"Stars" in backdrop, blue ceiling for water reflectance ?

[jrbarney]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone used fiber optics to create twinkling stars in their backdrop, and was it worth the effort ? Also, has anyone painted their ceiling blue so that it is reflected in the whatever medium is used to simulate water, and was that worth the additional cost ? I realize a blue ceiling might affect resale value of a home.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[denny99]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jrbarney

Just out of curiosity, has anyone used fiber optics to create twinkling stars in their backdrop, and was it worth the effort ? Also, has anyone painted their ceiling blue so that it is reflected in the whatever medium is used to simulate water, and was that worth the additional cost ? I realize a blue ceiling might affect resale value of a home.

I don't think installing fibers is worth the effort. first, you have to forsee some space behind your backdrop (which is usually leant against the walls), then you need to install a LOT of optical fibers and a bright lamp. but most of all, do you really want to operate your layout in an endless night to see the result? I would never :)

you don't need to paint you ceiling blue, because where you model water you paint blue or green the depth of your river/lake. and yes, you can paint your ceiling over white, before you sell the house :)

[nfmisso]

Hi Bob;

There was an article in Mainline Modeler awhile back on doing exactly what you described. The modeler ran day-night cycles on the layout during operating sessions...

The photos looked great.

[jrbarney]

Nigel,
Thanks for the positive response, you have a great memory. When key word search didn't score a hit, I did a Mainline Modeler issue-by-issue index search. Will ask NMRA's Kalmbach Memorial Library for a photocopy of "Creating stars" in the Mainline Modeler, April 2003 issue, as well as "Layout lighting for day, night" in the Railmodel Journal, August 1994 issue. I'm still interested in any other responses on this subject. To be truthful, the question was inspired by a lounge/bar in England that had a rug with fiber optics. (Yes, I was standing when I saw it.[:)])
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

I have slightly curved my backdrops in the vertical dimension so that they overhang the scene; this way I have blue sky right up to the light fixture. I don't have any water yet, but when I do it will reflect this sky well. Plus, the bounced light from my lights is blueish, the way real outdoor fill lighting is.

As for painting in the blue when you cast/pour/create the water, I don't favor this; I would rather place a mostly-clear epoxy into a fully modeled stream bed, and rely on the rest of the environment to make it look right. However, if you have a broad expanse of water you might find it much easier to go with a painted surface under lots of gloss medium.

[jrbarney]

Avondaleguy,
Thanks, I was hoping to hear from those who have coved their backdrops in either the vertical, the horizontal, or both. The theme of this thread is probably "old-hat" to professional diorama builders.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[leighant]

I read somewhere about someone using fluoresent paint for stars and a blacklight for night scenes. I would prefer using a projection system...an old slide projector with a slide made of thin black material with star holes punched or drilled in it. A thin brass would last forever without the hot bulb burning it up. Wouldn't twinkle though.

[Jetrock]

John Allen used fluorescent paint for the moon and illuminated windows in a city scene, in conjunction with a blacklight.

One gadget that might come in handy is a small planetarium-type projector--you can get them at places like the Discovery Store and other science-toy related shops. They are essentially a globe with a bulb inside, with holes intended to accurately project onto walls the location of stars in the sky--using this you can not only create the illusion of stars but have accurate constellations that will even move!

[jrbarney]

Jetrock,
Although I want to see what other responses there may be to this thread, I'll keep an eye peeled for one of those planetarium projectors - I had to memorize all the high magnitude stars when I took navigator training. Siting the projector for an unobstructed "throw" to the background may prove challenging

Leighant,
The shim brass slide projector scheme sounds promising too, but i'm not crazy about John Allen's use of "black light." If I'm correct, looking into a black light source can damage your eyes, and I already have cataracts.

Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[jrbarney]

For those of you interested in this thread, or another recent one on fiber optics:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12058
or some of the lighting ideas in Kalmbach's animation handbook,
while following another thread, I encountered The Model Railroad Club:
http://www.tmrc1.com
which has a lot of interesting links, among which was Fiber Optic Products:
http://www.fiberoptic products.com
As well as fiber optics, they have a lot of electronic modules for use with fiber optics such as theater marquee "chase" lights. They also have a lot of Star Wars goodies for those of you whom have UFOs on your layouts.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[jrbarney]

The April 2003 back issue of Mainline Modeler arrived today. It has Thornton Waite's article "Creating Stars" starting on page 67. In it he says that Ron Hatch likes the fiber optics from BL Hobby Products and Plastruct. Since the Plastruct fibers are larger diameter they are used for the brighter stars. In the Walthers catalogue BL's kit for an HO scale "Stars in Your Sky light kit" can be found at:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/183-532
Plastruct's URL is:
http://www.plastruct.com
Bob
NMRA Life 0543