Cast fixture review

[Eden Lights]

I just designed and installed a small project in which I donated to the American Cancer Society benefit auction. Since I got to donate what I wanted I thought I would give the Cast product a try. The design was for what I call a Historic type foursquare home. I used six of the Cast MR16 Accent fixtures for up lighting the front façade and two columns framing the entrance to the home. I installed a porch ceiling recessed Lightolier MR16 to graze the beautiful front door. I used the Cast small China hat path lights to mark the start of the sidewalk. I also used the Cast tree mount down light to mark the driveway entrance, which says you have arrived at the residence and this is the proper driveway entrance for guests. GE Constant Color Precise 20W BAB lamps were used in the accents and the same line in a 35W FRA was used in the tree mount down light. Sylvania Tru-Aim Titan 20W BAB60 was used on the front door. The path light was supplied with a 20w Xenon single bayonet style lamp.

The Cast MR16 Accent fixture: The fixture is a very heavy sand cast bronze. No frills in exterior finish just a rough solid casting. I liked the adjustment knuckle, no teeth so adjustment can be very precise. The male threaded base with a heavy conduit style nut is useless because I couldn’t get any tool in between the stake and the base to tighten the fixture to the stake. No way to adjust left to right aim with out pulling up the stake and fixture and reinstalling in proper aim. I tightened the fixture down against the nut and stake before installation. I noticed while tightening down that I was moving the body of fixture on the knuckle. It has a thick o-ring in-between these two pieces; the o-ring started to bulge in one area. After further inspection the casting seam on the body or knuckle caused the bulging. I loosened it back up some until the o-ring was of uniform compression. The fixture has a lamp spring with a loose socket which was useless in my application (Hex cells and Spread lenses which requires a retainer ring) and can otherwise be a problem because so many times the socket wires are too long and stiff and override the weak spring and cant the lamp badly once you close the fixture up. The cast lens accessory set up didn’t work for me, luckily the Lumiere setup and retainer ring worked great. The Cast lenses where undersized and didn’t cover the lamp and the retainer ring was very weak and in a couple of fixtures didn’t even touch the body of the fixture. The lamp must be seated with the spread lens and hex cell on top with a retainer ring. With a sloppy lens, weak or not touching retainer, and canting spring and wire behind the lamp it spelled frustration. I used Lumiere parts and it all fit like a glove, perfectly flush before fixture lens was put on. The fixture has a nice sized shroud, which fits over an o-ring so the shroud can be rotated to any position for proper shielding of the lamp source. On one of my fixtures I couldn’t get the shroud off without considerable effort. I am sure the assembly line had the same problem cause it had triple the about of white lubricant on the o-ring than the others. The shroud was so tight that the o-ring was damaged in several places. The shroud and body are machined in this area so this one must have slipped by quality inspection. The fixtures shroud lens is a domed unit to promote self-cleaning. All in all the effect looks great: proper shielding, aiming, and uniform illumination quality provided for a perfect result that also looks great, the bronze blends in with home and the landscape as if it has aged with the home and area. I will be watching the fixtures closely for a little while to see how they hold up.

[sitelights]

The detailed description of the Cast spotlight from the installer's point-of-view will be very helpful to those seeking a solid cast bronze product. My review "Beauty and the Beast" in this forum examined an early production version of the Cast CBL1CB as an item on my desk top and not from the perspective of someone installing the fixture in a real world context.

I missed the lock nut adjustability issue and merely commented on the cheap stamped nut; the installer's review (as one example) shows how a neutrally subjective reviewer can miss an important function. Mine was a virtual installation while yours was actual. I also missed the accessory lens issue which would have been caught if I had tried to fit an accessory lens or louver to the spotlight to my sample. This would have been missed in an actual installation since I do not use accessory lenses and/or louvers at any time.

Considering the range of product available one would think that others would have comments (pro or con) on the equipment they currently use.

[SamIV]

Just curious how you would change the gasket between the body and the knuckle on this bullet fixture once the fixture is installed? Being exposed to the elements, this gasket will eventually have to be replaced, and once wired in, how would you get it off?

Thanks,
SamIV

[sitelights]

About two years ago I reviewed this fixture; the title is "Beauty and the Beast" in this forum.

Ten lines up from the bottom of the fifth paragraph is the phrase "...totally extraneous gasket..." referring to a Winscape product but equally applicable to the Cast product. If you disassemble the Cast item you will note that the O-ring gasket between the body and the knuckle serves no apparent purpose. My theory is that the gasket is cosmetic and simply masks the rough unmachined surfaces at the join.

You could confirm this for me since I don't have any Cast spotlights; I returned my sample (which did not have the O-ring in question) after the review.

[SamIV]

I have a distributor trying very hard to sell me on Cast and was curuious how this would be replaced. Guess the problem is solved, don't replace it. I have two friends in other states who are very happy with their Cast products & have recently purchased the large Cast demo kits. Both are new to the business. Haven't quite sold me yet on the product. Thanks once again sitelights for the help.

SamIV

[SteveP]

I'm glad I check in with this forum from time to time since it's good to pick up on the occaisional misinformation that creeps in.

