A Moment of Tiki Episode 48: Glass Float Lights

My tiki lighting journey continues this episode with one of the most iconic elements of all: the Japanese glass fish float! Glass fish floats date all the way back to the beginning of the Polynesian supper club days, hanging from the ceilings of Don the Beachcomber's and Trader Vic's as part of the beachcomber aesthetic, and never left. I have no idea who the first person to drill one out and insert a light bulb was, but their inspiration does not go unappreciated. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a glass fish float lamp that is pre-drilled and pre-lit, if you're like me with a limited budget, that may be cost prohibitive. Fortunately, after some cautious experimentation, I've learned that converting your own glass fish float into a light is not difficult at all--as long as you have patience to spare, because the process is quite time consuming. There are no quick shortcuts here! The drilling of the glass takes quite a long time, but if you need to tie a new net for your float, that's going to take even longer (I am no genius when it comes to knotting netting--for that I tip my had to Batjak Knots. Check out the link below for a great step-by-step guide to tying rope for fish float lights). If you don't have a busted lamp handy to scavenge for parts, worry not!
There are plenty of candelabra sockets available at all the usual places online--they even have standard screw terminals, so you don't have to worry about lineman splices and heat shrink tubing.
Here are links to some supplies I used in this video. Note that these are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission on purchases made at no additional cost to you:
Diamond hole saw set for cutting glass: amzn.to/3hlPgxp
Candelabra sockets: amzn.to/3UDExwF
Cork stoppers, size 11: amzn.to/3fGUWS9
C7 multicolor LED bulbs: amzn.to/3WDh2W9
Sisal rope 100'x.25" (30.5mx.6cm): amzn.to/3t6w5dp
A quick recap for those who may not be aware: Glass fish floats originated in Japan more than 150 years ago, used to buoy long-line fishing nets in the ocean. When the nets inevitably broke in rough weather, the floats escaped and prevailing currents carried them to the West Coast of North America, with the colorful glass balls washing up on the beaches of Alaska to California. The most common are green, but blue, red and amber can be found as well. Authentic floats are rare these days, but modern blown-glass replicas can often be found in seaside tourist souvenir shops and these work just as well.
Finally, let me apologize for the sound distortion in this episode. Not sure where that's coming from. Also, I probably shouldn't have worn a black shirt whilst demonstrating knot tying with a dark rope. I'll know better next time.
Batjak Knots: www.batjakknot...
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[@V.R.CoryArt]

I always wondered how the net on the outside of the float was made! That was fascinating, great work!

[@LagoonofMystery]

Thanks! There's a better step-by-step at www.batjakknots.com/

[@gordonw5735]

Mahalo Nui Loa over here in the far north eastern outpost of Exotica research Berlin , your compassionate tutorials are invaluable to our project Lobster Island a vehicle for @TikiBerlin I am Gordon W. (Master Tiki)

[@LagoonofMystery]

I'm glad you are finding my various Quixotic projects of use and/or inspiration! Please share progress photos of your build--if not here, then over on Tiki Central!

[@shanegreta]

Thank you for the links, yahoo very proud of my rope feature on ,one of my Dads old bouys from his boat in the seventies ❤❤

[@LagoonofMystery]

My pleasure! I always try to give credit where credit it due!

[@Danny-yv8bq]

This was really great along with your other vids. I work for a beer distributor and sometimes bring home old wooden displays and try to convert something tiki out of them. 👍

[@LagoonofMystery]

That's the ultimate recycling! Very cool!

[@Seaquest112]

How cool! I'd love to see what you've cone up with😊

[@jackimyers9364]

Thanks Jaime

[@LagoonofMystery]

You are most welcome!

[@checkpoint-charly2636]

Oh thank you so so much, this came perfectly in time. Greetings from Berlin, Mahalo!

[@LagoonofMystery]

I think you and Gordon W need to compare notes! Tiki community is where you find it!

[@checkpoint-charly2636]

@@LagoonofMystery will do he is my hubby 😀

[@LagoonofMystery]

@@checkpoint-charly2636 Well, that should make it convenient then! 🤣

[@our1980shouse]

Watching you get ready to drill is like watching Wile E Coyote trying to catch the roadrunner! 🤣🤣🤣 Good job though!

[@LagoonofMystery]

It's one of those "can't look away" moments, isn't it? 😅

[@Seaquest112]

Meep! - meep!

[@Seaquest112]

Cool, - reproduction or beached i wonder.

[@ToddDever]

Thanks for all the detailed info. Much appreciated! Mahalo 🤙 PinTiki 🗿

[@LagoonofMystery]

You are absolutely welcome!

[@danielleckemby2266]

Saggy net.....lol great video.

[@juliegrey5280]

Great video! I have a float that has the lighter thin netting on it so will have to try this with the thicker rope as it would look better!

[@LagoonofMystery]

Yes, quarter inch rope works very well. I'd avoid the jute, as it's not terribly durable. Manila rope is the most durable and looks good even without dying, but is also the most expensive. I'd reserve Manila for outdoor use. For interiors, sisal works great.

[@beckyjacobs9176]

Where did you buy the glass fish floats? Thanks for the video I am building a tiki bar in my basement Just finished all the electrical and plumbing for the wet bar Next week drywall and new flooring.

[@LagoonofMystery]

I get them various places. The huge green ones came from Nautical Antique Warehouse in Galveston. The 8" blue and red floats I found at Moby Dick's in Port Aransas. Currently, the home decor chain At Home (formerly known to us Texans as Garden Ridge Pottery) has 6" floats of varying colors in stock. Glass floats--even modern reproductions--aren't commonly stocked outside of souvenir shops in seaside resorts. You just have to keep your eyes open and always be on the hunt.

