Practicals 161 build up on the bulb is another good way to dim it. The carbon wipes off more easily than streaks and tips. Placing diffusion on the inside of the lamp shade and installing ND gel around the bulb are also ways to dim a practical. Of course, you can also just use a lower wattage bulb to avoid having to dim the light. Wiring small fixtures Practical lamps On any interior set, the art department will provide practical fixtures: table lamps, wall sconces, floor lamps, desk lamps, china hats, fluorescents, chandeliers, and so forth. Each time you begin working on a new set, one of the first things to take care of is the wiring and testing the practicals and changing the bulbs as desired by the gaffer. Lamps and sconces often come from the prop house with bare wires and typically need to be fitted with a cord and plug. When adding a tail to a light fixture, extra-hard usage cable is required. Use wire nuts to insulate wire splices and house the splice inside the base of the fixture, or inside an approved electrical box. If a lamp or sconce is metal and not UL-listed, a grounding wire is required. UL-listed lamps may use 18/2 power cord up to 6 ft. long, provided that the cord is consistent with the lamp's original design.