Glowies, Blinkies, UVies & Other Illuminations

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:52 am

There was an article on NPR this morning about "glow buses" in Atlanta and Portland...EL sheet, used to create bus-side billboards. Hopefully this trend will make Blinkysheet more available to the Blinkystarved Masses...

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:07 am

Slice of pvc sheet foam substrate on top and bottom.... mmm... blinky sheet sandwich!

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:34 am

Discovered at Meijer earlier today: Reflective Spray Paint. Rustoleum, about six-and-a-half bucks. To be applied and tested tonight, results posted tomorrow. I have limited expectations, but I'll bet it'd help at least a little, if only to add a "twinkly nuance".

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:48 pm

It may need a white background.
Works best matte too.
HD Aluminum by rustoleum is very reflective.
You can brush it on.
About $20 a gallon.
Keep stirring.
It's 50% aluminum.
It will leaf.
Takes a long time to dry.
A great protective paint.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:31 am

Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the results on that reflective paint...It's not very obtrusive in daylights, but at night has a sort of glowy, frosted look that certainly would be more visible. Not exactly as reflective as a cat's eye, but effective. I gave my spacesuit a good coating, and even clearcoated over that without diminishing the effect noticeably. What Gyre mentions about keeping it stirred (or shaken in this case, Mister Bond) is good general advice- Even with my regular, vigorous shaking the bottom third of the can yielded more "goodies" though, and it took several not-too-thick coats to really get a good effect. I'll give it a solid "B".

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:29 am

robotland wrote:Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the results on that reflective paint...It's not very obtrusive in daylights, but at night has a sort of glowy, frosted look that certainly would be more visible. Not exactly as reflective as a cat's eye, but effective. I gave my spacesuit a good coating, and even clearcoated over that without diminishing the effect noticeably. What Gyre mentions about keeping it stirred (or shaken in this case, Mister Bond) is good general advice- Even with my regular, vigorous shaking the bottom third of the can yielded more "goodies" though, and it took several not-too-thick coats to really get a good effect. I'll give it a solid "B".

\/
That is about the effect I need..Figure runing strobs on it at night..Colors would have to be bright yellow and firertruck red..Is that in the loop??

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:38 am

Generally a clear finish cuts the reflectivity dramatically because a rough finish catches more light.
Look at highway striping, very rough.

They make cloth reflective material.
If the stiffness isn't a problem, you can sew the diamondstripe onto your suit.

If you want a good clearcoat, silicone conformal coating is the best I've seen.
Not cheap, but I don't think it yellows and of course it won't conduct electricity.
Withstands high temperature too.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:50 am

Unjon,
I would recommend the diamondstripe for what you are doing.
If someone has a light source it works even when your power is off.
Red and yellow is available.
I have some red and silver.
I would have to order amber.
Red/silver zebra is available at truck supply houses.
Last time I ordered, my cost was $1 per foot per inch wide.
I can get a better price in quantity if enough people want some.
It can be cheaper at truck houses but sometimes they sell in quantity only and they never have solid colors. (zebra silver/red)
I can get it in 1 inch wide up in solid silver, etc.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:19 am

gyre wrote:Generally a clear finish cuts the reflectivity dramatically because a rough finish catches more light.
Look at highway striping, very rough.

They make cloth reflective material.
If the stiffness isn't a problem, you can sew the diamondstripe onto your suit.
.

Yes, I agree. The clearcoat is a measure to prevent both abrasive wear and playa buildup, and if I were going for sheer reflective ability alone I might have skipped it. But the end effect is quite satisfactory. I plan to experiment with this stuff in the future, to determine its efficiency over different-colored surfaces and materials. All For Science!
Unjon, I'll throw a strobe on the suit tonight and let you know....

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:20 pm

gyre wrote:It may need a white background.
Works best matte too.
HD Aluminum by rustoleum is very reflective.
You can brush it on.
About $20 a gallon.
Keep stirring.
It's 50% aluminum.
It will leaf.
Takes a long time to dry.
A great protective paint.

Where are you finding it for $20/gal? I'm looking online and seeing it at about $48/gal everywhere.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:42 pm

I buy at a local industrial supply house.
Dabney Hoover here.
Maybe prices are up because of oil prices rising.
$48 sounds high though.
Ask Rustoleum to recommend suppliers locally.
Shipping can kill you with paint due to hazard charges from ups.
I'll try to check on current prices here.

The part number is 473402.
If they have changed the mix, that may drive the price up.
A lot of paints have gone low VOC.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:58 pm

I can't make the search engines work on the industrial sites.
I checked locally and the heavy duty aluminum which used to be a 473 is $33.42 and X-60 primer which is med temp is $36 but not in stock.
If all else fails email me (not pm) and I'll give you a few suggestions on getting some and use.
Or call me.

