Lights in Model showing Thru Plastic

[Stilgar]

Folks,
Im new around here and probably have picked a project larger than I am ready for ....but....here goes...

(not sure if this should go in the CONSTRUCTION or FINISHING sections...)

I have the Polar lites Enterprise NX-01 and like many others I plan to install lights into it. SInce I dont plan on learning how to do fiber optics for each little tiny window, I had planned to put a few bright lights inside the saucer and hope they will illuminate thru most of the windows.

The problem is that bright light also shine through the plastic. Does anyone have any easy cures for that? If I spraypaint the inside with solid black will that bloack the light? Only other idea I though of was to line the inside with alum foil but man what a pain....

Any help appreciated...

Stilgar

[Kekker]

Yep - the usual method is to coat the inside with either black or silver paint.

Foil would work, too, but it would be a pain to get the fibers through the foil without getting a "halo" of light around each porthole.

Kev

[vaderman]

Spray the interior black first. Then use aluminum duct work tape (for AC units). It is really good reflecting light.

Scott

[Warped Speedster]

These are all good tips. I've tried several ways of doing this. For me white paint gives the most natural and even lighing effect and actualy amplifies more than silver as it collectively bounces the light around inside the ship's hull or whatever.

I'd spray paint it black first and then spray white paint over that.

As you're painting it, whatever color you use, hold a flash light behind the plastic to make sure you've got enough paint blocking out the light when dry. Remember that scribed sections are thinner and may need more paint.

Also. Try not to mount your bulbs directly to the hull. Mount them on at least a, 1/16th or 1/8th inch thick piece of black or gray plastic isolating them from the hull. You can use Evergreen too but remember it transfers light, so use at lease 1/8th inch stock. Once you figure out where all the bulbs need to go, you can glue those attachment points in position before painting the inside surface.

You may want to use a combination of all these methods. I've also used black felt material to stuff into areas I couldn't paint or didn't paint think enough, or just forgot to paint.

Also remember that LEDs shoot light backwards too which can penetrate thin plastic.

[Madman Lighting]

One more little tip,

If using fiber optics, esp larger diameter ones with very bright LEDs driving them, dip the end of the fiber in white or silver paint and let it dry before you stick it into its mouting hole. This will block light from leaking out of the sides of the fiber and showing through the plastic, even if the plastic is painted on the inside.

-John C.

[Sparky]

That's a good tip about dipping the fiber.

When we put in the clear cast light fixtures I drilled the holes for them, then painted the inside/drill holes black because I didn't want the resin color to get picked up by the fixture.

It could’ve been noticed when the LED was on but you would have seen it for sure when they were off. Some of the resin was tinted green (ya we were playing with the So-strong colors from smooth on).

You can see the ring of black in around the clear cast/LED pieces
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/images/images_05_ ... lcords.jpg" target="_blank">here.</a>