Ht Gels

[Brian]

In one of the venues I work in I've got a set of cyc lights which...

a) run a bit warm and

b) get left on for long(ish) periods of time

this means that it doesn't take long for the gels to get a bit 'crispy'.

I've been using bog-standard Lee gels (182,118,139) but was wondering about changing to either Lee HT or Rosco Supergel.

Anyone have a feeling for which one will last longer.

[Stu]

I think it would be Supergel that'd last longer... Plus I don't think the gels you use are in the Lee HT series.

 

Does using the E-Colour series give the same life as Supergel? If so, that might be the best option as then you can order the same 'numbers'.

 

S

[peter]

Whats wrong with a bit of heatshield between the lamp and the gel?

[gareth]

Whats wrong with a bit of heatshield between the lamp and the gel?

To work properly, heatshield needs some airspace between itself and the colour. Cyc floods generally only have runners for one colour frame, meaning the heatshield would have to go into the same frame as the colour, making it less effective.

 

Lee 118 and 139 are available as HT, which would help to solve the problem. 182 isn't, but #25 and #26 are fairly close (the former is a bit lighter, the latter a touch darker and a bit less 'yellowy').

[Brian]

Whats wrong with a bit of heatshield between the lamp and the gel?

I could probably fit in a bit of shield with a gap before the colour but the cyc lights I'm using don't have much in the way of ventilation which is why, I suspect, the current gel quickly goes crispy. I think a bit of shield would probably just make matters worse. The price you pay for buying 'economic' lanterns I supose. Oh well, time to stick in an order for some HT and give it a whirl.

[andy_s]

as a temporary solution, I've borrowed a (insert technical term if known) little wheely thing with spikes from the wardrobe department, (a bit like a pizza cutter) and used it to put some tiny pinpricks in the filter - this increases the airflow a bit. It allows a bit of white light through, but hardly if at all noticeable. I used the same bit of "treated" 106 on a 500W sunflood at floor level pointing up into the back of a curtain for a 10 week tour - never had to replace the colour. Of course, I wasn't running the lantern for particularly long periods - a few short scenes over the course of the show - but it certainly made a difference - the first bit of colour (untreated) lasted about five minutes before melting all over the glass front.

[landy]

I have found that HT Lee filter doesn't burn out but shrinks so cut genrously. I personally dont like it so re gell oftern. I assume you cant run then a littlt dimmer and keep the temp down go on no one will know!

[Brian]

I've borrowed a (insert technical term if known) little wheely thing with spikes from the wardrobe department, (a bit like a pizza cutter)

I'm reliably informed that the gadget we want is a 'Pounce (or Ponce) Wheel'.

[Guest lightnix]

...the gadget we want is a 'Pounce (or Ponce) Wheel'

 

So that's what it's called, I've often wondered and now I know :o Any idea where you get them ? I may have a use for one myself.

 

There's a bunch of about a dozen old CCT Starlettes, some of which regularly burn out even HT gel, even when it's backed with heatshield and even though I've spotted down a bit to back the lamp away from the colour.

 

Maybe a Pounce (or Ponce) Wheel will help.

[Brian]

a quick google throws up several on-line art type shops flogging them, they appear to come in a number of different TPI.