Pete Alcock Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 In a few weeks, I'm providing kit and expertise to an amateur production of Fame. I went to see it at the Aldwych recently (loud or what!), and was impressed with the gobo of Fame on the gauze as you go in. So, I costed up a b-size gobo from DHA and it's gonna be over 50 quid to have one made. West-end budget - no problem, Bournemouth amateur budget - no chance. So, Is there a way of etching one's own. I used to make PCBs with ferric chloride years ago and that worked OK. What sort of acid would I need for thin stainless steel? If not, anyone got one I can borrow/hire? Thanks, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_s Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Surely you'd cut it out, as opposed to dissolving the steel? How you'd go about cutting it depends a lot on the shape however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Lawrance Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Is there not a stock item of said gobo?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 There are a couple of topics on self made gobos. Acetate and a cool beam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Cost up hiring a Selecon Pacific and printing some acetates. This gives you the option of colour as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Data projector (if such a beast happens to be available to you) and a Powerpoint slide? If it's an amdram show, quite often you might find that asking around the company yields one or two people who can get hold of a projector for you ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth A Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 I dont think there is a copy of the gobo in the DHA or Rosco as its a custom made for the show which then is their design and property. Also im sure ill be corrected, but I think the logo is actually registered as a trademark....... but def the selecon pacific is the way to go with a bit of ohp and a printer hey presto all done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieR Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Ditto on the Selecon Pacific option. Bearing in mind that the acetate only option will only survive if you use a 600w GKV lamp with the lamp base screwed right down. If you want to use acetate at a higher power, get a Rosco Imagepro unit. Fits selecons and Source4's. Only downside is the cost of the rather over-priced slide carriers. Gobo life is pretty much ensured though. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 I recall a topic (most probably on the Stagecraft list) about etching. Basically you 'scored' the metal where you wanted the edges and dipped it in acid and the acid weakened the metal. Done carefully, and timed right, remove the metal, rinse and push out the centre. You can apparently get some very nice sharp edges doing this. I also recall (possibly mistakenly) that you use a sharpie or something to trace around... and I'm not sure if you need to apply 'resist' to where you don't want eaten away. Hope that helps some...David :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwh Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 I've had a great run of "Need a gobo? Here, chuck us that Fosters can and that stanley knife"! I know you can get them fairly cheaper than that, Gradav for example generally have them going for £30. As for making your own decent ones, I'm no help :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 One option may be to find a local firm with a laser cutting machine, and see if they'll do you a cheap favour... My mum's school has one, although apparently it won't cut PCBs very well - it set fire to the substrate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Bit old school, but howzabout a slide projector and a 35mm slide of the logo? You can get old slide projectors for next to nowt (ie probably less than the weekly hire of a pacific), and the oldies have a 1KW halogen lamp, which you can rewire so that it comes on a separate power cable so you can keep the fan on hard power and the bulb dimmed on a normal channel. Otherwise I'll joint the throng on the Pacific front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahame Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Well, if you're handy with a craft knife or scalpel, you could easily cut the letters from an aluminium pie dish base. Trace the outline on first pressing lightly with a sharp pencil to score where you're going to cut, then with a little dextrous fingerwork you have the ultimate cheap gobo! The base of a Tesco's chicken & mushroom pie dish is just the right size for a Source 4 Junior gobo holder, FWIW...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdcarter Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 For a laser cutter: bigbluesaw.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 For a laser cutter: bigbluesaw.comWhich is an American company who would charge roughly $30 for a stainless steel gobo, plus shipping.It's actually a waterjet cutter, although these may actually be better for cutting out gobos. You'll need someone in the UK methinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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