Exploding studio lamp

v8moneypit

v8moneypit

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Just sat here in work. My son is in the other room doing some product photography when there's an almighty bang. One of the 500W tungsten bulbs literally exploded :eek: They can make quite a good pop when they fail, but this one sprayed splintered glass all over the room!

We both leapt out of our skins!

Anyone else had this happen?

A lucky escape was that I found a couple of glass shards laying on a lens. Fortunately it had it's caps on because the glass was hot enough to melt into the cap. Would have been a scrap lens if it was laying on the front element.
 
v8moneypit said:
Just sat here in work. My son is in the other room doing some product photography when there's an almighty bang. One of the 500W tungsten bulbs literally exploded :eek: They can make quite a good pop when they fail, but this one sprayed splintered glass all over the room!

We both leapt out of our skins!

Anyone else had this happen?

A lucky escape was that I found a couple of glass shards laying on a lens. Fortunately it had it's caps on because the glass was hot enough to melt into the cap. Would have been a scrap lens if it was laying on the front element.
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Very unusual in my experience as a spark. The tradional bulbs often pop as a result of a current surge. This in turn often pops the trip at the fuseboard. But 500w is a big lamp and it must have made quite a bang. The glass wouldn't have been molten tho, your lens was safe......
 
I had one of those old heater bulbs blow up on me while I was in the bath when I was a kid. Had a piece land on my foot which was stuck out the bath and I still have the scar about 40 years later. Didn't dare move until my dad came in and heaved me out 'cause there was glass every where.
 
inaneredstripe said:
In fives years of studio work, weve only ever had one bulnb go with a bang. almost stained my trousers......
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:lol::lol:

I know what you mean. Couldn't believe how loud it was..... and I was in the next room :eek:
 
The risk as testified by Ozei is that the glass pieces are hot enough ignite materials.

Definately make sure you have fire extingishers in the studio, regularly serviced and of suitable type for electrical fires.
 
DrRusty said:
The risk as testified by Ozei is that the glass pieces are hot enough ignite materials.
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I'm not sure if it was the glass or the filament that set fire to the suspended ceiling - but either way it was definitely hot enough. The ceiling (which was made of polystyrene slabs) promptly melted and dropped onto the floor, wrecking the carpet tiles - and the paintwork on a couple of brand new Vauxhall cars which we'd been shooting. :eek:
 
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