Charcoalized wood. How hazardous is it?

[M. D.]

I love that place ,..it's got it goin on man!

does the guy who own's it look like this by any chance???

Post Script: what's with the coffin on the ceiling??

 

[ike5547]

I love that place ,..it's got it goin on man!

does the guy who own's it look like this by any chance???

Post Script: what's with the coffin on the ceiling??

That's him!

Actually, the place hasn't been redecorated for quite some time. Art Deco.

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

Nope. I won't be back there again until next week. There're three 50W MR16s in it now. The fixture is probably custom made --unlisted, etc., etc-- There are three small electronic transformers above the canopy; there wasn't one of those little fiberglass heat barrier/shield thingies above the canopy when I took it down.

It's made all of brass and actually looks pretty good.

The customer is going to let me install some of those MR16 LED lamps in place of the halogen. Do they dim, do you think? He's got these 'custom' dimmers installed everywhere and probably doesn't want to lose one of those either.

pretty sure they can dim. Will warn you they lie about the amount of light they give off but it will solve the heat problem. Also suggest the others get changed

 

[ike5547]

A couple more photos:

I have more, but you would be able to guess who the owner is and I would get in trouble.

 

[LarryFine]

"Oh, behave, baby, behave!"

 

[e57]

It's the dark little room across the way in the photo. If you were to drag a finger nail across the wood under the fixture you would get soot stuck under the nail.

Soot or dried linseed or tung oil? Finishes can do a lot of wierd things with heat.... That was my point...

Nope. I won't be back there again until next week. There're three 50W MR16s in it now. The fixture is probably custom made --unlisted, etc., etc-- There are three small electronic transformers above the canopy; there wasn't one of those little fiberglass heat barrier/shield thingies above the canopy when I took it down.

It's made all of brass and actually looks pretty good.

One would not assume it was an original fixture if it has electronic T's and MR-16s - (Asumming the Deco is period - not re-production?) but I too have come across some stupid Italian made BS much like what you describe and was so not fond of the open top design that I fab'ed a metal sheet to mount the fixture to. Not that ELV T's make much heat - I just did not like the idea of having an open fixture canopy with an area of 5' with a whole slue of connections and the unorthodoxed electrical concepts and tradions that get shipped from that nation.

Does your fixture capture and collect lamp heat? IMO - if you feel for the issue - it be worth investigating what type of heat the fixture produced of a short period of time - say a few hours mounted to a piece of plywood, and take an *IR thermometer and check various points. (To include a small hole that you feed the wire though - so to limit heat escape when covered by a small peice of tape, and provide someplace to take a heat reading when you remove the tape...) This may put you at ease - or help prove your point with less speculation.

*If you don't own an IR thermometer I suggest getting one - it can make a very usefull diagnostic tool for a number of reasons... Finding loose neutrals - resistive splices and defective track parts....

A couple more photos:

At the very least - there is a fire extingisher handy.....

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

Sounds like op is dealing with rich. Logic and laws are not something they care about. Do what you think is safe and remember that it is your license and insurance at risk not the owners. If this fixture was custom built and has no UL listing then it would be my call as to if i reinstall it. You removed it why ? I do not see a ground wire. My gut feeling is they been lucky for several years. I have seen many fire jobs in my years and most were started over something stupid.