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Gas is too expensive and not ecofriendly, so I like to bike wherever I can... unfortunately that means a lot of biking back from work at night. This always makes me a little nervous, how much can you trust drivers going 45 miles per hour right past you? I mean, a little dinky bike light can only do so much.
After too many close calls to count, and a lot of weekend tv watching I was inspired by the Blackberry commercial, As you can see, they had much more than a small flashing bike light to keep them safe, and those bikes certainly had some flair!
After doing a little bit of research, I found that there were some super glow in the dark paint, better than your typical craft store stuff. In fact it's called phosphorescent paint which can glow for up to 12 hours, is substantially brighter than simple glow in the dark paint, and only takes 10 minutes to charge up!
I must say, after creating this bike I feel much safer riding in the dark, cars are able to spot me from quite a far distance. I've even gotten a few compliments on the cool style of the bike! Safety and style... it's a win win!
So thus begins my instructable - a glowing bike that will not only amaze friends and onlookers, but be extremely safe for riding in the dark.
UPDATED INFORMATION and TIPS and RESPONSES TO COMMON QUESTIONS:
- I bought my paint at glonation and it worked fairly well. A better choice (for brighter glow) may be gloinc as they advertise their paint is 3x brighter than their competitors. However, it is pricier than glonation. You could also do a little google search on super phosphorescent paint and you will find a few other places to purchase the paint. You can't buy it in a typical craft store (at least to my knowledge).
-The paint is NOT radioactive... so you don't have to worry about that
-We used 8 ounces total, 4 for the frame and 4 for the wheels. We had to put on many layers since it is hard to get even coverage with a paintbrush. There is not a spray glow phosphorescent paint on the market yet, it is being developed soon hopefully. The paint is creamy, so doesn't really work for an airbrush.
-Be careful when you purchase the paint and READ the advertising. For instance from glonation it states that orange only glows for 15minutes while is says that green (though dims) glows for 12 hours. Gloinc states that their green glows for 24hours, gloinc also has some information on the brightness on each glow.
-See last page of this instructable for some really cool black light LED's that would fit on the bike inconspicuously and give it an even brighter and longer glow!
After too many close calls to count, and a lot of weekend tv watching I was inspired by the Blackberry commercial, As you can see, they had much more than a small flashing bike light to keep them safe, and those bikes certainly had some flair!
After doing a little bit of research, I found that there were some super glow in the dark paint, better than your typical craft store stuff. In fact it's called phosphorescent paint which can glow for up to 12 hours, is substantially brighter than simple glow in the dark paint, and only takes 10 minutes to charge up!
I must say, after creating this bike I feel much safer riding in the dark, cars are able to spot me from quite a far distance. I've even gotten a few compliments on the cool style of the bike! Safety and style... it's a win win!
So thus begins my instructable - a glowing bike that will not only amaze friends and onlookers, but be extremely safe for riding in the dark.
UPDATED INFORMATION and TIPS and RESPONSES TO COMMON QUESTIONS:
- I bought my paint at glonation and it worked fairly well. A better choice (for brighter glow) may be gloinc as they advertise their paint is 3x brighter than their competitors. However, it is pricier than glonation. You could also do a little google search on super phosphorescent paint and you will find a few other places to purchase the paint. You can't buy it in a typical craft store (at least to my knowledge).
-The paint is NOT radioactive... so you don't have to worry about that
-We used 8 ounces total, 4 for the frame and 4 for the wheels. We had to put on many layers since it is hard to get even coverage with a paintbrush. There is not a spray glow phosphorescent paint on the market yet, it is being developed soon hopefully. The paint is creamy, so doesn't really work for an airbrush.
-Be careful when you purchase the paint and READ the advertising. For instance from glonation it states that orange only glows for 15minutes while is says that green (though dims) glows for 12 hours. Gloinc states that their green glows for 24hours, gloinc also has some information on the brightness on each glow.
-See last page of this instructable for some really cool black light LED's that would fit on the bike inconspicuously and give it an even brighter and longer glow!
