Build A Lamp Stand

Since all of my cage assembly and equipment installation for my hobby falls to me, and I am technologically impaired, I have had to find solutions that are easy to make, adaptable, easy to dismantle, and fully reversible. Making sure that the UV bulbs are hung close enough to benefit my chameleons is one problem I solved with a lamp stand. Estimated assembly time is between 1 and 5 minutes.

Warning: Use caution when installing any electrical equipment, and follow the guidelines provided by the manufacturers of the fixtures and the bulbs.

Materials needed:

1 prefab bookcase shelf or piece of straight lumber, measuring 12-18" wide by 24-30" long
4 short but wide screws
1 6-foot metal pipe with threaded ends
1 T-fitting for pipe 1 metal flange for pipe
1 drill
1 ink pen
1 hammer and a nail

First, locate the center of the board, place the flange on it and use a pen to mark where the screws will go.

Tap the nail lightly to each mark, to prime the holes for the screws.

When all four holes are primed, put the flange back in place, and use the drill to screw it to the board. You can use a screwdriver to do this by hand, but it is very tedious. Trust me. I have done it.

After the flange is secured, thread the pipe into the flange.

Next, thread the T on the other end of the pipe, and stand it up.

Use the T to affix a fluorescent ballast fixture to the stand. Note: I use no reflector with Reptisun 10.0 because they already have a high output for my needs. If you prefer a reflector to optimize UV radiance, place weights on the stand base for added stability. To read about bulb output for your own purposes, visit this site: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

You can make tougher, heavy duty stands using the same method. "Speed Rail" and fittings are expensive, but lightweight and strong; try different sizes and thickness of wood or industrial board. At times, I have attached a small basking spot lamp at the top of the lamp stand, in addition to the 48" ballast. You can see these lamp stands in use on the Free Range page of this site. These stands are easy to disassemble, clean, move, store, and reuse. Do not place the wood base in a wet location, or the wood will swell, the flange will become compromised, and the lamp may fall over, causing damage and/or a fire risk. Use caution when installing any electrical equipment, and follow the guidelines provided by the manufacturers of the fixtures and the bulbs.