End-lit glass rod
 

Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
a high power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian

End-lit glass rod
 

my thought is that it will be far more costly to experiment and have someone
produce this bent rod for you and get it lit properly, than the cost of the
neon procurement would run....... m

"Adrian Godwin" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
a high power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian

End-lit glass rod
 

Adrian Godwin wrote:
Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
a high power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian


Maybe you can make a similar alternative using electroluminescent sheet
or strip. Not used it myself but it has been around for a few years now
and seems to be readily available. From what I have read you can buy
sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth
investigation, google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.

End-lit glass rod
 

David Billington wrote:
Adrian Godwin wrote:
Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with a
high power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian


Maybe you can make a similar alternative using electroluminescent
sheet or strip. Not used it myself but it has been around for a few
years now and seems to be readily available. From what I have read you
can buy sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth
investigation, google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.
This stuff might do the trick http://www.glowire.com/

End-lit glass rod
 

"David Billington" wrote in message
...
David Billington wrote:
Adrian Godwin wrote:
Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with a high
power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian


Maybe you can make a similar alternative using electroluminescent sheet
or strip. Not used it myself but it has been around for a few years now
and seems to be readily available. From what I have read you can buy
sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth investigation,
google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.
This stuff might do the trick http://www.glowire.com/

there are certain colored plastic rods that appear to glow, but don't
really. they are usually fluorescent dayglo colors.

End-lit glass rod
 

David Billington wrote:
Adrian Godwin wrote:

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


can buy sheet material a cut it to suit your needs. Might be worth
investigation, google on "electroluminescent sheet" or similar.
This stuff might do the trick http://www.glowire.com/

That was my first thought, but the sample I tried was disappointingly
dim. It was quite cheap, though - maybe good stuff is brighter.

Michele is right that I could easily waste as much mucking around with
different ideas as getting the right thing to start with, but I thought
I could mess around with rod & lamps myself : I don't have the expertise
for tubes or the kit for gas-filling, but I could probably bend a solid
rod at least well enough to test the idea out.


-adrian

End-lit glass rod
 

Adrian Godwin wrote:
Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite

Why would you have to replace the transformer?

End-lit glass rod
 

Cydrome Leader wrote:

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite

Why would you have to replace the transformer?

The one I have is a bit burnt. It appears to be only the primary that's
damaged and I may be able to rewind it, but it's hard to say for sure.

-adrian