Electrical light socket wiring question

[megalomania]

I feel like a newb asking this :) I am trying to wire a light socket, a standard lightbulb socket. I want to wire more than one together, but I am having trouble finding any info on how to do it.

Specifically I want to wire 6 light sockets to a single switch. I can hook one up, but I don’t the proper way to string several together. The libraries closed, I have found no websites; any hints?

[sparkchaser]

Wire them in parallel. If you try to run them in series, you will overheat your circuit, and if you blow a bulb, all the lights after that bulb will shut off. I would recomend 3 buss bars (one foreach polarity) for all the leads routed through a heavy duty switch that is capable of handling the wattage. That would be the easiest/cheapest. If you have the dough, there are switch/relay setups that can do the same thing.

[nbk2000]

The Google is our friend:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/el_cords_outlets_wiring/0,2036,DIY_13803,00.html

UTFSE. :p

[akinrog]

Wire them in parallel. If you try to run them in series, you will overheat your circuit, and if you blow a bulb, all the lights after that bulb will shut off.

All bulbs not only after but also before the burnt bulb shall go off since the circuit is now open in series circuit. Regards.

[10fingers]

You just wire them in parallel. The other thing you have to consider is wattage. If you use 14 gauge wire that can handle 15 amps. So for instance, 15 amps x 120 volts= 1800 watts. So you could use up to 6 300 watt bulbs on this one circuit. But, if you are going to use an existing circuit then you have to consider the current draw of the other things on it.
The current draw cannot be larger than the wire and circuit breaker is rated for. A 14 ga. wire takes a 15 amp breaker, a 12 ga. wire takes a 20 amp breaker and a 10 ga. wire takes a 30 amp.

[megalomania]

I found what I was looking for, that you Instructables.com

http://www.instructables.com/id/EECBH5S42FEP2870OC/

I was just reading about this light before Xmas on engadget I think. The guy who designed this light was a former PhD chemist turned lighting designer. The place that sells this light wants $200 for it! The instructables version has only 4 lights instead of 6, but the homemade version looks just as good as the retail "designer" version, all for $25.

What I wanted out of it is the pic of the wiring. That's all I needed to see to figure out what I want. I hit all the DIY type websites, but they didn't help much. A picture is worth 10,000 words to me.

I snagged some 14 gauge wire from work, and now I need to figure out if I should keep the bulbs on their sides, or have them point straight down. I am using compact fluorescent bulbs at 27 watts each (100W equivalents), with six wired up together. My original plan was for 16 incandescent bulbs, but now I know that would probably trip a substation and burn down my house since 10-14 running electrical items is the max for each circuit breaker.

I am thinking about going to the extraordinary trouble of using a drill press to cut 3 holes in two lengths of board, placing the sockets in each hole, and wiring the backs in a middle gap. There will then be 3 lights facing in opposite directions, and I will cover the works with a semi opaque lexan plastic to evenly diffuse the light.

[Cancer]

You might be able to go the 16 incandescent route, depending on the wattage. If they still add up to too much and you really have your heart set on it, you can run a new circuit. If your breaker box is currently full, you could look into buying a piggy-back breaker. They're livesavers.

[megalomania]

I begin to understand why photographic lights use a big brick of a power box to run the lights, and why they cost so damn much.

My primary overriding all encompassing ultimate goal (to put it bluntly) is to do this on the cheap. Cheap as in I want to put this on instructables.com and include it in my write up for an audience that wants to spend as little money as possible.

Yes, my DIY DIY is getting more expensive all the time. Did I mention I had to buy a 1 1/4 inch wood bit to drill the socket holes? I think I just did. It's a good thing I have access to a drill press... Now then, the part where I sand and stain my box is completely optional :)

Having sixteen lightbulbs turned on all at once would be impractical for a number of reasons, photographically speaking. First of all, that is way too much light. Second of all, that is way too much heat. (Put your hand into the box young megalomania... heat upon heat upon heat). I don't fancy a tan that bad.