# bottomless pit question!?



## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

I have my glass, just need the wood, and gila film and such stuff. I was wondering if there is a way to hide the light bulb somehow. I love the look of a bottomless pit, but i feel a big ol light bulb ruins the illusion. I am wanting to use non white light, maybe purple, blue, red or green. I think it would be cool if i could figure out how to hide the light bulbs and make it seem to glow. I was thinking maybe a double wall with the lights being between the inner and outer wall, where the inner wall has small holes allowing enough light in so it gives that creepy glow. Would this work? how would it work? any tips/how tos are much loved.


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## Phil (Sep 2, 2007)

I always thought this pit was cool. There's a picture of the pit lit indirectly through the gaps between the slats.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

You could use white plastic light florescent light covers and mount lights behind those...


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## HibLaGrande (Sep 25, 2005)

I think the light sandwich you describe would work. Maybe some cold cathode lights on each side.
I wanted to do a dark gray faux fieldstone pit with the mortar lines undulating red and yellow light like a fake fireplace. The bottom mirror would be thin plexiglass mounted above a small cam that would slightly flex the mirror up and down to make the tunnel look like it was expanding and contracting.


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## Ironman (Feb 4, 2006)

The flexing mirror sounds cool. As for indirect lighting, yes it works, http://tinyurl.com/4mzwzq
but it's not as effective as the old bare bulb. This juke box has slashes cut into the inner tunnel and the lights (red rope lights) are wrapped around it inside the juke box cabinet. I did one years ago that was a bit brighter. I used a 30 gallon steel drum inside a 55 gallon steel drum. Again the inner tunnel (30 gallon drum) had gashes in it, but I used red cellophane over the openings and used white florescent tubes between the drums that were much brighter than the rope lights. The added kicker to that one was that the 30 gallon drum was mounted to a radial bearing (lazy susan) and I had a low RPM motor with a hard rubber caster turning the inside drum. It gave a pretty cool swirling hole to hell look, but for the amount of time and work I put into it, kids would just peer into it and say "oh cool" and went on their way to something more scary.

My dream bottomless pit (which I will someday build) will be 10' in diameter, about 1' to 2' deep, and use the same inner/outer slow spinning motion as the old drum idea combined with swirling angel hair, but.....I want to build a wobbly vine covered suspension bridge over it so folks have to make their way across the abyss to safety.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

pretty cool hell hole there, Ironman. Looks like you have some fog swirling, too.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

that pit by c olsen is really cool 
thanks phil

I like your set up ironman , now only if you could put a quarter slot in there to make some money..LOL


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## Ironman (Feb 4, 2006)

The Juke box was in our retro 50s diner scene. This was in there as well:
http://tinyurl.com/4ef3jd
The beginning of the Juke box can be seen just to the right.


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