Glow powder or Glow paint?

LEDBE
bl4kkat

bl4kkat

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Messages
93
Location
Virginia Beach
hi everyone i was wondering what do you guys out there perfer when adding glow to your lights?

A. Buy the powder and mix your own batch

or

B. Buy the all weather glow paint and paint your light


ive searched some of the threads here and and came with the conclusion i could do one of three choices...

1. Powder and clear nailpolish (non UV protective)
2. Powder and epoxy glue 2 ton not 5 minute fast drying type
3. Buy glow paint already mixed from www.glowinc.com

i got some leftover glow paint from Spencers and painted the ring around my el cheapo 2.oo RadioShack flashlight and lit it up with my Niteize drop-in bulb and turned out pretty nice for some crap quality materials (minus the Niteize LED :sssh:) but now the paint is starting to peel off of the plastice bezel and lens cap like glue. so now i want something that i can put to my M@g...

i guess you can say that i was inspired by greenlights post "Let's take a look inside of the Gerber Firecracker" http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=165808 and several other threads

so i want to know whats the difference of using one glow method versus using the other... i.e. durablity, ease of applying, etc.

thanks ppl :wave:
 
I kept it simple and picked up 1/2 pint of their weatherproof paint. Shipped on the 4th, should be here within a few more days :twothumbs
 
Well glow paint when dry can become flakey quickly. The epoxy when mixed with GP is much more sturdy.
Glow paint is little more than clear nailpolish and glow powder mixed with a thinner.
You can make it yourself if you have the powder.

The glow powder is a chemical called strontium aluminate. More info here:
http://www.mss-int.com/prod06.html

I would go with the powder because you can do more with it. like making your own Glow paint and mixing with epoxy.
Plus you have a lot more options in terms of color. there are a lot of them.



From a website:
Glow Paint or Glow Powder?

The short answer
If you are looking to paint a surface, then use the paint. If you are looking to mold an object out of plastic, wax, concrete or other structural mediums, then use the powder. Choosing the powder with hopes of finding a cheaper paint medium typically results in frustration.
Longer, more detailed information on paint vs. powder
Our paint is manufactured by adding our powder to a custom-engineered medium. It's chemical make-up was literally designed by a paint chemist to meet several design criteria set by a board of our customers. The resulting medium is a solvent-based acrylic that contains no UV-filters. Premium durability and suspension additives are included in the formula. Finally, it is a pure clear without any visual impurities that will diminish the glow or any pass through color.
This medium will adhere strongly to almost any surface and is very scratch resistant. It is also durable over the long term. We mix the powder and the paint at a very high ratio of 2 pounds of powder to 1 gallon of paint.
The only negative is the cost of such a high-end paint. Our customers regularly tell us that they would rather us engineer the best quality product at a higher price than the alternative of lowering the quality to lower the price. In this case, we truly feel the quality more than justifies the additional cost.
If you decide to purchase the powder and find your own medium, then look at the section of the website called "choosing mediums". Regardless, consider that we have tested hundreds of over-the-counter paints and were unable to find a good paint medium alternative.
The powder does work well for thicker non-water based mediums. Therefore, it is great for creating 3 dimensional objects like candles, sculpture, glass or plastic casts.

One other very good way to apply the glow powder is called polymer clay. there is a clear (actually looks like white glue but drys clear) liquid version of the stuff which when mixed with strontium aluminate it creates a liquid which you paint on a surface. you then bake the painted object for ten minutes at 300 degrees F and the result is a very hard ceramic like surface which is matte and glows like crazy. The key to this is the ability to ba able to bake the object at 300 degrees. Strontium aluminate will hold it's ability to glow all the way to 1100 degrees so it bakes up very well.

IMHO this liquid polymer clay method is byfar the cleanest and best way to apply the glow in the dark powder. the results are extreemely clean and it is very easy to acheive a good result.
I have done the same thing with epoxy and the only difference is the epoxy has a greater potiential to be messy and if you screw up the application it is difficult to clean up. the epoxy is also shiny when hard but the polymer clay method results in a matte finish.

Yaesumofo
 
Last edited:
yaesumofo said:
I would go with the powder because you can do more with it. like making your own Glow paint and mixing with epoxy.
Plus you have a lot more options in terms of color. there are a lot of them.

Yaesumofo
Click to expand...


what do you mean exactly by "do more" with it? whats the difference between making glow paint and mixing with epoxy? i thought they're both "glow paint" or did i just miss something completly?

all i want to do it add glow paint to my light somewhere in the reflector or somewhere outside on the the recessed part of the bezel (even though thats a REALLY small gap) but if theres other really cool stuff i can do with the powder i think im going to just buy the paint from glowinc.com cause i really dont see any advantages in mixing my own paint than buying the glow paint straight up.

not that i want to sound rude or anything i just want to see the pros and cons between my different options cause im really dont much about the this glow stuff. im also really thinking about getting GERBER FIRECRACKER just so i can see how well the glow mod is first hand

thanks again for the input guys! :D
 
I guess I am talking about the ability to apply the stuff cleanly.
As I have been experimenting with the stuff tonight I have found the polymer clay liquid to be the best and cleanest "install".
The powder is designed to be used as a pigment additive to just about anything. paint, glue, nail polish, polymer clay. so and so fourth. you simply can't do that with the store bought paint.
The other thing about the powder is that you control the concentration of the glow pigment. some of the paints use a finely ground strontium aluminate the small particles don't glow as well as large particles.
I recommend that you order some of both and play with for the best results for your application you can have enough of both the paint and powder to last a long time for under $20.
The problem is that in my opinion there is no simple answer to your question.

