End-lit glass rod

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Subject Author Date
End-lit glass rod Adrian Godwin 12-19-2007
Posted by Adrian Godwin on December 19, 2007, 10:24 am
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Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
a high power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian


Posted by michele on December 19, 2007, 7:24 pm
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my thought is that it will be far more costly to experiment and have someone
produce this bent rod for you and get it lit properly, than the cost of the
neon procurement would run....... m

> Hi all,
>
> I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
> 3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.
>
> This is what the tube's supposed to look like :
>
> http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551
>
> (the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).
>
> It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
> also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
> expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
> glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
> a high power LED or a halogen bulb.
>
> What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
> Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?
>
>
> -adrian
>



Posted by David Billington on December 20, 2007, 7:50 am
Please log in for more thread options
Adrian Godwin wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
> 3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.
>
> This is what the tube's supposed to look like :
>
> http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551
>
> (the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).
>
> It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
> also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
> expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
> glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
> a high power LED or a halogen bulb.
>
> What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
> Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?
>
>
> -adrian
>
>
Maybe you can make a similar alternative using electroluminescent sheet
or strip. Not used it myself but it has been around for a few years now
and seems to be readily available. From what I have read you can buy
sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth
investigation, google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.

Posted by David Billington on December 20, 2007, 7:58 am
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David Billington wrote:
> Adrian Godwin wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
>> 3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.
>>
>> This is what the tube's supposed to look like :
>>
>> http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551
>>
>> (the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).
>>
>> It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
>> also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
>> expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
>> glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with a
>> high power LED or a halogen bulb.
>>
>> What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
>> Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?
>>
>>
>> -adrian
>>
>>
> Maybe you can make a similar alternative using electroluminescent
> sheet or strip. Not used it myself but it has been around for a few
> years now and seems to be readily available. From what I have read you
> can buy sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth
> investigation, google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.
This stuff might do the trick http://www.glowire.com/

Posted by charlie on December 20, 2007, 11:03 am
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> David Billington wrote:
>> Adrian Godwin wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
>>> 3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.
>>>
>>> This is what the tube's supposed to look like :
>>>
>>> http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551
>>>
>>> (the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).
>>>
>>> It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
>>> also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
>>> expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
>>> glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with a high
>>> power LED or a halogen bulb.
>>>
>>> What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
>>> Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?
>>>
>>>
>>> -adrian
>>>
>>>
>> Maybe you can make a similar alternative using electroluminescent sheet
>> or strip. Not used it myself but it has been around for a few years now
>> and seems to be readily available. From what I have read you can buy
>> sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth investigation,
>> google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.
> This stuff might do the trick http://www.glowire.com/

there are certain colored plastic rods that appear to glow, but don't
really. they are usually fluorescent dayglo colors.



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