Lighting yourself-help!

[FossaFerox]

I'm around. Who says I'm not around? I definitely didn't vanish for ten months to quit my job, move a thousand miles, quit again, and go back to personal training in my new town... That would just be silly.

Anyway, I had mixed results. The silicone held up very well, the mix of black and clear "shaped" the light into something almost perceptible, but the process was WAY messier than I expected. Silicone as it's curing has a personality. The second you aren't squirting a thin line of it into a crack and using a piece of plastic to swipe-shape it, well, it doesn't like to be puddled onto something and it definitely does't like you trying to draw with it. I also discovered you HAVE to do the clear and the black simultaneously because if you do the clear as a base layer then try to add the black over it they won't adhere.

My process was basically making a loop out of some string LEDs with all the individual LEDs facing inwards then covering it in clear silicone then quickly adding a border and top coat in the shape I wanted in black to try to make a glowing shape, namely a paw print.



I should have worked to spread the LEDs more evenly so the light was more even, and the surface texture definitely leaves something to be desired (though the addition of playa dust definitely helps). All in all it worked well. I was considering redoing it for this year, but I just didn't have the project time to spare when I was working my last job (today's the first day I'm not working 12+ hours in months).

[hug+kiss]

This was my first time working with the LEDs on the wire.

[Shoeshine]

@ the Sheik... now that's an idea... 3 short blasts if I need the bridge raised, (i.e. getting through a sound camp) now I just need to incorporate an air horn.

[drop_bear]

@ the Sheik... now that's an idea... 3 short blasts if I need the bridge raised, (i.e. getting through a sound camp) now I just need to incorporate an air horn.

Or a fire horn:

[media]

No problem being seen when I'm carrying that around!

[GreyCoyote]

Fossa: if you're still looking for more light-scatter, consider adding some microfine silica dust to the silicone. It will make the mix a milky white and help diffuse point-light sources into more of an orb.

FWIW I used this trick with fiberglass resin once to great success (it was the only thing the resin wouldn't attack that I had on-hand at the time).

Welcome back!

[maladroit]

Fossa: if you're still looking for more light-scatter, consider adding some microfine silica dust to the silicone. It will make the mix a milky white and help diffuse point-light sources into more of an orb.

FWIW I used this trick with fiberglass resin once to great success (it was the only thing the resin wouldn't attack that I had on-hand at the time).

Welcome back!

There is a substance called "Oogoo" which is silicone caulk mixed with some ratio of corn starch. It becomes a moldable silicone putty that is waterproof, diffuse, and cures much faster than pure caulk.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To- ... ubstitute/

[Roy333]

Hi!

New burner, but very well studied. I've been all over these forums and am pretty clear on what I need to do to prepare.

BUT: lighting myself is my sticking point.

I know about EL wire and LEDs and everything but here's my question: is everyone absolutely covered in lights at night? Or are the night pictures as deceiving as the day pictures (where every woman is a topless chiseled art piece)?

Making myself what is basically a tron jumpsuit would involve a LOT of wire (aka money) and time, but I don't want to be a darkwad.

So, tell me. How lit is lit enough? My bike will be lit (wheel lights with cool patterns, probably additional EL wire around the structure, and standard front and rear lights), I'll be wearing blink lit headwear, I'm looking at light up leg warmers and bras and belts and such but my coat will be covering most of my body. Should I be el-ing up my whole legs? or finding a simple way to light my coat?

Halp.

OK, I know this original question is over a year old, but it has taken me over a year to find it, so I want to respond. Last year, 2014, as a NEWBE, or Virgin, or whatever you want to call me at Burning Man. I noticed this: Yes, at night NO ONE except me had lights on their bicycles, because I got hit a number of times from people I couldn't see. And in the day EVERY woman was a topless chiseled art piece, except the chiseled art pieces that wore nothing because there are no unattractive women at Burning Man. I saw Not One.

Where were we?
Oh, lights. I had as many as I could place on my bicycle and blinky lights on myself, but people still knocked me over on my bicycle. Ok, that's no help, but at least light up. And all women are beautiful and the men are cool. (except for whoever stole my bicycle at the Alien Siege Machine burn) That wasn't cool.

But I have a new bike and two bicycle locks, and am ready for 2015.

[maladroit]

Did you forget to take off your sunglasses as it got dark out? I did that once. Wondered why everyone was a darkwad. Bunch of darwadsh...hic.

[skippy3k]

Last year, 2014, as a NEWBE, or Virgin, or whatever you want to call me at Burning Man. I noticed this: Yes, at night NO ONE except me had lights on their bicycles, because I got hit a number of times from people I couldn't see.

"No one"? I find that hard to believe. You don't need to be dramatic to make the point that yes, there are a few people who don't light themselves properly. But to say "no one" is simply inaccurate.

[korierika4]

Bringing and old thread back here. I used led fairy lights that I bought off Amazon for the last burn and wasn't too impressed. Saw a bunch of people that had what looked like "light up rope led lights" if that maked sense. I've done ton of research but not able to locate what I'm looking for. Also how to do you attach one of those light up poles to the back your bike with out it getting ripped of by the wind? Where do you find those too? Thanks

[BBadger]

Fairy lights are nice because they strike a nice balance of cheap, bright, durable, long-lasting, nice colors, and battery-powered. They're often a great replacement for EL wire, which lacks many of the above properties except maybe nice colors and battery powered.

If you want "solid" looking LED rope lights or other higher quality lights, you'll have to pay a bit more. Look for something called "LED neon rope lights" if you want a solid color light. Also look for 12V powered versions, as most are 120V AC that your bike/body will probably not have access to outside camp. Be prepared to spend a decent amount of money too.

You might also look into dense LED strips, 60/m or denser. Even 30/m look pretty nice if sequenced right. Again, look for something with low-voltage DC power, like 12V or 5V.

I used 5V ws2812b strips with my own patterns for lights on my pole. That requires a microcontroller for the patterns and battery pack (I used a 5V USB battery bank).

For my bike-pole itself, I used a 48" fiberglass driveway marker I found at a local hardware despot depot. I zip-tied it to my basket and didn't have any problem all week. If you don't adorn your pole with a flag or something that'll catch the wind, there shouldn't be any problem with wind. Fishing pole also work nicely. A friend of mine actually has some big hanging lantern on her bike that would bob around behind. It never had a problem with wind either. I think she used a flexible tent pole or something of that nature.

[korierika4]

Dude, your information is extremely helpful! Thank you

[Savannah]

Hey all! The season for cheap lights is fast approaching! . . . I love the after-Christmas sales. Last year I was picking up copper wire strands for 50 cents each! (I'll admit that's even cheaper than can usually be expected.)

They lasted through 2 weeks of being wrapped around my bike frame, and may survive another Burn yet.