Lucy--a Luce de Notte Custom Build

[PhotonFanatic]

I've always like the look of the OSTAR reflector, with its facets, and decided that it would look good with an 18mm Ice Blue sphere. And, I wanted to do a knurled Luce with something more than just grooves, so how could I resist putting a dimple, or two in there?

Word got out that I was working on a couple of spec Luci, and before I knew what hit me, I had a customer for this, now aptly named Lucy:





I'll take some daylight shots tomorrow, if I get a chance, and before I ship her out. You can only put up with a Lucy for so long, ya know?

[Tink]

My baby! so long in the bornin', I need to have her in my life, in my home - now, if not sooner. Isn't she the most impressive grand dame? Look at that smile -- she took my heart the first moment I saw her. I know she will light up my life - what more could one ask of a love object? To protect me in the darkness? Surely she will do that. The rest of the time she will be a guardian of the utmost beauty.

As for putting up with Lucy - I can, I will, I insist on it. Let's go, Fred: send my baby home. I promise to take the very best care of her.

And as to you, my dear, there is not much more to say. You are a genius, not an iota less. But stick to the truth... I never hit you. Can you say beg, grovel, cajole? Those, mayhaps, but HIT? Never!

[PhotonFanatic]

True, I wasn't actually hit by anything, it was more like an attack by a Doberman.

Some daylight shots--a size comparison shot, first:



Lucy, 35mm diameter, on the left, then a large Luce and finally, a regular sized Luce.




And now, she gets thrown in a box and kicked out the door.

[TECENG]

My God, that is beautiful!!!
One of these days I will have one...

[HoopleHead]

beautiful. i will have to hit you up for one of those in brass with an 18mm green trit someday...

[Tink]

True, I wasn't actually hit by anything, it was more like an attack by a Doberman.

More like a sweet, tiny butterfly. See those wings?

Some daylight shots--a size comparison shot, first:



Lucy, 35mm diameter, on the left, then a large Luce and finally, a regular sized Luce.




And now, she gets thrown in a box and kicked out the door.

Thrown? Kicked? Operator, give me the police!

[RGB_LED]

Wow! I'm speechless... I always loved the lines on your Luce's but Lucy is pretty darn stunning.

Lucy wouldn't happen to have any sisters who are looking for a new home, would she?

[PhotonFanatic]

Wow! I'm speechless... I always loved the lines on your Luce's but Lucy is pretty darn stunning.

Lucy wouldn't happen to have any sisters who are looking for a new home, would she?

Well, let's just say that she may have some unborn siblings. I finally have some 15mm Trit spheres, and I have a couple of OSTAR reflectors left, so something could be made. But I have some other designs floating around that may see the light of day before too long.

[RGB_LED]

Well, let's just say that she may have some unborn siblings. I finally have some 15mm Trit spheres, and I have a couple of OSTAR reflectors left, so something could be made. But I have some other designs floating around that may see the light of day before too long.

Fred, that's just cruel to tease like that... Please let me know if / when you have another Luce / Lucy design for sale.

Hmm... in the meantime, I'm almost tempted to just post on the BST thread for a used Luce since it's almost impossible to get my hands on a tritium sphere...

[J Smyth]

I have some other designs floating around that may see the light of day before too long.

Can't wait.........................

[deusexaethera]

And now, she gets thrown in a box and kicked out the door.

When you make these again, I simply must have one exactly like that -- except with a flat polished tail, engraved with a radiation symbol.

I don't know why, but I can't get enough of looking at your dimpled-crosshatching pattern. I've never seen anything like it anywhere, but those little round holes in the middle turn what would otherwise be a rather boring surface into something exciting.

I bet blind people would be thrilled to pieces just to fiddle with your flashlights, even if they couldn't see the light. The textures alone are fascinating.

[PhotonFanatic]

Unfortunately, I won't be offering any more Luce de Nottes--seems that someone complained to the NRC and they passed it along to the State of Massachusetts, which then sent their Radiation Control Officer out to see what was going on.

Long story made short: The two licenses needed to resell Tritium products would be $10,000, a tad more than the revenues from the Luci.

