Fluorescent saber

[KuroChou]

Fluorescent lighting uses a phosphor coating on the inside of the glass, that reacts to the UV light produced by stimulated mercury gas.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/fluorescent-lamp-1.gif

My idea is supplying the UV light through a UV LED, and using a phosphor/fluor-escent powder like this (http://crimescene.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=54&products_id=76) to line a blade.
http://crimescene.com/store/images/thief.i.powder_01.jpg

Thoughts?

[Skottsaber]

Could be cool, but I wonder how you plan to keep the powder in place.
Also, isn't UV a bit dangerous? I'd definately wear :cool: when using it :mrgreen:

[Rhyen Skytracker]

The mercury that is required it the very dangerous part. You need to have a very, very air tight seal and be sure that there will be no way at all the blade would break or crack.

[KuroChou]

the gaseous mercury is the part that creates the UV light in a normal fluorescent. Since we're using our own UV source, it's not necessary.

Scott's right about fixing the powder though. It'd be the most difficult part.
I wouldn't be too worried about the UV, since it wouldn't be much if any worse than a blacklight, and most of it would be filtered/absorbed by the powder anyway.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Phosphorus is also poisonous.

I don't see how you're going to evenly line the inside of a blade tube with it, either.

[RevengeoftheSeth]

Find a way to liquify it and then evenly coat the inside and let it dry. It won't be durable for dueling though.

[iamdrake]

Find a way to liquefy it and then evenly coat the inside and let it dry. It won't be durable for dueling though.

I wonder if you could do a heavy mix in clear coat then spray it on... maybe do a coat on the blade film before putting it in.

[RevengeoftheSeth]

yeah, spray a bunch of a flat sheet of celophane and then roll it up and put it in a tube.

[Jedi-Loreen]

It would probably start flaking off the cellophane as soon as you roll it up.

[KuroChou]

The whole reason we have to do the cello-wrap in a clean environment is because of how much static it generates.... I would think it wouldn't be too hard to apply wanted dust, considering how hard it is to keep away the unwanted variety.

This stuff is designed to "flow" when applied from a duster, implying that it readily separates when shaken into air. If you've ever put a fine powder into any kind of nozzled bottle (i.e. a condiment bottle) and squeezed it, the air escaping pulls up a very light mix of the powder (great for fireballs). I would think the same sort of technique would work with this.

[iamdrake]

It would probably start flaking off the cellophane as soon as you roll it up.

Couldn't you just roll it when it was still tacky in the drying stage?

[Jedi-Loreen]

Have you made your own blades or put clear gift wrap inside any? You have to roll it around a dowel, so it's smaller than the ID of the blade, slide it in and unroll it to fit up against the inside wall of the blade tube and slide out the dowel and sometimes tap it on the floor to get it to seat evenly. How is that not going to disturb your carefully applied layer of phosphorus?

I'm not trying to poo-pooh the idea, I'd like to see someone try it. I'm just being a realist and bringing up problems that are likely to occur.

[KuroChou]

it really is an excellent point. If I were to apply the powder directly to the blade, I would hope to not need the diffusion, since the ENTIRE blade IS the light source (and I would imagine it would end up looking something like the trans-white blades).
Otherwise, I think static cling would hold it just fine, if applied to the cello instead of the blade.

An alternative I originally thought of when I was looking for materials to possibly make this happen, was to just use fluorescent cello to begin with.

[jgunn]

Perhaps you can suspend the powder in a liquid substance (like a shellac or polyurethane) and run it down the inside of the tube to coat. You can coat the entire inside surface evenly, and after it dries, since it's embedded in a hard coating, it should not flake.

-Jeff

[iamdrake]

Have you made your own blades or put clear gift wrap inside any? You have to roll it around a dowel, so it's smaller than the ID of the blade, slide it in and unroll it to fit up against the inside wall of the blade tube and slide out the dowel and sometimes tap it on the floor to get it to seat evenly. How is that not going to disturb your carefully applied layer of phosphorus?

