Size does matter!...well with el-wire anyway

Martiansky · Post by **Martiansky** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 3:29 am

A Kilt OFF?! I am SO there!! *winks*

I just ordered some el wire to wrap around my bike and I can't wait until it gets here! I've never used the stuff before...should be fun!

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:37 am

dougaldutch wrote: I propose a playa kilt off!

You're on! Sporrans at twenty paces....

dougaldutch · Post by **dougaldutch** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 7:11 am

Just remember to bring your shades, wouldn't want you to be so dazzled as to miss the finer points of my design <insert evil laugh here>

Martiansky you may find that the little bit of elwire for your bike soon develops into a full blown all singing all sequencing project. Elwire has a bite and as you can tell from this thread we have all been bitten.

DougalD

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:02 am

dougaldutch wrote:Just remember to bring your shades, wouldn't want you to be so dazzled as to miss the finer points of my design <insert evil laugh here>

Martiansky you may find that the little bit of elwire for your bike soon develops into a full blown all singing all sequencing project. Elwire has a bite and as you can tell from this thread we have all been bitten.

DougalD

Death, where is thy sting?

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:12 am

[quote="Mister Jellyfish Mister
Death, where is thy sting?[/quote]

Sting, when is thy death? It'll be TANTRIC too, I suppose.....

Yep, EL's infectious stuff! I find myself sometimes running over to Pep Boys to get an overpriced but immediate fix....

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:27 am

robotland wrote:[quote="Mister Jellyfish Mister
Death, where is thy sting?

Sting, when is thy death? It'll be TANTRIC too, I suppose.....

Yep, EL's infectious stuff! I find myself sometimes running over to Pep Boys to get an overpriced but immediate fix....[/quote]

LOL! I will always curse the man for ruining my enjoyment of a perfectly great band, The Police.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:16 am

My wife and I call him "Tiny Sting", after seeing him open for the Greateful Dead at a huge outdoor venue in southern Ohio....From where we were sitting you could barely see him.

dougaldutch · Post by **dougaldutch** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:40 am

Stumbled across a mini message board (http://www.velleman.be/common/product.A ... &id=344564) and a mini LED strobe kit (http://www.velleman.be/common/product.A ... &id=348583) and now have to try and figure out a way to shoe horn them both into my sporran. Also a way to playa proof the circuit boards, oh and build the thing successfully in the first place but that shouldn't be too hard (I hope)

DougalD

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 5:46 am

The Kilt-Off is escalating......I may have to create a power grid to weave into the material, and purchase a garter belt to hold one of those 1,000,000 candle spotlights between my legs.....Think the Playa EMT's have treated Halogen burns to the thighs before?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:04 am

robotland wrote:The Kilt-Off is escalating......I may have to create a power grid to weave into the material, and purchase a garter belt to hold one of those 1,000,000 candle spotlights between my legs.....Think the Playa EMT's have treated Halogen burns to the thighs before?

It's pretty hard to shock an EMT.

They don't conduct.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:18 am

And they have to be well-grounded.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:51 am

First sporran complete! It features an aluminum disc with the likeness of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee and flourescent bucktail. Oh, and Ron says hi.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:34 am

Robotland--it sounds like you have created a superior manpurse. Kudus. (I'm pro-antelope.)

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:58 am

I've got some awesome black bearskin- A ratty rug bought at a flea market- It'd make many fine sporrans, but I don't want Playa PETA people flicking red paint at me....For now, the next one's aluminum-bunny-with-purple EL wire-artificial Xmas tree-Mardi Gras doubloons.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:07 am

You know, I guess it's just me but since that bear was long dead and you got the material 2nd hand. . .

The sad truth is that fur is a very sensious material. And the fauxs don't cut it there--although they are losing that fingernail on the blackboard icky feeling.

