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Strings of bright lights are popular for everything from huge animated Christmas displays to teenage bedroom decor. They're not perfect, though. They eat power. Bulbs can burn out (sometimes taking down the whole strand, depending on the design.) They need to be close to an outlet. Using electricity in the rain or snow isn't the safest thing in the world, either.
I designed this project to be an alternative. These "lights" don't use any source of power, and as long as they get some bright light during they day you'll get at least an hour of glow from them after dark. You can make the "bulbs" any shape and size, and design the length of the strand for the application. They require some effort up front, but can be blissfully ignored once installed.
The science involved here is the use of phosphorescent materials. Phosphors absorb light and slowly release it, creating the glowing effect. Technically, your bulbs will glow all of the time, but during the day it isn't very visible (they just look like pastel bits of plastic) and at night the glow starts out bright, but fades over time. More colors are becoming available all the time - I've used six different colors for my bulbs, instead of just the traditional green glow in the dark. I have found at least 11 different colors online, so you really do have a great number of options.
I did a bit of testing, and found that sunlight was the best for creating bright lights, but florescent and incandescent lights did a surprisingly good job of recharging the glow, too.
I designed this project to be an alternative. These "lights" don't use any source of power, and as long as they get some bright light during they day you'll get at least an hour of glow from them after dark. You can make the "bulbs" any shape and size, and design the length of the strand for the application. They require some effort up front, but can be blissfully ignored once installed.
The science involved here is the use of phosphorescent materials. Phosphors absorb light and slowly release it, creating the glowing effect. Technically, your bulbs will glow all of the time, but during the day it isn't very visible (they just look like pastel bits of plastic) and at night the glow starts out bright, but fades over time. More colors are becoming available all the time - I've used six different colors for my bulbs, instead of just the traditional green glow in the dark. I have found at least 11 different colors online, so you really do have a great number of options.
I did a bit of testing, and found that sunlight was the best for creating bright lights, but florescent and incandescent lights did a surprisingly good job of recharging the glow, too.
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Signing UpStep 1Supplies and Equipment
Some of the steps are family friendly, but there are a few that require safe handling and are definitely not suitable for kids. Read all of your product information before you get started and take every possible precaution to keep yourself safe.
Materials:
-white cardstock
-resin - this is Envirotext Light, an epoxy type resin is best for this project (I only used a tiny bit, you can buy a smaller package)
-phosphorescent/glow powders - available all over the internet, this site has a wide range
-string - nylon is my first choice for outdoor use, pretty much anything will hold up indoors
Equipment:
-paper punch
-drill, dremel, or other method of making holes in plastic - I used a 1/16th inch drill bit
-pennies
-waxed paper or other surface protector
-dust mask - keep the powder out of your lungs
-safely glasses - keep flying bits of plastic out of your eyes
-gloves - disposable plastic for resin, leather for drilling your pieces
-mixing cups and stirring devices for your type of resin - I used waxed cups with volume markings and popsicle sticks, that won't work for all resins, check the instructions in your package
Materials:
-white cardstock
-resin - this is Envirotext Light, an epoxy type resin is best for this project (I only used a tiny bit, you can buy a smaller package)
-phosphorescent/glow powders - available all over the internet, this site has a wide range
-string - nylon is my first choice for outdoor use, pretty much anything will hold up indoors
Equipment:
-paper punch
-drill, dremel, or other method of making holes in plastic - I used a 1/16th inch drill bit
-pennies
-waxed paper or other surface protector
-dust mask - keep the powder out of your lungs
-safely glasses - keep flying bits of plastic out of your eyes
-gloves - disposable plastic for resin, leather for drilling your pieces
-mixing cups and stirring devices for your type of resin - I used waxed cups with volume markings and popsicle sticks, that won't work for all resins, check the instructions in your package
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...but that's all just conjecture, based on almost nothing :)
Following your train of thought, if we think about this project along the lines of a taillight in a vehicle, you're right! The light released from the powder does not go in just one direction. The light goes away from the reflector (in this case, cardstock) AND also towards the reflector (cardstock) and is reflected back. (This is why white cardstock works better than other colors. It's a better reflector.)
To further add to the overall conjecture :o) . . . I suspect that having a shiny, more efficient reflector (aluminum foil on cardstock or perhaps a stiff bit of Mylar film) will make the glow appear brighter.
How much? Hard to say but since the efficiency of the glow powder as a light source is relatively low to begin with, any inexpensive improvement is probably worthwhile.
I further believe that in sunlight the resin color would have a deeper shade and appear more jewel-like. That's because light must pass through the colored resin before being reflected [more efficiently] and back through the resin.
Chester's idea of plastic report covers is interesting because the glow would be seen better from both sides of the disk. It would probably appear dimmer because there would be no reflecting of the light off the substrate, BUT . . . if you used a colored plastic, new possibilities open up. Green glow powder on a red plastic would appear green from one side and (some shade of) yellow from the other (assuming that it was only coated on one side).
It would also probably look prettier in the sunlight because it would be translucent if not transparent.
I also might test spraying on a coat of a sticky clear paint, dusting the powder over that, and then spraying on another clear coat when the first layer dries. That would circumvent the airbrush and powder problem and still give you a 3D object finish!
1) Spray "PingPongBall" with adhesive,
2) Roll ball in "Dust",
3) Clear coat,
4) repeat 1 thou 3..
this paint was used by someone making a "night bike"{http://www.instructables.com/id/Night-Bike/} it would be great for this too!
Do you know if the resin blocks UV? Similar to phosphorescent dyes, glow-in-the-dark products respond strongly to UV although they will also "charge" with visible light. In addition, since UV is not very visible, a weak black light can be used to keep glow-in-the-dark products charged — although that would mean the "lights" are no longer no-power!
Generally speaking, you need to specifically seek out a resin with UV inhibitors. That's why a lot of fiberglass boats are so prone to fading and breaking down in the sun. Envirotex Lite (as well as most tabletop style resins) don't have a UV inhibitor, so there's nothing getting in the way of the glow.
Clear finishes that are only for indoor use often don't have UV inhibitors, either. There are lots of polyurethanes that would make a good finish. On the other hand, a lot of acrylics - especially those intended for fine art - are loaded with UV protection. I've had really good luck with googling the product name followed by "uv" to check up on specific materials.
Adding the black light would be using power, but it's amazing what a small amount of black light it takes to make these powders blinding, and it would be a good way to keep things bright while reducing power use as compared to normal lights!