I'm not trying to poo-pooh the idea, I'd like to see someone try it. I'm just being a realist and bringing up problems that are likely to occur.

:shock: oh... I am just going to sit over there and remain quiet now... how does that saying go... better to be quiet and thought a fool than to type and prove that you are one. :D

[KuroChou]

The only problem with using a hard drying vehicle for the powder, is that the blades flex, and eventually it would chip off just as easily as it would on the cello. It would work fine if you could find a paint or glue that dries soft or tacky. I actually think gem-tac would work fine. It's a little like elmers glue, but it never sets up completely. It's meant for applying rhinestones to fabric.

[vargose]

Wouldn't any white tube react to UV. Like PEX, the TCSS diffuser, or the white ploy carbonate. Like a white t-shirt under a black light.

[KuroChou]

Potentially, though it wouldn't be as bright as specifically made fluorescing compounds, assuming it did in the first place.
Not all white things glow.

[equinox13]

every time i look at this thread i'm reminded of a story about some kids that found some fluorescent bulbs in a dumpster and started smashing them together and on each other...

[Treach]

Have you prototyped yet? You'll need to take a few things into consideration:
1: Lumens of lightsourse
2: Length of blade -vs- *of focus for refraction
3: Grams of powder and amount of loss when applied to liquid adhesive/suspension.

IMO you might have a hard time getting the result your are trying to achieve without a secondary rigid tube inside your blade. A smaller diameter non diffused poly with the UV powder on the outside and then your main blade over it could potentially give you the result you want and eliminate any health hazard if/when the main blade cracks/breaks.

[Skottsaber]

every time i look at this thread i'm reminded of a story about some kids that found some fluorescent bulbs in a dumpster and started smashing them together and on each other...

Says the guy who lives in Japan (http://www.geekologie.com/2009/11/wtf_japan_fluorescent_tube_fig.php)
(Warning, link slightly graphic (blood))

[equinox13]

why must men be so dense? that's dangerous! T_T

[Jedi-Loreen]

"Some call it entertainment. I call it natural selection. Just saying."

Though that's not really natural selection........

[equinox13]

Darwin calls it natural selection... they're naturally missing a few brain cells and they do things like that.

[Loachri MacTalabh]

"Some call it entertainment. I call it natural selection. Just saying."

Though that's not really natural selection........

I agree. Luckily it's not the dumb ones that make our society to advance. If they were, they would still be working on fire and the wheel.

[Zero Unit]

I agree. Luckily it's not the dumb ones that make our society to advance. If they were, they would still be working on fire and the wheel.

So sure, are you?

Anyways, in response to Treach's last post of page 2:
You don't need to worry about lumens because it's the UV light you are after to make the phosphorous fluoresce; you can't see UV light, which is why it's called UV in the first place. It will have a similar rating as the Royal Blue LEDs at any rate, measured in mW as opposed to lumens.

I hope this project bears some fruit. I want to construct a UV saber for myself (I want the blue-purple glow first, brightness second), so I'm interested.

[parfaitelumiere]

The idea would be really interesting,depending on how efficient is the result.
If it has too much energy lost it won't be efficient enough for a long last use with standart batteries.
If it can have same autonomy as a 3w luxeon led,or a led string 1 A blade,can be very interesting,because the visual result will be very better.

[mihunai]

LED string?

hmm...

Here's an idea, stuff that powder into a foam diffuser, and use a UV LED string!

The powder should be easier to apply to spongy foam than it would to flmsy cellophane...
Plus, with the foam being as spongy as it is, you dont have to worry about flaking!
(If you use a non-hardening adhesive, that is...)

mTm

[parfaitelumiere]

It may be possible to obtain a "large specter" led,tat emits visible light,and some UV too.
Visible light is used,and unvisible light is converted to visible light,maybe another color(led white and green or blue fluorescent)