Hello,
I wonder if any one here has seen a old fluorescent light fixture as follows:

A two bulb fixture that is very heavy and looks similar to a modern fluorescent shop light but is very old.
The fixture reflector is white baked on finish like a old stove would have.
The bulbs look to be about the same diameter as modern bulbs, but look to be a little longer than four foot.
The bulbs are held in place with wire clips not normal sockets.
The sockets are plugged to the bulb ends with wires attached that go to the ballast.
There is a big ballast at the top.
I would guess there are starters, but I did not see any.

Has anyone seen such a fixture before and if so just how old is it?

Thanks

Based on the design, it sounds like it is from the WWII era. It may be a Rectifying Fluorescent light fixture. Someone else here will probably have more information about it.

If said fixture was in Europe, it could be BC capped fluorescent fixtures. Examples are here and here.

If said fixture was in Europe, it could be BC capped fluorescent fixtures. Examples are here and here.

This was located in America. The odd part is the fixture must have come from some where else and was installed used as the building was built in 1957. So it was not part of the original installation in the 1957 building. But at the time there was a lot of government surplus items used there in the building, so I would guess it came from a government surplus sale at some time in the past, then installed in the building. I would guess it was built some time in the 1940s. So it would have been only about 17 years old in 1957. Not really that old then.

Nice fixture you have there with a interesting back ground. Good save.
 Thanks for sharing.

If the fixture was in America, then I think DetroitTwoStroke's suggestion seems more likely. The pictures are from Claire's collection, in the UK. They do look to be very good fittings, though.

If the fixture was in America, then I think DetroitTwoStroke's suggestion seems more likely. The pictures are from Claire's collection, in the UK. They do look to be very good fittings, though.

I am sort of thinking the same thing. It is sometimes hard for me to believe that some of these old fixtures are not still around as much as you would think. There must have been a lot of them made. But I guess just like all the cars that were manufactured, most have been scrapped. Of course you never know what will become a collectable in the future.



 

From your description, it sounds more like a Type RF fluorescent fixture than anything else I can think of. If that's what it is, it's a very rare fixture.

From your description, it sounds more like a Type RF fluorescent fixture than anything else I can think of. If that's what it is, it's a very rare fixture.

That is what I was thinking as it was really different than any other fixture I had ever seen.

Re keeping old fixtures in use : discontinued lamps encourage fixture replacement, the only remaining ones are either in seldom used or abandoned areas or in the hands of collectors ( like some of us ).

I don't think any old fixture would be any form of high frequency, maybe except for an ignition (where the efficiency does not matter - it is active for just a short time). It is not longer than recent two or three decades, since we have the technology to make the high frequency with sufficient efficiency and at reasonable cost to work as a lighting ballast.
The main reason for anything different than incandescents was to save the money on the electric bill, so that need the ballast to be as efficient as possible without the price tag of a radio transmitter.

But there were some CCFL fixtures out there, someone posted here some 4x lamp one from around WW2 about a month ago...

From my understanding, the Type RF fixtures used hot cathode rectifying fluorescent lamps at line frequency. Here is a Type RF fixture.

From my understanding, the Type RF fixtures used hot cathode rectifying fluorescent lamps at line frequency. Here is a Type RF fixture.

Yes this does look like it as best as I can remember.
The information and pictures were very helpful.
I always wondered what it was.
A big heavy duty unit not like the cheap Walmart fixtures that will bend in the middle when installing.

Thanks!

From my understanding, the Type RF fixtures used hot cathode rectifying fluorescent lamps at line frequency. Here is a Type RF fixture.

I see, you mean "Rectifying fluorescent", while I was speaking about "Radio/High frequency"...
A bit of misunderstanding on my side... :-)

@Medved: That's okay - misunderstandings happen.

From my understanding, the Type RF fixtures used hot cathode rectifying fluorescent lamps at line frequency. Here is a Type RF fixture.

I was wondering if a F58T8/954 5 foot bulb would be about the same bulb diameter as the RF fixtures used? May be someone here knows.
 
What I was thinking that may be a reproduction of a RF fixture could be made using two F58T8/954 5 foot bulbs driven with a modern ballast. Using the special bulb clips made out of wire with a spring like the original and the special sockets made from round modified electrical plugs for the bulb ends to look like the original.

If a person had the old fixture parts even if all rusted up to make a pattern out of and went to a sheet metal shop and had the metal bent and cut to the correct size with the notches in the ends of the reflector for the wires it would look (maybe) correct.
 
The  ballast cover and frame at the top does not look too difficult to make out of sheet metal, weld together and paint battle ship gray.

The reflector would not have to be as heavy gauge as the original and white epoxy paint or powder coat would look like white baked on enamel.

A modern ballast would fit inside that large cover at the top and not be seen just like the original one was covered.
Old type cloth covered wire for the bulb plugs is available new at antique lamp suppliers, so that would look original.
Some correct chain brackets, correct chain and correct power lead wire with the correct original plug you can get new at antique lamp suppliers.

I would think you could have a close (or close enough) reproduction of the antique RF fixture for a garage setting.
Antique and classic car people might like to have a few also for their garage if they were advertised as a  reproduction antique 1939-1941 light fixtures for the garage.

Antique and classic car people have been known to spend as much on their garage as they do their cars.
For many, their garage is their castle.
 
So when their friends stop by to see what is new, you have something new to show.
Not just new but something different that the other guy don't have and maybe can't even get.

It would be a real conversation piece at least.

I value your opinions.

What do you all think?

Also, if this is off topic, let me know as I am a newbie here.