I'm about to start building Rel's 1/650 Sovereign class Starship. I've decided to use White LED's exclusively for the entire ship and use colored light gels for the warp nacelles. I used this filter material waaaaay back in high school when I did lighting for plays in drama club. I went to Roscolux's web site and found that you can get a "swatchbook" for the asking. Thought you guys might be interested:
To add to what Neb said -
If you find out what color(s) you need, a 21"x24" sheet of the stuff only costs about $7US... and that's enough material for a lifetime or two of kits
You can find it in theater supply stores, btw.
Yeah, Neb- I remember seeing that site when I was searching for gels to make an IR-pass filter for a floodlight (don't ask ).
I found a source locally, so the cost basically balanced out - cost here vs. their cost + S&H.
Gotta tell ya - that stuff is EASY to work with... thin, soft, and durable. And any color one could possibly need.
I used colored gels for the impulse engines and deflector dish on REL's Ent-E, with LEDs lighting up the interior of the hulls. For the warp engines, I wanted to use LEDs but wasn't happy with the light distribution I was getting, so I went with blue CCFLs from Vibelights, and random blinking red LEDs for the ramscoops. It looks dam nice. I'm in the "prepping for painting" stage now on mine.
Neb wrote:Was the light distribution uneven, or not bright enough Thomas?
Not even enough, even with several layers of wax paper layered on top of 12 superbright blue LEDs. I found that for lighting large warp engines, CCFLs give the best result.
Neb wrote:Was the light distribution uneven, or not bright enough Thomas?
Not even enough, even with several layers of wax paper layered on top of 12 superbright blue LEDs. I found that for lighting large warp engines, CCFLs give the best result.
Try using Fiberfill (pillow stuffing). A one-pound bag usually goes for around $1.00 at any fabric/large retailer. It diffuses light quite nicely.
Scottie
I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason
Neb wrote:Was the light distribution uneven, or not bright enough Thomas?
Not even enough, even with several layers of wax paper layered on top of 12 superbright blue LEDs. I found that for lighting large warp engines, CCFLs give the best result.
Try using Fiberfill (pillow stuffing). A one-pound bag usually goes for around $1.00 at any fabric/large retailer. It diffuses light quite nicely.
Neb wrote:Was the light distribution uneven, or not bright enough Thomas?
Not even enough, even with several layers of wax paper layered on top of 12 superbright blue LEDs. I found that for lighting large warp engines, CCFLs give the best result.
Try using Fiberfill (pillow stuffing). A one-pound bag usually goes for around $1.00 at any fabric/large retailer. It diffuses light quite nicely.
Scottie
I was just re-reading this thread and went to the other room where I noticed a used dryer sheet laying on the floor (yep, I'm single). Well I tried it folded over a couple of times and I have to admit, it did a fair job on my mini-mag in candle mode and a 1100mCd LED I had on my bread board.
The Destructo Beam is the most powerful destructive weapon ever wrought by man. It is capable of vaporizing the Earth into.........vapor.
Thomas E. Johnson wrote:
Not even enough, even with several layers of wax paper layered on top of 12 superbright blue LEDs. I found that for lighting large warp engines, CCFLs give the best result.
Try using Fiberfill (pillow stuffing). A one-pound bag usually goes for around $1.00 at any fabric/large retailer. It diffuses light quite nicely.
Scottie
I was just re-reading this thread and went to the other room where I noticed a used dryer sheet laying on the floor (yep, I'm single). Well I tried it folded over a couple of times and I have to admit, it did a fair job on my mini-mag in candle mode and a 1100mCd LED I had on my bread board.
And it'll keep your model fresh as a morning breeze.
Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Besides, we all know somebody woulda said something eventually.
Pat A.
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50% Nerd, 50% Geek, 100% Cool
A useful source of filters is a local theatre. They go through the stuff all the time and even though the centers are faded the edges where they are clamped onto the lamp are not. I found a huge stack of them in the trash after strike during the last play at my college.
If a redhead works at a bakery, does that make him a gingerbread man?