum limit? i don't understand the whole "load" table.
like how many amps does each flicker bulb use?
for instance i'll do the 1-49ft (18awg)

i'm thinking of doing this! this looks so cool and yet even cooler cuz it's a diy!
going to buy SPT-1 wire roll
SPT-1 C7 sockets/light bulbs
and then SPT-1 vampire male & female plugs

if there is a page that answers my question, maybe post a link?

i'm loving all these cool how-to's on this forum!

thanx

**SpookySteve** · 10-10-2011,11:47 AM

Here is a basic electricity primer.
Think of electricity like water.
Electricity is made up of Voltage (120 volts) how fast the water is flowing and Amps how much water is flowing. Think of your lamp wire as a pipe and that pipe is designed to handle a maximum speed and volume of water. For most wire you do not need to worry about the speed because most household wire is rated to handle up to 300volts. What you need to be concerned about is the amount of amps you are pulling thru a wire. The reason is that to much electricity thru a wire can cause it to get very hot and possible be a fire danger. With that said that is what circuit breakers and/or fuses are designed to prevent. They are designed to sense the amount of electicity and if it is too great then they will trip and shut off the power preventing the wire from beoming too hot. With that said let me help you figure out how many flicker bulbs you can put on a string.

Most outlet circuit breakers in a modern home are rated for 15 amps. That means that everything that is plugged into that circuit can not pull more than 15 amps of power before the breaker will trip. Now you say that you are using 18 awg wire. The amp rating of 18 awg wire is 10 amps so you need to make sure to not put more than 10 amps worth of lights on the same wire because the 15 amp circuit breaker will not trip before the wire becomes very hot.
To figure out how many amps you need to know the voltage, in this case 110-120 volts for house hold power, and the number of Watts that a light bulb is. In the case of a flicker bulb that is 3 watts. So to figure out how many 3 watt bulbs you can put on a 18 awg wire you need to figure out how many watts of power you have when you are pulling 10 amps at 120 volts. The formula is
P=VxI where P = watts, V= volts and I=amps (Dont ask me why Amps is I it just is)
Therefore 110 volts x 10 amps = 1100 Watts
If your flicker bulbs are 3 watts then 1100 watts total / 3watts per bulb = 366 bulbs per 18 awg wire. Now if you have that many flicker bulbs you need to charge admission!!
So basically that was a long winded way of saying don't worry to much about how many you have on one wire!

**RCIAG** · 10-10-2011,11:52 AM

Originally Posted by SpookySteve

Here is a basic electricity primer.
Think of electricity like water.
Electricity is made up of Voltage (120 volts) how fast the water is flowing and Amps how much water is flowing. Think of your lamp wire as a pipe and that pipe is designed to handle a maximum speed and volume of water. For most wire you do not need to worry about the speed because most household wire is rated to handle up to 300volts. What you need to be concerned about is the amount of amps you are pulling thru a wire. The reason is that to much electricity thru a wire can cause it to get very hot and possible be a fire danger. With that said that is what circuit breakers and/or fuses are designed to prevent. They are designed to sense the amount of electicity and if it is too great then they will trip and shut off the power preventing the wire from beoming too hot. With that said let me help you figure out how many flicker bulbs you can put on a string.

Most outlet circuit breakers in a modern home are rated for 15 amps. That means that everything that is plugged into that circuit can not pull more than 15 amps of power before the breaker will trip. Now you say that you are using 18 awg wire. The amp rating of 18 awg wire is 10 amps so you need to make sure to not put more than 10 amps worth of lights on the same wire because the 15 amp circuit breaker will not trip before the wire becomes very hot.
To figure out how many amps you need to know the voltage, in this case 110-120 volts for house hold power, and the number of Watts that a light bulb is. In the case of a flicker bulb that is 3 watts. So to figure out how many 3 watt bulbs you can put on a 18 awg wire you need to figure out how many watts of power you have when you are pulling 10 amps at 120 volts. The formula is
P=VxI where P = watts, V= volts and I=amps (Dont ask me why Amps is I it just is)
Therefore 110 volts x 10 amps = 1100 Watts
If your flicker bulbs are 3 watts then 1100 watts total / 3watts per bulb = 366 bulbs per 18 awg wire. Now if you have that many flicker bulbs you need to charge admission!!
So basically that was a long winded way of saying don't worry to much about how many you have on one wire!

Math.

ew.