Diamond Table Light Restoration Project - Input Greatly Appreciated

DeadStick said:
I haven’t tried cutting them, but I think you’ll need to use a power saw to avoid cracking/splintering them. Their plastic seems harder/more brittle than egg crate diffuser plastic.
Click to expand...
EL'nino said:
yes, they cut easily on a bandsaw or table saw
Click to expand...
Thoughts? The parabolic haven't been cut to size yet. If I keep them, I'll cut them on a table saw. They are much thicker than the standard egg crates.

53487734463_05e7b295a5_h.jpg
 
rexus31 said:
Thoughts? The parabolic haven't been cut to size yet. If I keep them, I'll cut them on a table saw. They are much thicker than the standard egg crates.

53487734463_05e7b295a5_h.jpg
Click to expand...
Question, do you have humidity issues with that 2x4 wall not being insulated?
 
rexus31 said:
Thoughts? The parabolic haven't been cut to size yet. If I keep them, I'll cut them on a table saw. They are much thicker than the standard egg crates.

53487734463_05e7b295a5_h.jpg
Click to expand...
Well, it would certainly seem as though you have more brilliant light. Do you feel there is playing improvement?
 
Hungarian said:
Question, do you have humidity issues with that 2x4 wall not being insulated?
Click to expand...
No. I live in SoCal so we don't get humidity here. Plus the wall is north facing and doesn't get direct sunlight. All the other walls, ceiling and garage door are insulated. I've got a 12K BTU Mr. Cool mini split for AC and heat.
 
Last edited:
rexus31 said:
No. I live in SoCal so we don't get humidity here. Plus the wall is north facing and doesn't;t get direct sunlight. All the other walls, ceiling and garage door are insulated. I've got a 12K BTU Mr. Cool mini split for AC and heat.
Click to expand...
Lucky you. I’m in Houston and I’m in the process of air conditioning my 600 sqft garage. Having to rip out all the sheet rock and insulate. Then re sheet rock it.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7045.jpeg
    IMG_7045.jpeg
    160.7 KB · Views: 61
  • IMG_7109.jpeg
    IMG_7109.jpeg
    159.5 KB · Views: 68
Callaghan said:
Well, it would certainly seem as though you have more brilliant light. Do you feel there is playing improvement?
Click to expand...
I haven't hit balls with the new louvers yet. I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze but we will see.
 
rexus31 said:
I haven't hit balls with the new louvers yet. I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze but we will see.
Click to expand...
I'm keen for your input here. My Gold Crown light arrived today; and the LED panels are set to fit right into where diffusers would typically go. I could modify how the lights are mounted to accommodate the louvers.....it wouldn't be too bad, but if it's not really worth it I would save the time.
 
This pic is more representative as it compares both from the same angle with balls on the table. I'm not seeing much of a difference and I'm not convinced the additional cost carries that much benefit.

53487749971_4fc26b6f80_h.jpg
 
Callaghan said:
I'm keen for your input here. My Gold Crown light arrived today; and the LED panels are set to fit right into where diffusers would typically go. I could modify how the lights are mounted to accommodate the louvers.....it wouldn't be too bad, but if it's not really worth it I would save the time.
Click to expand...
I'm not convinced the parabolic louvers are THAT much better than the standard egg crates, if at all. I would wager the standard egg crates seem a touch brighter. If your light emits good light, I wouldn't mess with it. It's far more work to remount the LED panels to try out the diffusers vs me just swapping them. If you like the light the way it is, stick with it. I'm seriously considering returning the parabolic louvers.
 
Last edited:
rexus31 said:
So you already took it apart? Are those LED's surface mount or do you have to buy a kit? Do some research only and see if those panels can be used with louvers.
Click to expand...
Yes, fluorescent ballasts removed and these panels are wired together. The literally just slide in place where the diffusion was formerly. So in present form, there would be no diffusion at all. I could quite easily mount the led panels up higher in the fixture where the old fluorescent ballasts were so as to accommodate diffusion of some kind
 
Callaghan said:
Yes, fluorescent ballasts removed and these panels are wired together. The literally just slide in place where the diffusion was formerly. So in present form, there would be no diffusion at all. I could quite easily mount the led panels up higher in the fixture where the old fluorescent ballasts were so as to accommodate diffusion of some kind
Click to expand...
How's the lighting without diffusers?
 
rexus31 said:
How's the lighting without diffusers?
Click to expand...
I'll mount the light this weekend and report back. The initial test yielded substantive illumination, over the table is a complete different ballgame. I suppose it will be worth it to test without diffusion first
 
DeadStick said:
1. I built an LED light for my 9’ Centennial (pics below) with two 2x4’ panels, so 8’ long, which is only 4” shy of the 100” table surface length. At 7’, you’ll only lose 6” more on each end, so I think you’ll be fine. I used these Sunco panels, which are only $55 ea in a 6-pack.

2. I prefer 4,000 Kelvin for the light temperature. It’s not quite as warm as 3,000 but considerably brighter and ball colors pop more. 5,000 is way too bluish-white and harsh imo.

3. Parabolic silver louvers (baffles) are VITAL in my opinion. They prevent glare from hitting your eyes when down on the shot, and make the room look better by focusing the light down on the table, not lighting up the whole room. The ones you found should work well. I bought mine from Diamond around 12 years ago, not sure if they still sell them, and they’re 1/2” squares. The 5/8” squares in the ones you have should be small enough.

View attachment 738402
View attachment 738403
Click to expand...
Beautiful. I hope to have my Centennial setup in about a month. I've been looking at lighting options, and yours looks great!
 
Ok, update. I finally…..finally got the Gold Crown light hung. Ball shadows and rail shadows are either totally eliminated or reduced to non issue levels. But I’ve got something new now……ball reflection. Each ball now has reflection of the light fixture which amounts to a warped rectangle. I’m going to wager this exists as a result of my not using diffusers. As you can see, my LED panels are sitting flush where the diffusers used to be. I can easily set my LED panels up in the fixture and install diffusers; in this the way to go?





 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top