Steve - it is still possible to get those small (15 w) red bulbs that
have a standard Mazda base and that are slightly smaller than a golf
ball.  I would look at Home Despot or Lowes.  I used one of those when I
first set up a darkroom, and I still get it out if I need an additional
safelight in a dark corner of my darkroom.

Louie

 Sure. Any place claiming to have a darkroom section will stock them. But
they're only cheaper if you never need to replace them. You can get a brand
new 5x7 light for not much more.

   If you just get a red bulb from a non-darkroom source make sure you test
it well. OTOH test any safe light well.

  Nick

Well...if you must, try this link in Freestyle sales:
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=2108&pid=6007

The last time I saw the CLEAR red or amber glass safelite bulbs, made with
ruby or amber colored glass, they were not cheap (like $10-20), the painted
ones are cheap but how safe they really are is anyone's guess.  I guess when
I can buy a 10x12 Kodak Utility Safelite (model D?) for ten bucks with
filter at a swap meet I'm not very interested in the alternatives.  (Even
better, I bought a Thomas with filters and bulb for $45.00--use that
safelight and you just don't have any dark corners!)  I worked in a place
that sold the cheap painted ones and used them in their darkroom and recall
many quality moments spent patching the coatings on those bulbs with heat
resistant black paint to blot out all the dang-blasted white pinholes.  BTW,
the ones made with colored glass were really intended for graphic arts
applications and may transmit too much of the wrong color light to be really
safe around VC papers.

But if $10 is really too much?  Make your own housing and beg a couple
sheets of RubyLith form a graphics arts guy, since they are all going
digital they will probably give it to you for free.  The RubyLith is tacky
enough to stick to a piece of glass.

BTW I also had the good fortune to pick up a couple rolls of 3M
lithographers tape, it's like clear cellophane tape but dark red in color,
great for patching pinholes in safelights and a couple layers over the lens
of a small AA flashlight make a great safe flashlight for checking lens
aperture settings, looking around in those dark corners or under the edges
of counters for the dodging tool someone just dropped (it's never happened
to me of course).  Great for sky parties, too, if you're an astronomer,
makes it easier to find the Thermos with the hot chocolate.

They are(were) still on the shelf at the local photostore.

B&H has the style that is dipped in paint.  The 25W 'Jumbos' work well.

Really nice safelights often go for a song on ebay.

My experience is that these red-colored light bulbs aren't safe.  An amber
one may actually be safer than a red one, because red glass or paint usually
transmits quite a bit of blue.

This article got me to think if red LED's would work. I use white LED's to
replace those plug in night lights. They are usally good for about 100,000
hours. Warren