If it is special ordered you have to order 2 gallons for a case price.
Oil prices have affected these paints.
The industrial high performance std aluminum paint is probably okay too.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:19 pm

Thanks. I'll yet ya'll know what I dig up.

Badger

Jordancc · Post by **Jordancc** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:45 pm

No more glowsticks, I'm begging you! At the end of BM last year there were giant piles of those things just waiting to be carted to a landfill. They don't rot and they don't burn well.
Buy a reusable light stick instead! Wallmart has a great one that has different colors and light patterns for under $2 bucks that will run for several weeks off of its battery. Cheaper, more effects, and better for the environment. So tasty!

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:25 pm

SECONDED. There are alternatives! For several years now they've made EL-panel electronic glowsticks in various colors INCLUDING "Seasick Firefly", the Official Color of ye olde chemical glowsticks, in case you're stuck on that particular ambiance....I'll admit that that sickly glow has some degree of appeal. As young teenagers my friends and I would play "Lord Of The Rings" with a glowstick as The One Ring and Nazgul with glow-goop (from sliced-open sticks) on their fingers and eyebrows to lend the illusion of glowing skeletal hands and eyes. Convincing enough, when running around in the dark with a duct-tape-and-foam-over-golf-club sword hoping to avoid ambush by the Dark forces....
ANYWAY
There are alternatives. Those MalWart ones that Jordancc mentions are pretty good- I've got a few of 'em, and like to unscrew the tubes and just use the little light-module for projects. More and more LED things pop up all the time. ANYTHING EL is good, energyconsumptionwise. Most can use rechargeable batteries without a noticeable output drop. (AA and AAA NiCads and NiMhs usually provide about a quarter-volt less then their alkaline cousins.) Solars are starting to become pervasive enough to show up at yard sales and thrift stores, and the panels and diodes are easily hackable and usable even if the unit as a whole has perished.
Okay. Go light something up! Then come by Apokiliptika in three months and bask in the lovely green glow of my spacesuit!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:18 pm

Wasn't that phosphorus you were coating yourself in?

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:10 pm

I like the led button cell glow sticks too. I was thinkin of cannibalizing a couple and sewin the works behind some thick clear vinyl on my hydration pack. I used em in a few choice spots in my pc case and it looks real pretty at night. I have used em to jazz up cars for customers with great sucess. I will probably use the multicolored ones with the 6 or 7 different patterns. There are a couple blinky tshirts from thinkgeek that i thought were pretty slick. One had pong and the other had a bunch of bars moving to the music, reminded me of the old default winamp. LED flashlights are just gettin insane now.. I saw a 96 bulb D cell for like 30 bucks online. If I buy one more flashlight my wife will divorce me but maybe next year I'll get one. I have to "lose" a couple of my old maglights first. I invested in a couple mid-quality torches and have to say that you do get what you pay for. Hard anodizing holds up alot better. And the high watt luxeon will give you some bright ass light.. only problem is they heat up quick and eat juice like a crackhead smokes crack.

I have used Rustole for years now modding my toolboxes. Clearcoat is a must really.. doesn't take too much longer to do and it will last longer. They make some neat stuff.. I have always had a preference to their textured stuff. The trick is to practice the spray distance and speed and ya gotta shake the hell out of their heavy stuff. Theres a paint that changes colors depending on which way the sun it hitting it.. kinda pricey but looks great in the daytime.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 7:05 am

Toolmaker wrote: If I buy one more flashlight my wife will divorce me

...It's the same sickness that compels me to buy little radios.

I have to "lose" a couple of my old maglights first.

Beware of the upgrade kits for Maglights- The AA size disables the ability to focus the beam, although it IS brighter over a short distance. The pushbutton mod is a little clumsy, and you still need to twist the body of the light to enable/disable the pushbutton. I have a big two-D-cell job that works well though, and you CAN focus the beam on those. (And the C-cell variety.) Some of those 1,625 LED flashlights look like freakin' showerheads!

I have used Rustole for years now modding my toolboxes. Clearcoat is a must really.. doesn't take too much longer to do and it will last longer.

I just don't like the long drying time on the Rustoleum, impatient one that I am. Krylon makes a super-thick clear "glaze" that gives a really lovely finish and that I now use for almost everything. Rustoleum DOES make some good specialty paints, though.

Theres a paint that changes colors depending on which way the sun it hitting it.. kinda pricey but looks great in the daytime.

