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JediHilt
11-25-2007, 08:40 PM
I wonder what kind of a blade effect silica could produce?
http://www.geocities.com/wwindmills/silica_gel/silica_gel.html

Darth Zecks
11-29-2007, 05:50 PM
Do you mean putting it on the lens or on the inside of the blade? By what I saw on the link that just might be pretty awesome.

Novastar
11-29-2007, 07:33 PM
Try it, Jedi Hilt... get back to everyone and tell us about the results...

valeon
11-29-2007, 09:21 PM
I think it would produce a very neat coring effect, as well as a pretty even blade.

TimeRender
11-29-2007, 09:27 PM
What's the point? We all know what happens if you don't use a collimator lens on your saber. The blade is bright right at the emitter and quickly gets dark. Well, regardless of the physical structure of the gel, it is still just acting as a diffuser. If you put a diffuser right on your lens, you're just going to reduce the amount of light that makes it down the blade.

valeon
11-29-2007, 09:32 PM
I'm talking about using it in the blade in place of film.

TimeRender
11-29-2007, 09:35 PM
Well if you created a film of silica then perhaps, but if you fill the blade with it then it will just diffuse too much light right at the emitter. Since the title of the topic was "blade filler"... well you get what I'm saying...

Edit: And there is no reason to believe that this will work any better and/or differently than any other method of diffusion even if you did somehow turn it into thin films for lining the blade.

Lord Maul
11-29-2007, 10:48 PM
Try it, Jedi Hilt... get back to everyone and tell us about the results...

Jedi Hilt never does the things he suggests, he just suggests them... :roll:

Darth Zecks
12-02-2007, 08:54 PM
If you could some how spread or spray a thin layer on the inside of the blade just like any other diffuser it could give you a really cool looking blade, maybe.

pipster79
12-02-2007, 09:13 PM
I tried some silica gel tonight in my saber blade, didnt really make any cool effects or anything. First i tried putting some on the lens, only made the blade darker. Then i tried some in the blade instead, still dark but kinda looked neat, but no cool crater lookin things or cavities, you can just see the beads thats it, no projections of any cool lookin stuff

I only tried it today cuz i rememberd reading about it here when i seen the packet of silica in the box for my new work boots i bought today

Novastar
12-03-2007, 01:18 AM
Yup... I hate to say it, but... I did indeed suggest that JediHilt try the idea, sort of knowing that it would not work.

SOOOOOO many things regarding light diffusion have been tried, there really AREN'T tons of options left. Heaven knows--I've tried quite a few! Even with Corbin's guidance, along with some recent help from Gelukhan himself and all that.

I also know a few dudes/dudettes in the lighting industry, and they say that after a while... it's splitting hairs and such. In other words--sure, going from a junk diffuser to a REALLY NICE one will get you a big % increase in light distribution... but... once you "pimp out" most all of your options--you'll start to see less and less results by tweaking things here and there.

I even looked into a really, really expensive way... just to get a feel for it... didn't buy anything, but did some "as if" action. Asked my industry pals, ok, so... what IF we used this tres cher film? What IF we used this insane filmy, plasticy, weirdo thingy that costs like $20 a foot???

As near as they could tell me--they thought that MAYBE improvements would be seen... but... we all agreed it would never be worth the cost. It wasn't like they were saying, "Well, yeah... that would probably make your sabers 50% brighter." Oh HEEEECCCCCKKK no. They were saying something like 1%, 2%, 5%.

So, I figured... what's the point? :) Might as well:

1. Overdrive your LED a little.
2. Use a better LED / Use better optics.
3. WAIT for a better LED and/or optics.
4. Shorten your blade length a bit so that the mirror does a bit better, and the light travels less.
5. Improve your mirror a bit. Shinier? Curved??
6. Add reflective film/tape near the bottom portion of your blade, and possibly underneath/around the optics.

That's about all in terms of INEXPENSIVE solutions. If anyone wants to spend $100+ to get an additional 5% of light, that's their business. :)