Need Lighting Help For XMetal Singlewide

[OakleyDoakley7]

Hello I'm new here, just getting into picking up a case, I've been an Oakley collector for years. I recently purchased a singlewide xmetal case that doesn't have any lighting in it. It only has the opaque glass that sits in top I guess to let light shine through. I was wondering do all these cases come without lights or just the particular one I bought and if so what are my options for putting lights in it. I think I've seen a pic of one with something like a sunburst top in it so it must be a different mode or mine is just missing that. I've read through many threads here before posting mine and I have not found many on lighting this particular case so I thought I would just ask and maybe get some expert input. Thanks a bunch!!

 

[toosteeley]

Congrats on the pick up!

As for lighting, yes, there's a lighting kit that replaces the opaque plastic, but they seem to be very hard to come by for the single cases. Depending on how many Oakleys you have, the small shelves on the singles can be easily filled resulting in not much light getting to the lower part of the case anyway, so I found it better to forget the top light, and go with LED strip lighting instead. I just ran a strip down each of the front corners pointing back into the case which provided great lighting while ensure the LEDs were hidden form view.

 

[OakleyDoakley7]

Congrats on the pick up!

As for lighting, yes, there's a lighting kit that replaces the opaque plastic, but they seem to be very hard to come by for the single cases. Depending on how many Oakleys you have, the small shelves on the singles can be easily filled resulting in not much light getting to the lower part of the case anyway, so I found it better to forget the top light, and go with LED strip lighting instead. I just ran a strip down each of the front corners pointing back into the case which provided great lighting while ensure the LEDs were hidden form view.

View attachment 283928

Thanks for the info, yea I gave up finding a kit or even many pictures of what the kit looked like so I went to Lowes and bought a 3" halogen ceiling kit and a hole saw and cut the opaque glass out and installed it. Then I changed the halogen bulb out to an LED GU10 bulb and it turned out pretty good, I still have to mount my switch and finish wiring it out but I got the top done and it seems to be good with decent light. I agree with you though I don't think once I get my glasses in it there will be sufficient light near the bottom so I was thinking of doing some of the led strips, just didn't know what best kind to get and what it would take to wire them up too. I'll post some pix of top light once I finish up the wiring on it. What strips did you go with and how did you wire yours out??

 

[kronin323]

With the same case as yours, a couple years ago I did lighting with Ikea Dioder lights that's similar to what toosteeley showed. You can see details here:
This Is My Case. There Are Many Like It, But This One Is Mine...

.

 

[OakleyDoakley7]

With the same case as yours, a couple years ago I did lighting with Ikea Dioder lights that's similar to what toosteeley showed. You can see details here:
This Is My Case. There Are Many Like It, But This One Is Mine...

.

That looks sweet too, I may do a set of those myself, I thought maybe 2 strips down each side toward the bottom would help light the bottom up using the led that I mounted in the opaque and see how that will look!! Case looks awesome though!! Thanks for the info, I'll post some pix when I get mine finished up!!

 

[OakleyDoakley7]

Here are a few pix of the finished recessed light in the top of opaque glass. Seems to have good light throughout but I haven't had a chance to start putting my oaks in yet so it may change after that. I'm pleased with it so far though....

Here is where I cut the switch in...

Finished light mounted

Full cabinet without any other light on

Side view

Bulb brightness

 

[kronin323]

Here are a few pix of the finished recessed light in the top of opaque glass. Seems to have good light throughout but I haven't had a chance to start putting my oaks in yet so it may change after that. I'm pleased with it so far though....

Here is where I cut the switch in...
View attachment 284006
Finished light mounted
View attachment 284007
Full cabinet without any other light on
View attachment 284008
Side view
View attachment 284009
Bulb brightness
View attachment 284010

Looks good.

 

[OakleyDoakley7]

Looks good.

Thanks I appreciate it!!

 

[toosteeley]

Looks much brighter than the single light I started off with. You might be ok. Nicely done!

 

[cyclerdoug]

That halogen sure throws the light down that case, looks good!