vinntec Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Hi all - currently rigging Barefoot in the Park and one effect I was planning was to use a blacklight behind the set to light up windows on the backing flats (which show a red brick appartment block) through the set window. The effect is one used sparingly for preset and start of an act when the room is meant to be in darkness and not used once the action gets going. We tried it last night and the lamp we got (simple ES fitting) doesn't cause the fluorescent paint to light up at all even in pitch darkness otherwise! The backing is only a few feet behind the set and the gap is also a walkway for actors and crew. So I don't have any floor room and very little above (cyc unit attached to set) hence why I decided to try a blacklight lamp in a simple fitting mounted immediately above the window. Now either I have been diddled or misunderstood what the lamp is (it looks like a filament lamp with a dark coating on the glass and comes on instantly). Can anyone recommend a lamp which will do the job and provide a link to where we can get one from? A discharge lamp seems OTT for this so maybe a UV tube would be better but I am open to suggestions. PV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppetLight Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/product/497634/?grossPrice=Y&cm_mmc=UK%7CShopping-_-Google+PLA-_-Philips+Lighting%7CBlack+Light+Lamps-_-497634&kpid=&kpid=497634&istCompanyId=f7e7b05b-2daf-4c0e-8825-3633baf8113b&istItemId=xwilaxrxa&istBid=tzit&gclid=COPFwamt_cICFQPHtAod9W0AIQ Or if you give google a quick search I'm sure you can find a UV version of most standard household fittings. (I have a cheap working light fitting in my garage which I fit up with a UV tube when I'm painting UV sets. very cheap and easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigclive Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Just a thought. But does it have to be UV? Most fluorescent paints react brightly when illuminated with blue light, so some LED lights would provide the classic moonlight effect, but with the dayglo colours popping. Ignore the dreadful little filament based "UV" lamps. They have an extremely low output anywhere near UV and seem to rely on the dull blue emitted to get a UV effect in peoples bedrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 There's really no UV spectrum to start with when using a tungsten lamp, your lamp is pretty much just a purple coating. you could use a discharge or fluro uv lamp, you can get CFL uv lamps with e27 bases also, I'd give one a try, otherwise you can get led units with uv leds. you are using uv reactive paint....right? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 UV LED fittings exist, as do compact and linear UV fluorescent tubes. Disco suppliers are good, hydroponics suppliers may also have UV kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinntec Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Just a thought. But does it have to be UV? Most fluorescent paints react brightly when illuminated with blue light, so some LED lights would provide the classic moonlight effect, but with the dayglo colours popping.As it happens the cyc unit above is a Philips Selecon PLCYC1 (RGBW LED)! I will give that a try. The area to be lit is tiny but the main backdrop (visible through skylight) is also lit with PLCYC1 so would be too good to be true if it is as simple as that :** laughs out loud **: There's really no UV spectrum to start with when using a tungsten lamp, your lamp is pretty much just a purple coating.you could use a discharge or fluro uv lamp, you can get CFL uv lamps with e27 bases also, I'd give one a try, otherwise you can get led units with uv leds.you are using uv reactive paint....right? ;)Hi David - yes pucker UV fluorescent paint which the blacklight did nothing to other than emit a dull purple light! I will see what I can find of the CFL variety and if someone does one with ES cap (although LED ones were easy to find) just to fit what is already there. Tube also possible (although these come as both Blacklight which doesn't seem to need a starter and UV which does if I read it right). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinntec Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks for the suggestions. I will be trying out the blue LED tomorrow evening, mainly out of interest, but have also ordered a 2ft 20W UV tube for this show which gives me two bites at the cherry. The secret is to look for a lamp/fitting which is marked BLB (BlackLight Blue). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam2 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 As others have suggested, what you have sounds like a filament lamp with a deep violet coating. This should block most visible light and pass the ultra violet light, unfortunately the output from a low wattage filament lamp contains only a very little ultra violet. A proper ultraviolet lamp should do much better, an ultraviolet fluorescent tube might be best, but even a CFL will be a great improvement. You will need a blacklight ultraviolet lamp, some types of ultraviolet lamp, such as those used in insect traps or for cosmetic skin tanning, also emit a lot of visible light and therefore wont be suited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 http://www.terralec.co.uk/lighting/uv_lighting/11540_0c.html May offer some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Rapid are good value: http://www.rapidonline.com/audio-visual/velleman-vdl20uv-20w-uv-black-light-and-holder-35-6065 or CPC http://cpc.farnell.com/_/elt-25w-bc-blb/elt-25w-bc-black-light-blue/dp/LP02197 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgallen Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I've used the Rosco fluorescent paint plus one or two of those 40W 4 foot UV fluorescent tubes [in a standard 4 foot fluo fitting], and the response is very vibrant. I thought the "UV" LEDs in RGB-UV fixtures were just a very dark blue rather than a true UV wavelength emitter. For a proper response, the paint needs to get hit with true UV wavelengths which get re-emitted as light in the visible spectrum. http://www.stage-electrics.co.uk/shop/sales/scenic-materials/paint-and-scenic-coatings/fluorescent-and-luminous http://www.stage-electrics.co.uk/shop/sales/lighting/lamps/stage-and-studio/blacklight-(uv)/product.aspx?code=501-0365 Regards,Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I thought the "UV" LEDs in RGB-UV fixtures were just a very dark blue rather than a true UV wavelength emitter. For a proper response, the paint needs to get hit with true UV wavelengths which get re-emitted as light in the visible spectrum Clive was suggesting normal blue led not the uv ones. Blue LED does make things fluoresce just as well as uv. The reason for using true UV is so that only the fluorescent things are lit and everything else is left dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Paging Frank Wood... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 :o out dammed spot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigclive Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Yeah, with the blue LED you do get other stuff in the vicinity illuminated blue, but the fluorescent colours really tend to pop and outshine the surroundings. For a true UV application like puppetry you'd need to use proper blacklight UV to hide the puppeteers. Let us know what you think of the result if you do the blue LED test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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