DIY Light Transmitting Concrete (+ HD Video)

Step 8 Polishing

 Use sandpaper to polish your new piece of light transmitting concrete! the effect is quite strange...sort of alien feeling. Light, even colored light, is able to pass right through and create a pixelized likeness on the opposite side...!

Comments

[redorchestra]

just to add a similar idea I recently heard.
My Cousin is in Peru helping villagers to add sky lights to their huts. They use a clear plastic pop bottle filled with water (clorinated to keep out green stuff)
It is embedded in the ceiling and sticks out of the roof. It channels sunlight into the hut and apparently lights up as well as a 60 watt light bulb. As long as the sun is shining!

[Thaikarl]

here's the link to the project. i made one for our shed here in thailand, it's so simple but works wonderfully! http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/

[DeeRilee]

I think I might try making the "bowl" of a birdbath this way! It might make for some interesting sparkles of light on the ground surrounding it! (hopefully!)

[LMas]

Really nice project!!!!

[erronius]

LOL: agggh! another excuse to make a variant of the infamous Austin Powers Tent Scene!

Here are a couple other things i was thinking abewt:

1) if you want uniform light transmission, maybe one could use a mesh or some such thing to distribute the fibers evenly over the surface.

2) Well, what about non-uniform light transmission????!!! Sounds like something with real potential to me. What if you varied the density? You could create areas of gradient,highlight or shadow or an entirely new design or swirly pattern within your piece, which could really add an interesting dimension to a sculptural piece that was a low- or medium-relief.

[tgrundle]

you could also leave the extra length on the fibers and use something (like paper or thin cardboard) to block some of the fibers from others and using led's light different sections with different colors. this could make a great yin-yang effect with the circle that was made in this ible.

[MissCindel]

I like the image as it is held up to the light ... and started thinking that the fiber optic strands could be assembled in the clay in a pattern too :*)

[erronius]

So you used an amended plaster, like hydrocal or ultracal? That's pretty interesting. Looks like you could do any kind of piece that has low relief.

You know, if you want to color the material, you don't necessarily have to use paint. You could conceivably use a colorant, like iron oxide (or one of those marking powders they use for carpenter's chalk lines, some of which are iron oxide) or a mason stain (sold at ceramics places) and mix it into your goop. If you are using cement, you can make it brighter and less gray by using white Portland cement instead of the ordinary dingy gray variety.

[afroray]

thank you so much now i have a experiment to try out :) also a quick question do you think this would work if i use plaster of paris?

[nepheron]

Thanks! Plaster will work fine.

[gemtree]

Thank you for posting this. Me a happy camper. I may try some fiberglass scrim for holding the fibers.