lucite sign machining request:

[greenlight]

I work in a private club where flash photography is discouraged. I'm tired of telling hundreds of people per night to turn off their flash, and I need a sign that I can carry in my pocket and light up with my flashlight. It needs to be four inches per side, maximum.

The lights that I tend to use are Inova X1.v1 (blue or green), so I suspect that there are specific colors of lucite that react brightest to those wavelengths. Can I get some advice on this, please? (My best guess is that green LEDs make yellow lucite glow, and for blue LEDs I want something more in the violet spectrum.)

This is the image that I want:

Please, if you have some lucite lying around, help me with this project! It will save me a lot of time and effort in my job, and help me get my message across while disturbing the fewest number of people possible.

 

[Morelite]

Just an idea here, get one of those cheap keychain digital photo viewers and store a pic of your image on it then you can flash it around as needed.

 

[greenlight]

Well, what I have been doing is making a sign on paper at work and shining my flashlight on it, but it looks cheap.

 

[G1K]

Greenlight,
Check your PM's

Ryan

 

[dat2zip]

I have acrylic sheet I can engrave that image on if acrylic (cast acrylic) is acceptable.

I have 1/16" and a lot of 1/16" stock.

What base color (clear?).

Let me know if you want me to cut this. Do you have the graphics draw in vector or scalable image?

Laser engraving would frost the image. That may not be solid enough. An alterative is to use two different material for the solids or use a adhesive back material for the image and press that onto clear stock.

Here is a sample geocoin I made. The 4 squares were cut individually and then glued into the larger coin.

Wayne

 

[dat2zip]

I did not find the symbol in vector graphics or scalable format. I drew the following.

If this is acceptable I can either laser engrave this on clear which would result in the image frosted or possible in reverse where the symbol is clear and the white area is frosted.

Wayne

 

[greenlight]

I managed to trace the image in Illustrator:
no flash

This is the scalable image link.

Wayne, I appreciate your offer to help, and taking time to work on the artwork. I also like the idea of leaving the logo clear and the surrounding areas frosted.

My goal is to get this engraved into 1/4" colored lucite since it looks so cool when illuminated.

But, any sign would help. If it's easy for you to do, please let me know what you can make.

-greenlight

 

[dat2zip]

I think the best method would be solid black and the image clear or frosted clear. This way when it is lit only the image is presentable.

In the clear and frosted version the whole panel will light up. The solid black with clear inlay is more difficult since it requires cutting of black and the clear inlay and then it has to be glued together. The results are very nice and worth the effort.

Can you save the file in a older version of Adobe Illustrator or in another format. I'm using Corel Draw 12 and 13.

Once I get the symbol I will start work on it later this week. What is the time line on this?

Wayne

 

[greenlight]

Thanks again for your interest. There is no timeline, this is something I have been thinking about for years. I finally had enough of "please turn off your flash".

The black background isn't necessary. I'm sure it looks great, but I want my sign to be as visible as possible.

Here is an Illustrator 9 version.

 

[Sabrewolf]

A Quickie way to pull this off is using Black Vinyl
from your local autoparts store that they sell for
pinstriping. It can be applied to a regular glass
or Plastic lense from Any flashlight.

I have done custom pinstriping before, and
can possilbe whip up something for you if the
other members are too bizzy
You can also "Frost" lucite/glass with a good
media blaster (sandblaster) and fill in the
other areas you don't want light to shine through
by use of acrylic paint that is used for storefront
windows or glass paintings. Glass Etchant is aslo
a possibility

Trus me fellas, i don't want to step on any toes!
I am just here to help

Robert M.

 

[greenlight]

Thanks, Sabre, for your suggestion. I'm just needing a simple sign, so any tips help.

 

[Sabrewolf]

I was bored again...
It was just a Quickie, hehe

Let me know what you think

 

[greenlight]

Where are the beamshots?!?!
That might work, but it's not what I'm looking for. I intend on holding the sign with one hand and lighting it up with my flashlight in the other.

The 'no flash' printout on the transparency is closer, though. Will you send it to me?

 

[Sabrewolf]

Where are the beamshots?!?!
That might work, but it's not what I'm looking for. I intend on holding the sign with one hand and lighting it up with my flashlight in the other.

The 'no flash' printout on the transparency is closer, though. Will you send it to me?

I have a color laser printer, so any color you can think
of is possible. Then i can just mail you the cutouts
Even though the toner that the laser prints with is
plastic in itself, the transparency is quite thin. I can
also laminate the sheet to make it thicker and more
pocketable . If you want, i can print on a thicker
cover-sheet style paper (67lb) and laminate that too?
I just did the flashlight insert thing to show how the
small you can get this setup going to fit in your pocket
and just wip it out with one hand to flash in people's
faces. It won't "project" on a wall because you need
optics to make it work, but it is easily done.

Let me do some experimenting with the optics, as i
allready have 2 cut-down minimags with aspheric
lenses allready on them. Otherwise, let me know
what you think.

 

[dat2zip]

That last file works fine. Thanks.

Just want to make sure I have got this correct.

You want a square 3" X 3" 1/4" with the symbol portion clear and the rest frosted?

Wayne

Edited: What's the diameter you want?

 

[Sabrewolf]

Dat2zip has a nicer looking idea than my rinky-dinky
transparencies

My vote is for him to do it :candle: :twothumbs

I dontswanna step on any toes either

 

[dat2zip]

Sabrewolf,

Your transparencies look great. hopefully we can help him out.

Here's an acrylic frosted version. This one is 1/2" in diameter. I am not clear what size to make this.

Wayne

 

[Sabrewolf]

Sabrewolf,

Your transparencies look great. hopefully we can help him out.

Here's an acrylic frosted version. This one is 1/2" in diameter. I am not clear what size to make this.


Wayne

I have an idea on coloring your lucite..
Boil some water with fabric dye, or Rit-Dye as
they call it, and drop in those nice pieces you
made there.The "frosted" areas on the lucite
will take the color very nicely, and just slightly
color the clear parts for a nice effect.

Do you have any Vinyl Pinstriping to cover
the clear parts to make a nice silhouette
image of the lightning bolt?

I did try an aspherical lense with the tiny
transparency printout i made. I does
project on the wall very nicely, but it
has to be focused for different distances.
Dunnow, just throwing some ideas out there

 

[greenlight]

Thanks, guys, for all that work. I really appreciate it.

The gobo idea is fun, but I'm not going to be doing any flashing in people's eyes; I don't want to annoy my patrons.

As for size, I went and measured my pockets and they will fit up to 4".

The sign has to be square, so that I can grip it by the corner.

 

[PEU]

non related, but this thread gave me an excellent idea for Halloween, instead of the no flash sign, I will carve a pumpking and fit a flashlight with an amber K2 led I have lying around, my kid will love it for sure


Pablo