I've been wrestling with the same issues for a while now and have come to some fews little understandings that I'll happily pass along for what they might be worth.
You're correct about the light colors. LEDs are very cold, but small enough that in some cases you an combine white and amber to get a warmer color. Biggest issue I have with LEDs is that they are tightly directional. To get a wide dispersion requires either a lens or multiple emitters. No way around it. Some of the higher wattage LEDs come with a "lens" molded on. Keep in mind that until you get to the really high-wattage LEDs, (say 3-watt), you can use colored gels in front of them to shift colors. Photography supply houses and theatrical supply places carry the colored gels. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll bet you could dip them in plastic dye, too. It's a thought.
Halogens are hot, yes. They are also sort of a cold light color. You can offset some of both these issues by dropping their supply voltage a bit. Current-limiting resistor, series-wired load, etc. Maybe try a wave-clipper type of dimmer - the SCR type. The aluminum will dissipate heat pretty darn well, particularly if it is a darker color and a matte surface. Think of semiconductor heat-sinks and maybe design with some extra radiating area around the lamp base. Thermally-conductive paste such as used for mounting heat sinks on computer CPUs would increase transfer rates, too. You can calculate the heat transfer and loss rates if you know all the math. I don't, so I just experiment until I get what I need. Remember that heat rises and creates convection currents and use that to your advantage.
It's getting damn tough to find the high-quality candelabra sockets anymore. I'm talking about the ceramic ones, instead of the cheesy plastic and aluminum ones that crap out in a year in my maritime environment. DeSherbinin used to carry them, but doesn't seem to anymore. Maybe try MSC.
Incandescents are easy to dim, again using a wave-clipper, and you can use higher wattage bulbs then dim them to get a warmer light and much longer (triple or more) life. That's a plus in a chandelier where changing them is a bite in the butt.
Try to find silicone-insulated wire. It stands the heat far better than PVC, and is way easier to pull through tight tubing. Stranded is more flexible, but carries a bit less current for a given gauge. Be sure you follow accepted practices for color-coding, grounding, isolation and current loading.
Find out first if you're going to be subject to UL-approval requirements - it can cost as much as a grand to get a light UL-approved, if you can even find a shop within reach that can do it. I won't get into what you can do with a scanner and color laser printer and a bit of clear Mylar...
I hope this is some help to you. Let me know what you discover, too. I'm always eager to learn new things about lighting.
Rich
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Jake, I've been wrestling
Jake,
I've been wrestling with the same issues for a while now and have come to some fews little understandings that I'll happily pass along for what they might be worth.
You're correct about the light colors. LEDs are very cold, but small enough that in some cases you an combine white and amber to get a warmer color. Biggest issue I have with LEDs is that they are tightly directional. To get a wide dispersion requires either a lens or multiple emitters. No way around it. Some of the higher wattage LEDs come with a "lens" molded on. Keep in mind that until you get to the really high-wattage LEDs, (say 3-watt), you can use colored gels in front of them to shift colors. Photography supply houses and theatrical supply places carry the colored gels. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll bet you could dip them in plastic dye, too. It's a thought.
Halogens are hot, yes. They are also sort of a cold light color. You can offset some of both these issues by dropping their supply voltage a bit. Current-limiting resistor, series-wired load, etc. Maybe try a wave-clipper type of dimmer - the SCR type. The aluminum will dissipate heat pretty darn well, particularly if it is a darker color and a matte surface. Think of semiconductor heat-sinks and maybe design with some extra radiating area around the lamp base. Thermally-conductive paste such as used for mounting heat sinks on computer CPUs would increase transfer rates, too. You can calculate the heat transfer and loss rates if you know all the math. I don't, so I just experiment until I get what I need. Remember that heat rises and creates convection currents and use that to your advantage.
It's getting damn tough to find the high-quality candelabra sockets anymore. I'm talking about the ceramic ones, instead of the cheesy plastic and aluminum ones that crap out in a year in my maritime environment. DeSherbinin used to carry them, but doesn't seem to anymore. Maybe try MSC.
Incandescents are easy to dim, again using a wave-clipper, and you can use higher wattage bulbs then dim them to get a warmer light and much longer (triple or more) life. That's a plus in a chandelier where changing them is a bite in the butt.
Try to find silicone-insulated wire. It stands the heat far better than PVC, and is way easier to pull through tight tubing. Stranded is more flexible, but carries a bit less current for a given gauge. Be sure you follow accepted practices for color-coding, grounding, isolation and current loading.
Find out first if you're going to be subject to UL-approval requirements - it can cost as much as a grand to get a light UL-approved, if you can even find a shop within reach that can do it. I won't get into what you can do with a scanner and color laser printer and a bit of clear Mylar...
I hope this is some help to you. Let me know what you discover, too. I'm always eager to learn new things about lighting.
Rich