If you want an opinion it sounds to me like you should just buy some paint and put it where you want it to glow.
There you have it simple and easy. Buy it and use it. I don't think you have the patience to experiment. Just buy the paint.
Yaesumofo



bl4kkat said:
what do you mean exactly by "do more" with it? whats the difference between making glow paint and mixing with epoxy? i thought they're both "glow paint" or did i just miss something completely?

all i want to do it add glow paint to my light somewhere in the reflector or somewhere outside on the the recessed part of the bezel (even though that's a REALLY small gap) but if there's other really cool stuff i can do with the powder i think im going to just buy the paint from glowinc.com cause i really dont see any advantages in mixing my own paint than buying the glow paint straight up.

not that i want to sound rude or anything i just want to see the pros and cons between my different options cause im really dont much about the this glow stuff. im also really thinking about getting GERBER FIRECRACKER just so i can see how well the glow mod is first hand

thanks again for the input guys! :D
Click to expand...
 
yaesumofo:
that polymer clay sounds like its really good but i dont have access to a furnace to bake at 300 degrees and also that mean i wont be able to that polymer clay on some of my plastic lights :faint:

but yeah im on a really tight budget so i cant really experiment as much as id like to but i really appreciate the input tho :)

Sgt. LED:
yeah i saw your glow mule for sale looks really nice! PM sent
 
  1. cover everything important with tape
  2. (spray) paint the surface WHITE - makes glow effect MUCH brighter
  3. add another layer of white
  4. put some powder on still wet paint
  5. shake object to "even" the powder layer
  6. turn object upside down to get exessive powder out
  7. add clear (spray) paint, add powder, shake, turn usd, ...
  8. repeat as often as You want
  9. add finishing clear layer
 
Thanks for the tips yellow. :) I'll have to try that. Any recommendations on the type/brand of white paint and clear paint?

This was my first attempt with GITD powder mixed with epoxy. I cleaned it up a bit after taking the pic as the pic showed me some some stray bits of powder. :) This is what I did with my Raidfire Spear:

 
yellow:
what kind of glow paint did you use and where did you get it?

WadeF:
nice light! did you just put a drop of epoxy with GID powder? looks really nice!
 
You don't need a furnace. all you need is a oven and I made a mistake the temperature is 275. For 10 minutes Any kitchen oven will work.
The key is the liquid polymer clay. It is amazing. Most plastics will handle this. the nitrilon that surefire makes their flashlights will certainly handle it.
All you do is make a mixture of the strontium aluminate and liquid polymer clay mix and test in the dark with a light charging the mixture you test until you get the pigment density you want. then with a paint brush paint the glow in the dark liquid polymer clay onto the surface you want it to be on. It must be level or it will drip in the oven.
then bake. you will end up with a hard clay like ceramic like polymer surface which is workable with a dremel or sand paper for defining the shape.
If you have made a good mixture you can make very thin surfaces and they will glow very well.
I have learned that large particle strontium aluminate glows better than fine particle SA.
I recommend you experiment.
The one kicker is that liquid polymer clay (sculpey brand) is relatively expensive about $20.00 a bottle. One bottle is way more than enough for a lifetime of GITD pigment play.

I have made GITD disks using carbon fiber disks as a base and liquid polymer clay with SA mixture baked for 10 minutes at 275. the results are great. it is easy predictable no epoxy mess no need to layer. when done if you want a shiny finish you can spray a clear finish or use a wax after sanding.
once you have the materials it is easy and fun to go crazy with this stuff.
The liquid polymer clay I am using is translucent. it starts out looking like white glue. it "drys" clear.
Enjoy.
It really is easy.

IMHO the use of this material could lead to a completely different way of applying glow in the dark materials. one which is FAR superior to the older epoxy method.
Yaesumofo


bl4kkat said:
yaesumofo:
that polymer clay sounds like its really good but i dont have access to a furnace to bake at 300 degrees and also that mean i wont be able to that polymer clay on some of my plastic lights :faint:
but yeah im on a really tight budget so i cant really experiment as much as id like to but i really appreciate the input tho :)

Sgt. LED:
yeah i saw your glow mule for sale looks really nice! PM sent
Click to expand...
 
Get your high potent glow powder from ebay here :

Seller : Ready Set Glo
Type : Glow Powder - Daytime Invisible

http://cgi.ebay.com/Aqua-MEGA-Glow-...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

I use Araldite 2-parts 30min Epoxy ( clear ) to bond with the glow powder. Use a needle to apply the glow mixture onto the steel ring of Cree emitter.

=======================================================

Glow powder - generally the 'particle' is large and heavy, difficult to mix and blend with clear arcylic paint (oil-based,fast dry) for paint job.

Glow paint ( oil based) : difficult to obtain and difficult to ship ( fire hazard - shipping regulations ).

Glow paint ( arcylic water-based ) : no shipping regulation, but difficult to apply onto small areas. Not very good for flashlight led application.

Lastly, glow powder will affect the tint of the output light beam.

Cheers.

:):):)
 
I got the glowinc paint in the nail polish bottle. Is is bright initially and then fades off. I also purchased just the powder from them, which appeared to be brighter and last longer. Wonder how that would do mixed with epoxy.
 
It does excellent with the 2 ton epoxy.
Look at the pics in the first link of my sig line.

All that is is 2 ton epoxy and Glow Inc's V10 green glow powder.
It glows for 10 hours no problem.
I hated the nail polish paint they send.
 
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