But I don't want any animal to go through that suffering for my sake.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:48 am

Yeah- I would not, could not shoot a bear, unless it was him or me. And then it'd probably just piss him off. Alaskans have a joke- why do they tell all greenhorns to file the sights off of the end of their pistols? So it doesn't hurt as much when the grizzly shoves it up their ass!

I think I'll wear my thirdhand fur proudly. Thanks for the support.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:00 am

Back From The Beyond- The EL thread!

Okay, I know MalWart's EVIL. But for those who believe that GOOD could not exist without its counterpart, I offer this observation about EL wire....

The several MalWarts that I've hunted for EL stuff in have ALL discontinued their automotive lines, as have several other similar places. No big, since the car stuff is price-inflated even at bigbox stores, but you gotta have SOMEWHERE to feed the blinkyJones besides online! Maybe more EL stuff is appearing in larger metropolitan areas, but around Kazoo there was nothing until recently, when I came upon a kiddie bike-light-up kit with 2' of Hella Phat and a constant/blink driver at you-know-where. It was seven bucks, and the little box features a screw-shut battery compartment (two AA) with built-in loops for mounting and a quick-connect plug that matches the common automotive 5' EL wire kits. Cheaper than online! To those who object to the Evil Smiley Face I say MORE FOR ME. They'll get their comeuppance in the end....

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:30 am

Yep, that sounds like a deal, Robotland. With the advent of the new highbright/longlife, el wire is about to turn an important corner into the mainstream. Mike at Coolight has been doing lots of signs for Casinos, trade shows, places where the old el wire did not have enough luminescence. Have you seen that side-emmiting fiber optic cable they use now for swimming pools and fountains? Changes though a rainbow of colors. Pretty swanky.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon May 02, 2005 10:15 am

I'm frankly surprised at how long it's taking to integrate EL stuff into the mainstream....Of course, it took THIS long for LED's to even START coming out in domestic lighting. I figured the toy industry'd have been all over EL , from jump!
I like having cool AND cheap-and-accessible lightup toys around, but it was also cool to be able to show off something that people had never seen before....I've been the "Electric Man" at a music festival here in Michigan for the last few years, scurrying around at night with friends in piles of blinkystuff where there's only a few children with cyalume necklaces- It's fun to have people look at you like you just climbed out of a saucer! Favorite gag- I wear more or less "normal" clothes at Wheatland (music festival) but with lots of lightup trim hooked to a single power switch, so I can slip into a portajohn unlit and emerge like a neon butterfly....Inspired by MINIMAN, I may make some light-up giant puppets this year.....

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Mon May 02, 2005 2:31 pm

Yes! I like the portajohn trick! I think the toy safety people don't like the fact that el wire uses an inverter that steps it up to 100 VAC. Amperage is so low that it's no blem, but it looks bad on paper at UL.

What kind of puppets are you going to make?

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue May 03, 2005 6:50 am

Good point, regarding amperage....you can sure get a good zap even from a little driver!
One puppet that's already in the shop is made from a modified Santa head wall decoration- I warped his features with a heat gun, and opened his mouth to accomodate a dry ice pipe and reservoir. EL trim around the facial features, and flames salvaged from Xmuz yard candles for hair. I was thinking kind of like a "Ghost of Burns Yet To Come" thing....

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:58 am

...Appending my own posts, again.....

Found another blinkytoy at That Evil Place- "Hokey Spokes" blinky LED balls that fasten to your bike spokes. Four for about five bucks.

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Tue May 03, 2005 10:04 pm

robotland wrote:...Appending my own posts, again.....

Found another blinkytoy at That Evil Place- "Hokey Spokes" blinky LED balls that fasten to your bike spokes. Four for about five bucks.

