Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK people, check it out:

The bulbs in my 331 are old and crackly (that is, white light shining through the color of the bulb) so it's time for new bulbs.

The bulbs themselves are easy enough to find, but my understanding (through JH) is that I need to paint them myself, using a glass dye. Joann.com sells a Glass Stain set, which should give me my green, blue and red that I need.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Previous experiences with this?

The Joann glass dye works fine. Pour some out into a small container; I use a cut-down 35mm film container. Stick the bulb onto a popsicle stick with some double stick tape or some hot melt glue, dip into the dye, and suspend the stick with the bulb still upside down, by taping it to the edge of a table, overnight, to let the glass dye dry. If you try brusing it onto the bulbs, the color will be washed out and multiple coats are tricky to get right. Drying time is the same, so do it by the dip method.

jingle_jangle wrote:... the vast minority ...

Isn't that an oxymoron?

jingle_jangle wrote:The Joann glass dye works fine.

Paul, I went to my local Joann yesterday and they didn't have the stuff, and recomended going to the Joann superstore. And now, of course, I can't find the stuff on the Joann site anymore. What exact stuff did you use?

Kenny, you might want to check Michael's for glass paint:

http://www.ljcfyi.com/ljcsProjects/craf ... bulbs.html

As you all know I am missing one socket and lamp for my 331LS.

Of course John Simmons knew the GE part number just about off the top of his head for the correct lamp.

http://secure.data-comm.com/DC/Detail.bok?no=122902

Thanks John, and you need to get out more.

Can anyone help with the socket part number? Yes I am checking all the auto part stores, but I am not having too much luck.

I searched Newark's site for "bayonet socket" and got a bunch of hits:

http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/result ... back=false

some of which have the "T-3 1/4" designation of the bulb . There's also Digi-Key:

http://www.digikey.com/

which has many, many electronic parts, including a "SOCKET T3-1/4 GLASS WEDGE LAMP" (I searched on "lamp socket"):

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea ... me=2964-ND

I'd suggest calling them and maybe even faxing a good picture of the socket you are looking for.

I just ordered some mini-bayonet LEDs for mine. Here's hoping they work!

Ooo, that sounds cool ... let us know how they work out!

I think that I'll start prefacing my comments with, "I know I'm in the vast minority on this subject ...".

Thanks Gary.

I will buy a bunch of extra's when I do find them.


D

kennyhowes wrote:I just ordered some mini-bayonet LEDs for mine. Here's hoping they work!

...annnnnd they do not. JH suggests that the sockets' polarity may be reversed, which the LEDs need more so than the incandescent (sp?) bulbs.

However, I returned them, and ordered - YES!!! - colored mini bayonets!



They will be here this week, and if they work I'll post pics and a link to where one can order them.

Good spelling on that incandescent, BTW.

Lightshows are wacky.

Update

A fellow forum member has found a socket that is pretty darn close for what I need. (for the one that is missing).
Thanks Graham!!


Will this dye work for the lamps?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... =p3907.m29

Conta ct Kenny. I believe that the lamps he ordered came in and are just the ticket.