The o-rings on the CAST bullet light can all be easily replaced. You simply remove the shroud and the o-rings can be stretched and slip over the socket housing.

Also CAST uses an extremely high quality silicone o-ring that has many years of life.

[sitelights]

Misinformation and disinformation are brothers. The member's problem was specifically related to the gasket between the knuckle assembly and the base of the body of the CBL1CB spotlight. The top sealing gaskets that mate the shroud/lens assembly to the body of the fixture are not at issue. In my reviews I mentioned that the double O-rings (Hadco and Cast) are easily damaged if one does not back out the locking screw sufficiently.

My advice to the member was to ignore the bottom gasket because it was totally cosmetic; my contention was (and is) that this gasket merely hides the unmachined surfaces between the top of the knuckle and the base of the body. The seal serves no useful purpose since the wire chase through the knuckle to the body is the point of penetration. This is clearly illustrated in the image produced on page 3 of the Cast 2003 four-color catalog; the illustration (2nd from top right) shows a hand holding the static part of the knuckle assembly. This part female threads onto the the male threads joining the body to the knuckle. The gap in the mating surfaces is not a weak point. The gasketed join protects only the exterior; the wire chase is in the interior. This gasket is eyewash. It is the chase carrying the lead wire that water can penetrate; this is particularly important if the CBL1CB is aimed below horizontal.

Oddly, the illustration on page 12 shows the CBL1CB adapted as an "area" light (CBAL1CB) and it is clear that in this application water can enter at the knuckle mating surfaces and weep into the sloped chase to fill the body of the fixture. If there is an internal sealing method why not mention it? Instead there is a O-ring seal in place of the cheap stamped lock washer of the CBL1CB but this is on the exterior where it also serves a decorative purpose.

The small scale "blueprint" of the item in question (they are actually orange on brown) on page 33 illustrates only the superfluous O-ring. The Cast CBL1CB early production model I examined was returned after I posted my review thus I am relying on memory and the information gleaned from a close study of the catalog. If I have provided misinformation please correct me with facts and details.

The Hadco workhorse BL616 (and other types) has an O-ring gasket between the mating surfaces of the adjustment knuckle; this is captured in a circumferential groove cast into both sides of the knuckle. I suppose the theory is that when the fixture is locked down the gasket is compressed and forms a water-tight seal. Don't you believe it! Both the Hadco BL616 and the Cast CBL1CB (and the CBAL version) will fill with water if aimed below horizontal.

Winscape pots their socket into the base of the body and water does not enter the body in any orientation. The problem is that the Winscape spots cannot have their sockets replaced in the field and must be taken back to the shop (or back to the manufacturer) for a new socket.

I suggest a closer reading of all of the pertinent reviews. Your response was not germane.

[SteveP]

Joe, I hope you don't really think that I'm providing disinformation. I would quit this job in a second if I was ever asked to tell anything but the truth. CAST is a relatively new company with the philosophy, "if we can make it better we will." We are in a continual process of product improvement and are very open to hear ideas and suggestions.

Regarding the o-rings and water proofing there are a few things to understand. First, water cannot enter the knuckle assembly. The vulnerability to water penetration is the shroud.

The bullet (CBL1CB) has a single o-ring under the shroud with a moderate tolerance. This light was not designed to be pointed downward (why would you point a light mounted 3" above ground downward?)

The bullet area light (CBAL1CB), on the other hand, is meant to point down. It has a double o-ring under the shroud and much tighter tolerance. Water will not enter that fixture.

The tree light has also been designed with very strict water proofing tolerances.

Also, you're right that the o-ring on the body of the bullet is 100% cosmetic. It simply makes the light more attractive.

Finally, I should mention that in the past few years there have been over 30,000 bullets installed and there have been dozens of contractors switching over to CAST because of the high quality and affordability. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

[sitelights]

So as not to unduly fixate on this matter I have two final comments: (1) You are wrong about the knuckle being waterproof; immerse it in water and watch where the bubbles emerge. (2) Who would point the CBL1CB below horizontal? How about down a slope?

Water flows down hill by gravity but it also flows upward by capillary action during heat/cool cycles.

The CBAL1CB shown in the attachment will allow water penetration through the knuckle since one of the parts has to rotate for adjustment by a friction (no teeth) fit. If the wire occupies the chase water can enter; nature abohrs a vacuum. No mention is made of the method of sealing the wire chase in the knuckle.

[SamIV]

The Cast distributor sent me out a Cast bullet to look at. They want me to sponsor a Cast landscape lighting seminar. The shroud on the sample that I received fits so loose that the gasket really serves no purpose.

Are there any Cast users out there that have sponsored one of these events or anyone who installs Cast products that can give an honest review of the Cast line?

Thanks,
SamIV

[sitelights]

I the next few days I will be comparing four deck lights; one of these will be the Cast CBL1CB. The others will be the Focus SLO-7, the Hadco SRL2 and the Escort "Triad" wallmount. The first three are almost identical (a half sphere with a horizontal cut line containing a crescent-shaped frosted glass lens) but the Escort is different in every respect.

The review is posted a "surface mounted fixtures" in this forum.