Using glow paint and powder

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
I have some green v10 and pure blue powder and water based paint on the way, and I wanted to get some ideas and instruction. My first project I want to try is my duramax flashlight from autozone. It has a tir optic and I didnt know where to put the paint to the get the best effect and efficency. I thought about painting the inside of the head or the side the the optic.
content__media_external_images_media_1186.jpg

I know the tir optic is supposed to capture all the light from the emitter, but there seems to be some light still cast off the side of the optic. I figured this may be a good start to try adding glow. I've looked around at different projects and like the look of the glow in the flashlights. Just figured that with paint and powder I may have the most options for mods.
 

FRITZHID

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
2,500
Location
Icelandic wastelands of Monico, WI
well 1st off..... water and Glow Inc. powders are NOT friendly! ONLY the encapsulated glow powder works well with water based paints. your better off using either epoxy, lacquer, enamel or some other non-water based mix. just an fyi based on exp.
 

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
I actually purchased powder and premixed paint from glow inc in the green v10 and pure blue color.
 

FRITZHID

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
2,500
Location
Icelandic wastelands of Monico, WI
well i've worked with all of them, the glow in the water based paint is encapsulated, the powders you buy are not unless specifically stated so, Soooo IF your mixing the powders in a water based paint it will degrade the effects of the added powders. if the paint is not water based then there will be no issues. all these factors are stated in the info on gloinc's pages.
 

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
I just bought some powder to mix with epoxys and the paint to use where I dont need the the epoxy. I didnt plan to add more glow powder to the water based paint. I was just wondering mostly about the best method and placment of the GID material in the tir optic.
 

FRITZHID

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
2,500
Location
Icelandic wastelands of Monico, WI
well, if you give us some "from above" shots to look at, we may be able to offer some suggestions. i personaly use epoxy or GITD gaskets just around the LED base as close to the emitter as i can w/out inter interfearing with the beam.
 

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
content__media_external_images_media_1185.jpg

Heres from above. I just wanna try my first glow mod to a light then plan on moving up from here.
 

FRITZHID

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
2,500
Location
Icelandic wastelands of Monico, WI
well, from what i can see, a wide but thin thickness layer of GITD epoxy would probably look very nice with that set up, just be careful that you don't get any on the reflector. i suggest a 2hr epoxy, roughly 1 to 1 ratio epoxy to powder, and apply with a toothpick & steady hands, unless you can remove the reflector, then do that, can even coat over the outside area beyond the reflectors base. :) allow to dry on Very level flat spot or it will run.

AND Needless to say, KEEP IT OFF THE EMMITER ITSELF!!!! LOL
 
Last edited:

hank

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 12, 2001
Messages
1,561
Location
Berkeley CA
That's a TIR optic -- solid clear plastic cone with a cutout at the tip where it sits over the LED.
I'm curious to see the result if you do paint the outside of the cone.
 

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
Thats what I was thinking of trying, just didnt know if anyone may have tried this already. I cant wait to get the my glow powder and paint.
 

MikeAusC

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
995
Location
Sydney, Australia
That's a TIR optic -- solid clear plastic cone with a cutout at the tip where it sits over the LED.
I'm curious to see the result if you do paint the outside of the cone.

Anything applied to the outside of a TIR cone will stop the internal reflection.
 

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
But the optic should only be collecting the light from the middle of the cone where the led is stuck in. Putting GITD on the tapered outside of the cone should only collect the stray light that comes out the sides, atleast in my mind:whistle:
 

FRITZHID

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
2,500
Location
Icelandic wastelands of Monico, WI
perhaps, but if not, you could be seriously mucking up the stock design and effecting performance in a way that can't be undone. not a risk i'd take unless i had plenty of spares around. ;)
 

Th232

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
1,064
Location
Sydney, Australia
But the optic should only be collecting the light from the middle of the cone where the led is stuck in. Putting GITD on the tapered outside of the cone should only collect the stray light that comes out the sides, atleast in my mind:whistle:

Total internal reflection is a mechanism that depends on the difference in the refractive indices between two materials, in this case plastic and air (Wikipedia has a good article on this). If you place material on the outside surface of the cone, you've just completely removed that plastic:air interface. In short, I expect you'll drastically reduce the efficiency of the TIR to about the efficiency of just a simple lens.
 
Last edited:

Rees

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
292
Location
NH
Well, I do like the light, but at the expense of $13 I can always try. If it works with this TIR optic with no adverse effects, then it would get great glow in say a terralux ministar31.
 
Top