polished stainless steel mixing bowls Walmart $6 each. all you need are tin snips to cut a slot and a hammer to pound in dimples for diffusion. i can send to a pic if you want.

Interesting idea!

Can you put a pic up in this thread for everyone to see?

This is exactly what I did.
I got these reflectors from Dickinson Mtg. #407-204 Cayer st., Coquitlam 604-525-6444.
One reflector @ $27 about 3 years ago.
They can also cut you a piece, but more expensive.

I was out shopping with the family being annoyed i wasn't able to finish my tank setup, and it hit me, 12$ later and 6 months use i see no need to replace them they work so well, not bad for a cheap substitute until i could afford better. Notes: i was able to attach them to the flashing which lines my hood thus no heat transfer problems, i wouldn't just screw them into wood. and the placement of the center of the bulb to the center of the bowl is important. I used the 13" ones and the most non scratched and refletive ones i could find, the sharper your refletion the better.

Cool, thanks for the pics!

Do you have any pics with the bulbs mounted in them?
That looks like a really neat DIY idea. :wink:

I didn't have any but i quickly snapped a few, i appologize for the quality. When you mount them raising or lowering the height of the base of the bowl (distance between bulb and bottom of bowl)will change the width of the flood. You'll have to play around and find the right hieght that works for you my tank is a 24 deep, for reference.

Why is the dimpled shape better than just the round? Would more, but smaller dimples work even better or what is the theory behind this exactly?

The dimples defuse the light otherwise it is a spotlight. the small ones are the same theory just not as easy to manufacture or create at least consistantly, if you think about the physics i think that the small ones would eat up the light more (reflected light into other reflectors etc). i'm sure they just do that because it easier to manufature and size or usefulness there of. The reality is, for these ones, that's where the tin (stainless steel) held it's shape after i hit it with the hammer.The ones i used where thin walled but high tensile, but i would have made them that way anyway. besides it looks cool and isn't that what it's all about, not to mention cheap. hahaha

Very cool idea.Do you think there's enough room to mount a DE bulb in one of those?