[@dressleradam]

@@LagoonofMystery I'm in Korea. There's a guy with 100s of the giant glass floats. They're all clear color. I think he wants $50/ea. $60 with the netting. Good deal? I kinda prefer the colored ones.

[@LagoonofMystery]

@@dressleradam I'd say it depends. Not helpful, I know. Size has a big impact on price--the larger the more desireable. If they were 11" in diameter or larger I'd say they were a decent deal. Not great, but it's not a ripoff. If you drill it out to make it a light, you can spray the outside with frosted glass paint to give it a translucent appearance. That's a modest improvement over the clear but if you put a color-changing LED bulb in it looks really cool. Authentic netting is great, but that interferes with spray painting the glass float. The netting's fairly easy to tie but as I said in the video, it is time-consuming. So pick your poison. I'm hoping to have a follow-up episode on more approaches one can do to make a fish float light, but I'm not there yet.

[@dressleradam]

@@LagoonofMystery thank you

[@josephrogers6689]

Another option for water cooling would to make a ring of plumbers putty and fill it with water!

[@LagoonofMystery]

You are correct! That would absolutely work. I did not have any plumber's putty but did have an empty plastic bottle. 😉

[@Seaquest112]

🤔 interesting

[@shlomster6256]

I really love the projects you put together (although it's not helping me make my indoor, 25' totem pole...).

[@LagoonofMystery]

Give me time! I can't do every project all at once! 😂

[@barbarastrouse5961]

Awesome

[@LagoonofMystery]

Thank you!

[@hinghamkarate]

I think I'll just drill mine. The knot tying terrifies me and I'm a sailor. Did you put anything inside to shade glass less transparent?

[@LagoonofMystery]

The knot tying is tedious, but not difficult. Much, much more tedious with larger floats but no more difficult. I know Oceanic Arts sandblasted the insides of the ones they sold to diffuse the light better, but that is beyond me. I had one smaller float that was only slightly tinted, almost clear, really, so I sprayed that with Rustoleum's "frosted glass" paint for a diffusion effect. That worked well, but took three coats. The other floats were strongly colored so I did nothing other than match the color of the LED bulb I put inside.

[@ppie7247]

How I wish that you had on a white shirt so I could see what you were doing

[@LagoonofMystery]

I realized that after the fact. Check out this follow up video for better views: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmnFi2Sjrqafqassi=Z7hMUWgX5DEtH7GN

[@capitansangre]

Great video! Did you hear the globes to get all the water out?

[@LagoonofMystery]

The globes are just smooth glass on the inside, so there's nothing for the water to cling to. Just dumping gets most of it out. Setting aside for a day takes care of the rest via simple evaporation.

[@danschargers211]

I was just about to do this diy project myself. Video came at a perfect time. GJ! May I ask how long you soaked the rope for? Thanks!

[@LagoonofMystery]

I soaked it for a couple of hours. That's just because I wanted a much darker net. If you're fine with a lighter colored net, you could skip that step entirely!

[@aaronwilson4767]

Why didn't you cut into the float at the nipple?

[@LagoonofMystery]

The nipple area is much, much thicker. That's where the glass ball was sealed off. It would be a lot more work (with more opportunity for cracks/damage) and the nipples aren't uniform in size or shape. The surface opposite the nipple is smooth and if not the thinnest glass, certainly no thicker than anywhere else. Instead, they're normally used as an anchor point for the netting.

[@H20Spy]

I've been wondering if the Balinese Room was a "Tiki Bar"? I visited it just before Ike took it away and never saw one Tiki in there.

[@LagoonofMystery]

No, the Balinese was not a tiki bar. I would consider it "tiki-adjacent" as it had some Far East and other exotic decor which would not be out of place in a tiki bar. Keep in mind that it was an illegal casino during its heyday, then later a music venue and other less successful endeavors. The term "tiki bar" as a descriptor didn't really come into common usage until the 1990s, believe it or not. The original Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's locations didn't have much in the way of tikis, either. They may have had a few here and there, but it wasn't until Stephen Crane opened his Luau that carved tikis became the focal point of the decor. 😁

[@GnikWoc]

Nice! Where did you get your tourist floats? Pretty decent quality, no water dyes!

[@GnikWoc]

Also what length line did you use for what diameter float?

[@LagoonofMystery]

@@GnikWoc These are 8" floats I got from Moby Dick's in Port Aransas, Texas, last summer. Before I got into tiki I'd see them in Galveston and South Padre junk shops and not give them a second glance. Now I'm always on the lookout! I found that 50' of quarter-inch sisal was sufficient to net them with minimal waste. For an 11" float or larger I'd move up to a 3/8 or half-inch rope. At that point you're probably looking at close to 100" to get the job done. The cost of rope starts to add up!

[@GnikWoc]

@@LagoonofMystery always painful to find and good one and thanks. Yeah I'm not looking forward to the rope burn.

[@LagoonofMystery]

@@GnikWoc The rope burn's tedious, but fortunately not difficult (and hard to screw up unless you really, really try hard!). Try torching the rope first. You might like the end product enough to skip the dye!

[@jubileenine]

how many inches in that piece of glass, please?

[@LagoonofMystery]

The red and blue floats I drilled out in this episode are approximately 8" across (20cm). The big green floats I reference are approximately 11" (28cm). I hope that helps!

[@lrobbinz]

Didn’t know anyone owned electric drills anymore.

[@LagoonofMystery]

Steam-powered are too bulky and atomic-powered make you glow in the dark! 😂

[@Seaquest112]

This is really a wonderful idea! maybe could have been pared down - i kept fastforwarding😉