custom flourescent light tubes?

[FJ and G]

You see a lot of flourescent lights on businesses that spell out the names of businesses. Where do these come from and can you shape them yourself?

I'd like to use these for two purposes:

1. I'd like to creative a purple-tube'd sign that reads: Tequilla Sunrise for the subdivision sign on my layout.

2. For my mountain backdrop, I'd like to get a very thin, 25 ft long bulb that I can squeeze behind my mountains. I strung christmas lights back there but they only give point lighting, tho I may try overlapping a second row of lights or even a third to see how that works.

[wrmcclellan]

Dave,

Those lights are neon lights. Look up sign builders in your area and you can find someone who can build one for you.

A friend of mine purchased and shaped (mapp gas torch) his own tubing to make a sign which saved significant $$. Took it to a neon shop and had them charge it and add the electrodes. Then you need a transformer to energize it. You might save some $$ by buying a working used sign to get some of the parts.

Be aware these transformers put out 2,000 to 30,000 volts (low current) and are dangerous.

Here are some links:

http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980107.htm

http://www.everything-neon.com/

http://users.tm.net/lapointe/Neon.htm

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5322/luminous.htm


Regards,
Roy

[csxt30]

Dave do you mean the Neon lights? I used to work at sign Co. & they can custom make anything like that or a lot of sign Co's. have the neon made at another place that does Neon, depending on your local co. or where you live. They actually blow the glass, & use a transformer to light it. Hope this helps.

[underworld]

I'm not familiar with shaped flourescent....do you mean neon? There is luminescent tape and kind of a string (round instead of flat) that's used in custom automotive applications. This is also available in sheet form...I've seen this at hobby shops. There is a company that makes neon looking signs from the flat sheets. http://www.pc-look.com/boutik/default.php?cpathcat=Produits-Lumineux-Bandes-Electro-Luminescentes__72_111&language=en
This web site is in Europe but it might help to give you a better idea of what this stuff is like. I've seen the tape/string at discount automotive stores. It's also available at car stereo shops. I've seen purple at car stereo shops.
http://walthers.com/exec/search?quick=electro+luminescent&quicksrch_butt.x=28&quicksrch_butt.y=7

Walther's has two kits and also the wire/string.

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[FJ and G]

John,

Yes.

Roy,

That gives me a lot of reading. One sign I liked adds up to about $500, pretty pricey.

Guess I was thinking there might be some flexible plastic-like material I could bend myself into shapes, but guess they need to be glass.

Will keep looking thru the sites you gave. Interesting stuff.

[FJ and G]

Underworld:

http://www.pc-look.com/boutik/Prod_Sunbeam-Electro-Luminescent-Tape-Kit-150-cm-Yellow__700_en.html

Looks like what I need but it doesn't mention if it glows by itself or if a lite needs to be shined on it.

[wrmcclellan]

Dave,

EL tape glows on its own using a small power supply (12 volt in this case).

If you have seen the signs by Miller Engineering, these are EL material. Pretty neat - but not as bright as neon.

Be aware that there are some other companies that make faux neon signs, where a vacuum formed plastic is colored to emulate a neon glow and is backlighted. These signs are cheaper than real neon. If you ever go to Sam's Club, they usually have some of these faux signs if you want to see an example. I once saw one in Home Depot, but that was some time ago.

[FJ and G]

thanks, Roy,

The bright NEON is what I'm after. The EL tape glow would be really nice, but not in green.

I'll see what Miller Eng has

[FJ and G]

Miller Site under construction :-)

[Anonymous]

Hello Dave: Just a suggestion, how about rope light? I have seen a lot of signage at Christmas & it looks pretty good, & you can buy it at depot or hardware stores, it might be a more cost effective way to go. Kind regards Steve

[underworld]

Dave,
The tape and the wire is available in green. Check at your local car stereo shop....see what they have. If you are in or near a bigger city there should be several places in town that have it. I'm in Toledo and there are at least 6 stereo shops that have it....also several car parts places. It does require 12 volts to run it.

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[lionelsoni]

Flourescent lights? Grain-of-wheat, perhaps?

[FJ and G]

steve's idea I like best but studying other suggestions and eventually will get this project going

[Anonymous]

Dave;

For a layout application which would be in miniature, try using fiber
optic tubing. You can bend/shape it to whatever you want and power
it with a light source at on end (usually hidden in a base). This can
be done with even a small grain-of-wheat bulb. I think Radio Shack
has the light fiber. If not, try a craft store. This fiber optic tubing is
what you see used in decorative lighting and recently has been em-
ployed on Christmas Trees instead of individual lights (trees like
this are sold a Lowes and Home Depot).