Super kewl! What's the website? Please post a picture of your puppet or something, I'm all a twitter on it.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:47 am

Excuse me! Not "Hokey Spokes"....it's "SPOKEY DOKES". I'll go see if I can fetch up a link.

dougaldutch · Post by **dougaldutch** » Wed May 11, 2005 1:48 am

I nearly bought some spokey dokes at the weekend, it was in a flea market. Only when I reached for the money a wave of nostalgia knocked me off my feet as I noticed the price. Charging that much for a piece of my childhood, be shamed you evil market dweller.

Well I did the superman portajohn trick, it was early morning, my batteries all run down from an evening of heavy abuse. I slipped into the toilet, replaced the batteries and burst forth my flames flickering with renewed energy. Had to dance in the shadows for full effect, but that just added to the fun, weaving in and out of the sunbeams.

Where do you get all your time from, you are the Projecteers truly, always something on the go, another project in the wings. Still it gives me a constant kick up the rear to keep going. Just finished a dress sporran, no frills, no tricks just EL.

DougalD

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Wed May 11, 2005 5:50 pm

dougaldutch wrote:I nearly bought some spokey dokes at the weekend, it was in a flea market. Only when I reached for the money a wave of nostalgia knocked me off my feet as I noticed the price. Charging that much for a piece of my childhood, be shamed you evil market dweller.

Well I did the superman portajohn trick, it was early morning, my batteries all run down from an evening of heavy abuse. I slipped into the toilet, replaced the batteries and burst forth my flames flickering with renewed energy. Had to dance in the shadows for full effect, but that just added to the fun, weaving in and out of the sunbeams.

Where do you get all your time from, you are the Projecteers truly, always something on the go, another project in the wings. Still it gives me a constant kick up the rear to keep going. Just finished a dress sporran, no frills, no tricks just EL.

DougalD

Too right, my Scottish friend. I'll be OK if I don't do something foolish like taking up golf. If you ask my wife, the el projects are at the expense of the other things on the honey-do list that are of greater merit. How is your brain-skull project coming? I'm interested in the framing of it.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 12, 2005 5:22 am

dougaldutch wrote:I nearly bought some spokey dokes at the weekend, it was in a flea market. Only when I reached for the money a wave of nostalgia knocked me off my feet as I noticed the price. Charging that much for a piece of my childhood, be shamed you evil market dweller.
...Must be same name/different product- The Spokey Dokes I have are little snap-on blinky LED balls, four to a package, about five bucks.

Just finished a dress sporran, no frills, no tricks just EL.

DougalD

I really can't wait to see it! I'm concentrating on grinding out more sporrans....got enough for a change every day of the week!

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu May 12, 2005 6:50 am

Got my birthday present early this year. Any thoughts from you gentry on how to outfit one of thise with el wire?

https://secure.utilikilts.com/catalog-workman-index.htm

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 12, 2005 8:24 am

Happy Early, Mr. Jelly Mr.! What color is your UK? (Eeeekk...sounds like a self-help book title!)
Aside from the multitude of sporrans, some of which light up, I rigged three little green "automotive" LEDs (lazy man's special- they come pre-wired! Pep Boys to the rescue.) to shine on the ground and render that hotrod underbody neon glow effect. Still perfecting the suspension, but the wiring's one more thing to show off to kilt-peekers.....Right now a 9V battery hides in a pocket, and the wires sneak in under the front and are pinned two in front and one in back.
I'm anxious to see DougalD's work with EL....I see a cheap way to just do an overlay, but he's gone far beyond that I think....

dougaldutch · Post by **dougaldutch** » Thu May 12, 2005 8:50 am

Happy pre Birthday, OK just check out your link and nearly dropped off my seat when I noticed the $25 charge if you want a beer gut cut. Nice, very nice.

As for my next level of kiltage with el, not really that impressive i just weave the wires in and out to make a suitably tartan pattern. My black neon kilt really is on last legs I am sad to say, to many patterns put through it, changing of designs and late night session. Ah...any excuse to buy more kilts and more elwire is welcome, expense be damned.

Anyway I can just see underlighting for kilts being the next big thing, you seen it here first folks!