not metal cuz it heats up , plastic at the deepot you get the orange one like the one use in construction sites, and distanse well buds ussually grow upto 15 in even more but persony about 10 to 12 so u should be able to adjust the lamps distance to cannopi , i would recomend the usuall 18 to 30 inches depending on light intensity... iam so baked..............