Hand crafted cassette tape lamp turns old tech into fresh lighting

Remember that hundred pack of blank cassettes you bought back in '93 when they hit 90-percent off? Man, those were the days. Unfortunately, you only got around to making three or four mix tapes, leaving you with quite a few unused hunks of junk cluttering up the closet. If you've managed to hang onto 'em just knowing a worthwhile use was just around the bend, congratulations. The ingenious cats over at Transparent House have glued an assortment of old tapes together and inserted neon lights within to keep things cool and create a rather impressive source of lighting. Oh, and if you can't figure this one out sans a how-to guide, maybe DIY work just isn't your bag.

[Via technabob]

[lance @ Jun 27th 2008 1:45PM]

groooovy maaaannnn.

[NHAnimator @ Jun 27th 2008 1:55PM]

Man!

Another one we couldn't get by Mark!

[inteller @ Jun 27th 2008 2:03PM]

the first thing I thought when I saw this was "that thing is going to stink when it heats up".

the smell of burned tape was never good.

[Andrew @ Jun 27th 2008 5:47PM]

Could use cold cathodes. The same stuff that fancy computer rigs use on the inside.

[Arun @ Jun 27th 2008 2:06PM]

Apple Store at NYC?

There I said it "Apple"!

[The Dude @ Jun 27th 2008 2:08PM]

- "Hootie & The Blowfish?"

- "Yeah, it's cheaper than blank tape."

[quincymc @ Jun 27th 2008 2:19PM]

Thats way cool and I defo want to make one.

What type of cassette tapes are they? I guess they were used for small dictaphones and the like... and most importantly - where can I get hold of them (cheap)!

[Jason @ Jun 27th 2008 2:10PM]

Hmm, maybe I'll have to do something similar with all my old minidiscs...

[Christian @ Jun 27th 2008 2:51PM]

Hmm, that would be interesting, wonder no one has done art with VHS, betamax, and other oldies media format... remember floppy disk 3.5" and 5.25"?

[BratPAQ @ Jun 27th 2008 4:48PM]

i remember 3.5" and 5.25", i use to walk around the school with a box of 5.25" it was my "thumbdrive"

[Garrett M @ Jun 27th 2008 2:22PM]

This looks reallly sweet

[CraigJ @ Jun 27th 2008 2:39PM]

mark douche.

douche mark.

mark.

douche.

[John H. @ Jun 27th 2008 3:00PM]

cassettes

[popeye @ Jun 27th 2008 6:55PM]

The crazy thing is the camera lamp they designed or should I say the Leica M series with Summilux lens they re purposed as a lamp, now that's not cost effective or even kosher...