So, sorry, but no more Luce de Nottes.

Of course, some of those textural details will show up from time to time in my flashlights.

[Tink]

Wow!! Lucy is sad to know that she won't have any sisters or brothers. She also wonders what rat spoiled it for the rest of you.

Fred - she is as beautiful as the day she arrived.

[J Smyth]

Always takes 1 rotten apple to ruin it for the rest of us.

[donn_]

Can you sell her as a trit-less hostess?

You're not responsible for what your customers put inside her, right?

[PhotonFanatic]

Yes, I can still make the bodies, and fit the reflector, but then the customer would have to use optical epoxy, i.e., Norland 61, to glue the Trit sphere to the reflector.

No doubt some are capable of doing that, so I'm sure that I'll still be making a few Luce bodies when the spheres come in from B@rt.

[deusexaethera]

Unfortunately, I won't be offering any more Luce de Nottes--seems that someone complained to the NRC and they passed it along to the State of Massachusetts, which then sent their Radiation Control Officer out to see what was going on.

Long story made short: The two licenses needed to resell Tritium products would be $10,000, a tad more than the revenues from the Luci.

So, sorry, but no more Luce de Nottes.

Of course, some of those textural details will show up from time to time in my flashlights.

That's fine. You can make the shell and I can install the sphere at my leisure. If anyone asks, tell them it's for use with tobacco products only.

I mean...um...

[deusexaethera]

Wow!! Lucy is sad to know that she won't have any sisters or brothers. She also wonders what rat spoiled it for the rest of you.

Fred - she is as beautiful as the day she arrived.

I bet you did it, didn't you. You didn't want anyone else to have one, you selfish so-and-so.

[jch79]

Oh man - that's such a bummer.

[smokelaw1]

Unfortunately, I won't be offering any more Luce de Nottes--seems that someone complained to the NRC and they passed it along to the State of Massachusetts, which then sent their Radiation Control Officer out to see what was going on.

Man, I am glad we have people paid to keep an eye out for almost certainly harmless glowing things. Whew!
I am so mad at myself for passing when I had the chance!!

[RocketTomato]

Man, I am glad we have people paid to keep an eye out for almost certainly harmless glowing things. Whew!
I am so mad at myself for passing when I had the chance!!

Tritium is regulated because it is used in nuclear weapons. It's like fertilizer or cough medicine: if someone is hoarding large quantities, they are probably up to no good.

[Tink]

I bet you did it, didn't you. You didn't want anyone else to have one, you selfish so-and-so.

Well, I never!

Lucy says you are a mean man! (She is of very delicate sensibilities, you know. Doesn't take much to upset her.)

[Cuso]

Hey Fred, did you show the officer the Luce's?? You could have gotten a huge discount on that license...

Perhaps dangling one of those emerald doted Ti killers could have done the trick also

Anyway ..
RAT

[PhotonFanatic]

Actually, he did see a Luce--my wife's. And on a subsequent call, he even admitted that some people in his office were impressed with the lights on my website. I offered to give them a deal on some Luce de Nottes.

[ledaholic]

You may not be able to sell them, but you might be able to give them as a gift with a cheap way overpriced flashlight!

[PhotonFanatic]

I can sell the Luce de Notte bodies, I just can't buy, install and sell the Tritium spheres or vials. But if you were to buy a Trit sphere for your own use and install it yourself, that's up to you.

[J Smyth]

Well I have admired Fred's Luce for a while now. Since I already had my own 15mm Tritium Sphere in stock I asked Fred if he wouldnt mind making me a body for it. I wanted something different than the norm and asked if he could just put a reflector on both sides with the sphere in the middle. I had it made in a Titanium Chassis with only straight line grooves. Well the body showed up and I just mounted the Tritium Sphere in there.

I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.............Thanks again Fred!

[PhotonFanatic]

Jim,

Nice job--but your Luce looks lonely in that gorgeous box.

[ehallspqr]

Very nice. The Ti is the way to go. Is Fred going to be building (self-installed) Trit sphere holders for all those that got spheres from Bart's latest order? He mentioned it in the past.