PDA

View Full Version : Reflective material



Scrap
07-27-2006, 01:10 PM
I was wondering if anyone here has experimented with using some sort of reflective film and/or tape inside a blade at the base (at the first few inches, where it wouldn't be visible when the blade is in) in order to achieve a more pronounced flaring effect from the hilt, used in combination with a more "normal" diffusing material.

Do-Clo
07-27-2006, 01:29 PM
It has been done but the effect does not increase the brightness at the base of the blade, it does help focus more light down the blade helping to even it out. There may be some pictures here try searching.

<center>http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/DoCloSig.jpg</center>
<center><font color="red"><font size="4"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Darth Technous Sith Lord</font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size4"></font id="red"></center>
<center><font color="red"><font size="4"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Give yourself to the Dark Side</font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size4"></font id="red"></center>

xwingband
07-27-2006, 01:56 PM
There is indeed a topic on this very thing... I started it.[:p] I think for the little bit it costs there is no reason not to. It helps with less side flare and even the blade out better. I did it to an MR Vader conversion and the flare is the most minimal I've ever seen.

I got a posterboard size sheet of silver reflective material for like $3 at Michael's.

EDIT: I started with mylar, but I like the silver sheet better. http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/sabers/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=861

<center>Read the FAQ (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/sabers/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=552) or x-wing won't be happy. :(
Before posting did you check the Thread Index (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/sabers/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=577)?.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6703/xwing8az.gif</center>

Scrap
07-27-2006, 10:48 PM
I tried being all ghetto and using some regular household aluminum foil. The stuff is insanely reflective, but I couldn't find a decent way to apply it.

The mylar strips seem interesting, but it seems like the kinda thing that you wouldn't really notice unless you had side by side comparison pics.

Has anyone ever tried lightly coating polyc tubes with UV paint, such as these, combined with UV LEDs? http://www.xoxide.com/paint.html

Do-Clo
07-28-2006, 05:17 AM
I have done a few sabers with uV leds and neon colored acrylic tubing and the color that turns out the best is the green. The red tends to look purple and the blue is darn hard to get to glow. I have considered taking a 3/4 inch neon acrylic tube and inserting it into a 1 inch ploy-c tube to make a blade and light it with uV leds.

<center>http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/DoCloSig.jpg</center>
<center><font color="red"><font size="4"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Darth Technous Sith Lord</font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size4"></font id="red"></center>
<center><font color="red"><font size="4"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Give yourself to the Dark Side</font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size4"></font id="red"></center>

xwingband
07-28-2006, 05:30 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Scrap

I tried being all ghetto and using some regular household aluminum foil. The stuff is insanely reflective, but I couldn't find a decent way to apply it.

The mylar strips seem interesting, but it seems like the kinda thing that you wouldn't really notice unless you had side by side comparison pics.

Has anyone ever tried lightly coating polyc tubes with UV paint, such as these, combined with UV LEDs? http://www.xoxide.com/paint.html
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Well, like I said I think I posted pics there, but I did move on to a differrent reflective material, but no matter what it isn't a major difference. You would have to do a side by side to tell.

<center>Read the FAQ (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/sabers/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=552) or x-wing won't be happy. :(
Before posting did you check the Thread Index (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/sabers/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=577)?.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6703/xwing8az.gif</center>

Scrap
07-28-2006, 05:42 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Do-Clo

I have done a few sabers with uV leds and neon colored acrylic tubing and the color that turns out the best is the green. The red tends to look purple and the blue is darn hard to get to glow. I have considered taking a 3/4 inch neon acrylic tube and inserting it into a 1 inch ploy-c tube to make a blade and light it with uV leds.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Do-Clo, how does the percieved luminosity of your uV experimentations stack up to a typical Lux3? I searched around and found a single pic of one of your uV sabers, but no side-by side comparisons.

james3
07-28-2006, 06:48 AM
I found that I was most happy with said aluminum foil and using a little spray glue to get it to stay on the inside of the diffuser. The other films are probally cooler but I don't really use it at all unless I am doing a white LED since the others I use the most are always bright anyway.

<center>http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e370/Dadof3/kotor2.jpg</center>

Do-Clo
07-28-2006, 07:21 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Scrap

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Do-Clo

I have done a few sabers with uV leds and neon colored acrylic tubing and the color that turns out the best is the green. The red tends to look purple and the blue is darn hard to get to glow. I have considered taking a 3/4 inch neon acrylic tube and inserting it into a 1 inch ploy-c tube to make a blade and light it with uV leds.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Do-Clo, how does the percieved luminosity of your uV experimentations stack up to a typical Lux3? I searched around and found a single pic of one of your uV sabers, but no side-by side comparisons.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

The green is very bright but as I pointed out the other colors do not work as well. The uV leds that I used are the 5mm high output leds and I used 4 of them to light the blade. The best part about the neon green is even in full light you still have color on your blade even with the saber off.[:p] I used asome reflective tape on the inside of the blade tip to help even the light out in the blade.

<center>http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/DoCloSig.jpg</center>
<center><font color="red"><font size="4"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Darth Technous Sith Lord</font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size4"></font id="red"></center>
<center><font color="red"><font size="4"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Give yourself to the Dark Side</font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size4"></font id="red"></center>