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Signing UpStep 1Phosphorescent Paint
Now I want you to know that when I say this bike glows... it REALLY glows. Back when I was a youngster and was fascinated by glow in the dark paint, I was always disappointed by how dull and short lived the glow was. The typical craft store glow paint is zinc-sulfide based in an acrylic medium, if it is colored pigments are used. The problem with using pigments is that these colors absorb most of the light, and thus the glow isn't as bright.
Instead, phosphorescent paint (used for this bike) is strontium based and glows 10 times longer and brighter. Impressive!
The paint works only after it is exposed to an energy source, like the sun or black lights (these work really well) or regular lights. The paint absorbs the light energy and the little electrons get excited and jump up a few energy levels, sort of like climbing a few steps on a ladder. This is not a stable state for the electron (eventually you have to come down the ladder) and once it falls back down to its "ground state" it emits light, in the color of your paint. It turns out that strontium aluminate is more efficient and better at this than craft store glow paint.
You can find more information here and here.
Instead, phosphorescent paint (used for this bike) is strontium based and glows 10 times longer and brighter. Impressive!
The paint works only after it is exposed to an energy source, like the sun or black lights (these work really well) or regular lights. The paint absorbs the light energy and the little electrons get excited and jump up a few energy levels, sort of like climbing a few steps on a ladder. This is not a stable state for the electron (eventually you have to come down the ladder) and once it falls back down to its "ground state" it emits light, in the color of your paint. It turns out that strontium aluminate is more efficient and better at this than craft store glow paint.
You can find more information here and here.
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2) If you use the black lights, What size battery do you need to turn them on, 6 volt 12 volt, portable batteries?
P.S. If you used a headlight and pointed it to the bike frame that light should recharge your paint as well. Does it?
Thanks for your great project.
I expected them to last more than several hours, but when I checked them after 30 minutes, all of them were barely visibly glowing. I bought the sampler so I could try different backgrounds and different clear coatings. I'll still do those experiments, but so far I'm very disappointed.
I doubt Glow Nation's paints are substantially different. I am suspicious of the hours-long glow times stated in the Instructable, and of the strange EXIF data noted by yardleydobon in another comment.
PS does Phosphorescent pink glow as long as the jade green one ?
The bike itself is white and black (white frame with black letters, shocks, and spokes). The bike is kind of glossy, so I don't know if it will work on it, and I'd prefer not to paint it, but I probably can paint the white frame white if needed. I wouldn't paint the shocks, because that would probably make it not work as well, and the paint would probably wear off, but I don't want to paint some on the spokes (the wire parts of the tire) so it will make an animated pattern when I ride.
So if I painted it would I have to spray paint it first, or just apply the phosphoresent paint?
Will be making one and posting it on youtube, but it will take a few months for me.
Btw, I am ROBOCOP603 on youtube as well.
I guess I should have used a spray gun, "Will it change the consistency and NOT be so rough, white looks white but up close you can see the glue type consistency and little green color as mentioned..
Anyone done one with a spray gun, does it come out better?
So glad you posted this instructable! Congrats on winning... you deserve it!
Can you explain these discrepancies?
exiftool -d '%r %a, %B %e, %Y' -DateTimeOriginal -S -s *.jpg
======== 0hour0min_FQYIUZKGX5187G3.jpg
11:26:57 PM Wed, January 4, 2012
======== 0hour30min_FZ51E2AGX3LWF64.jpg
11:27:11 PM Wed, January 4, 2012
======== 1hour0min_FPHFX26GX5187G4.jpg
11:28:00 PM Wed, January 4, 2012
======== 2hour0min_FGT1AK5GX3M1FLS.jpg
11:31:55 PM Wed, January 4, 2012
======== 3hour0min_F7F17JYGX3M7WBT.jpg
11:32:11 PM Wed, January 4, 2012
======== 4hour0min_FGE0JDAGX3LR1AW.jpg
11:36:52 PM Wed, January 4, 2012
6 image files read
Curious, though - how long does the glow seem to last for?
To reuse, simply expose it to a bright light, or a black light for 5 minutes.
I've got to find a car spray shop to do my car now :D