Ultrasabers lens

[Luar Selbor]

Thanks you guys for the info.

[Steeljack]

Would painting the backside of the lens, with say a silver or chrome paint, yeild a better or more focused beam? Almost like a flash light lens.

I tried this once, using Krylon Looking Glass paint, which is specifically designed to be sprayed on the back of a clear piece of glass to turn it into a mirror. The results were abysmal.

I tried another silver paint, just to see if there was something about the Looking Glass that didn't agree with the plastic. Same result.

My working theory, grubbing back to high school physics, is that the lenses are dependent on the difference in the index of refraction between the plastic and the air. It's the plastic-to-air transition which reflects the light back and out along the blade.

When you paint the plastic, you replace the plastic-to-air transition with a plastic-to-paint one, and whatever you gained via reflection off the paint you more than lose in terms of refractive efficiency.

Like I said, that's my working theory. I'd love to hear from someone with a more thorough understanding of optics. I don't imagine that painting the lens holder, and any other tricks you can think of to reduce light leakage, can do much harm, but my advice would be to leave the lens itself alone unless you really know what you're doing.

(By that same token, if you do find a way to mirror the back of the lens in a way that actually improves it, do please share with the rest of us...)

[UltraSWG]

I use IllumiNation reflectors whenever I can. You can get them from Quikar. Besides the lumen benefit, reflectors are easier to use since they are once piece and cost less than the price of a collimator+holder (about 40% less). When you have to order thousands of them, the time saved and money saved really adds up.

[Novastar]

Excellent points... although... the reflectors really cause for higher lumens? I imagined it was about the same.

P.S. -- what is "Quikar"?

[xwingband]

Excellent points... although... the reflectors really cause for higher lumens? I imagined it was about the same.

P.S. -- what is "Quikar"?

http://www.quickar.com/

Spelled wrong...

For coring blades I noticed it being better, but with the good methods of diffusion out there now I don't fret if I can't use one.