I've picked that stuff up in the store about a dozen times...I really dig cars with the high-end color fade treatment!
I discovered an unusual effect that doesn't work with ALL colors of spraypaint and seems to work better with Krylon- Playing a propane or MAPP torch over the surface of freshly sprayed paint, especially on metal surfaces, can yield interesting color changes. (Krylon Sun Yellow yields especially good results.)

Rocket75377 · Post by **Rocket75377** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:09 pm

I haven't had a lot of experience with this, and my two main questions are whether or not the wiring on the fuses looks good, and if the grounding bars would be adequate for wiring in parallel. Would it cause too much extra resistance? Here's what I have so far. Don't worry, it makes sense to me.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:13 pm

Rocket75377 wrote:whether or not the wiring on the fuses looks good

Looks okay, maybe use a little less solder next time

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:08 pm

What are the things on the lower right?

Buss bars can handle anything depending on size.
Make sure your voltage matches your leds w/wo resistance.
Voltage meters do consume some power.
You could put that on a momentary switch.
You will want low resistance switches for low voltage.

What are you doing?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:10 pm

There are some interesting things in the real goods catalog including some books on dc and solar.
Their prices are not always the best around.
They do have dc cfls.

Rocket75377 · Post by **Rocket75377** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 9:13 pm

gyre wrote:What are the things on the lower right?

Buss bars can handle anything depending on size.
Make sure your voltage matches your leds w/wo resistance.
Voltage meters do consume some power.
You could put that on a momentary switch.
You will want low resistance switches for low voltage.

What are you doing?

Hmm.....

The things on the lower right are cold cathode tubes.

The voltmeter lights up, and I thought it would be kind of cool. A momentary switch, though, might be handy. Or I could put it on a rocker switch and only turn it on when I needed it... both good ideas.

I'm putting as many 12-volt light-up whatevers as I can on my bike.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:16 am

Dont know if this will help. It helped me figure out which resistors I needed to kit my bike out with UV LEDs I run off a 6v wheel-mounted generator. Stuck the LEDs inside white ping pong balls for extra effect and ran them in series.

http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz[/url]

Rocket75377 · Post by **Rocket75377** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:14 am

Teo del Fuego wrote:Dont know if this will help. It helped me figure out which resistors I needed to kit my bike out with UV LEDs I run off a 6v wheel-mounted generator. Stuck the LEDs inside white ping pong balls for extra effect and ran them in series.

http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz[/url]

Very cool. Yeah, this will definitely help. I've wanted to do more with LEDs, but I've been really unsure as to resistors and voltage and blah blah blah. UV LEDs... I've seen them, unlit. I'm curious.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:36 am

Check out the led museum.
It can be dicey using leds in series, but possible.
I hear good things about the uv ones.
I try to stick to luxeon now.
nite-hawk.com has a good digital led light.
One of very few, Sten, etc.

I am getting ready to buy some 12 volt ballasts or fixtures in fluorescent.
If anyone wants to buy with me, we might get a price break.
El wire seems to work well on bikes.
I don't know how to compare.
Can't beat fluorescent for wide angle light though.
I recommend diamond brite reflective for bikes too.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:44 am

The UV LEDs are pretty darn cool...but they're best for close-up effects. I used them as the sole illumination in the spookhouse I built the other year and they were perfect... for THAT. (I created little "spotlight cans" for them and used them to light up scary masks on the walls at regular intervals. It created areas of "extra perceived darkness" between them for "surprises".) The best part was that the LEDs were already wired up...as replacements fot the regular LEDs in solar pathway lights given to me by my pal Sparkzy.

hunter S · Post by **hunter S** » Mon May 07, 2007 11:29 am

Not trying to be commerce! but I found a great source for everthing that glows! http://www.glowsource.com

This is a small west coast business who is very burner friendly

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue May 08, 2007 1:19 pm

[urll]http://www.kansaswindpower.net/lights,portable_led.htm[/url]
is selling solar-recharged LEDs in three sizes from headlamp to wall lamp. One of them has a light sensor, so it turns on at dusk to light your way home.

They're reviewed on Kelly's Cool Tools:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/
(page changes daily, most recent post on top).

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:05 pm

When we did the dental work on Mantis, I used the UV LED's and I actually had to pull some "teeth" after I saw how bright they were. Worked great when she gave a smooch to people wearing UV reactive colors or whites. Ahhh... remember that night, Robotland?

Make sure and check the light frequency as the wrong rating can fry people's retinas with dangerous UV designed for medical stuff... really! I got the best look at around 390 or 400 of um...uN... uber naughties...whatever that color scale is.

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