Re: Success! screw-in fluro BLB UV lightbox

In case my description was confusing....the coil of tube is a little over 2 inches in length. For a picture of the bulb go to:

http://www.blacklight.com/items/FTBPESL13T-BLB

--
Judy Rowe Taylor
Mukilteo, WA
Art is a voice of the heart, a song of the soul.
www.enduringibis.com
jude.taylor@comcast.net or judyrowetaylor@enduringibis.com
> The brand is Feit Electric ((Pico Rivers, CA) and the ones I bought are 13 
> watts; they are about 1/2 inch longer than a standard 60 watt tungsten light 
> bulb, but they have a coiled tube coming off a cylindrical portion that is about 
> 1 inch in length with all this on a typical screw-in bulb base.  They are 
> advertised as a 60 watt replacement party light!  The company is based in CA, 
> but the bulbs are made in China.
> 
> Cheers!
> Judy
> 
> --
> Judy Rowe Taylor
> Mukilteo, WA
> Art is a voice of the heart, a song of the soul.
> www.enduringibis.com
> jude.taylor@comcast.net or judyrowetaylor@enduringibis.com
> 
> 
> > What's the wattage on those black lights?  Are they bulbs?  Got a brand 
> > name?
> > 
> > Anyone with experience with these bulbs or the gro-light bulbs?
> > 
> > Steve Shapiro
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "John Cremati" <johnjohnc@core.com>
> > To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> > Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 9:59 AM
> > Subject: Re: Success! screw-in fluro BLB UV lightbox
> > 
> > 
> > > This would be a HOT HOT set up for you Kodak Contact Printer.........These
> > > screw in black light Florescent bulbs could easily be adapted to your 
> > > light
> > > box giving off a lot of UV light!!!!!!!!!!jc
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: <jude.taylor@comcast.net>
> > > To: <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
> > > Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 11:49 AM
> > > Subject: Success! screw-in fluro BLB UV lightbox
> > >
> > >
> > >> Greetings!
> > >>
> > >> I have declared my lightbox that has six of the screw-in fluorescent 
> > >> black
> > > light bulbs as the UV source a success, as I just pulled my first 
> > > cyanotype
> > > test print last night.  I undercooked the print a bit (or maybe not enough
> > > sensitizer, or ...), but I was able to determine from this first attempt
> > > that the box does evenly radiate over an 8.5 x 11 inch surface.  As I do
> > > more tests and get the timing/distance and other variables down I will 
> > > scan
> > > and post the results on my web site.  There were a lot of firsts with this
> > > print.  Here's a little more about this lightbox adventure...humor is
> > > intended :-) in the telling of this tale.
> > >>
> > >> I gave myself a D in carpentry, but later upgraded the rating to a C 
> > >> since
> > > the box did come out level, it just looks a bit funny!  I gave myself an R
> > > for resourcefulness in parts and materials used and have now added to my
> > > notes an A for functionality!  Scale is 1(low) - 4 (high): A=4; B=3; C=2;
> > > D=1; F = no such rating as 0 (failure) because something is always learned
> > > :-) ; and R = outfield!
> > >>
> > >> Funny it may be, but it was reasonably economical to make.  The three
> > > expensive items were the 6 bulbs at $12 each; 2 lighting fixture strips 
> > > with
> > > 3 ceramic sockets at $16 each; a 4 inch fan from Radio Shack cost $25;
> > > additional wood and hardware added to what I had on hand cost about $25 -
> > > $30.  I described my design in an earlier email - two rows of the bulbs
> > > spaced 6 inches from center to center of each bulb with 3 inches to the
> > > sides of the box also (Inner dimensions of the box are 12 inches wide x 18
> > > inches long - a perfect size for Photoformulary's beautifully made 8x10
> > > contact printing frame.).  I attached each end of the fixtures with a 
> > > screw
> > > securely to a 0.5 x 2 x 12 that also serves as part of the box frame. 
> > > Since
> > > the fixtures were designed to attach flat against a wall, the short wires
> > > were now sticking up from the top of my lightbox.  I attached them to the
> > > corresponding wires of a small-appliance cord, which plugs into an 
> > > appliance
> > > strip along with the fan cord
> > >>  ; a flip of the switch starts both lights and fan at the same time.  I
> > > filled the space between the metal frames of the light fixtures, and on 
> > > each
> > > side, with strips of board, then made a box top to cover (and protect) the
> > > wiring and make the top light-tight.
> > >>
> > >> Enough said about the construction...except one more item...the nice 
> > >> thing
> > > about using the screw-in bulbs is that I was able to test the wiring with
> > > inexpensive, everyday, 40-watt, household light bulbs and not risk the
> > > expensive BLBs!
> > >>
> > >> The test strip negative I am using is also a first - my first digineg; 
> > >> no,
> > > actually it is my second.  As I attempted to faithfully follow Dan
> > > Burkholder's directions in the "Inkjet Negative Companion" I forgot to
> > > change one printer setting and my first digineg came off my Epson 2200
> > > looking like someone's pinstriped suit!  I corrected that little mistake 
> > > and
> > > my second digineg looks pretty nice.
> > >>
> > >> Next step of course was sensitizing the paper; two trials with coffee and
> > > a glass rod worked perfectly, nicely even color with no puddles.  Then the
> > > first attempt with the new cyanotype solution (I did let it ripen for two
> > > days.) puddled and crystallized over most of the paper as I left it to air
> > > dry.  Second try with less solution and a hair dryer did well.  I am using
> > > some BFK Rives that I have on hand for these initial trials, but plan
> > > additional tests with Fabriano Artistico since most of you have indicated
> > > you like this paper for cyanotypes, though the BFK I have seems O.K.
> > >>
> > >> Then came the exposure test!  As stated initially, I didn't expose long
> > > enough (11 minutes at 4 inches from the UV source, though it may just be 
> > > too
> > > little sensitizer) to get a nice dense dark-dark blue where my positive 
> > > was
> > > black, but my test indicates to me that the light is falling evenly across
> > > the surface of the contact printing frame, which was what I wanted to
> > > determine with this first print anyway.  For my test negative I made (in
> > > Photoshop) as strip of contiguous rectangles from 100% to 5 % (paper is 
> > > 0%)
> > > at 5% increments and placed 4 of these (alternating end to end) 
> > > side-by-side
> > > along with Dan's density "step-wedge" on the side.  I have placed the
> > > positive as a jpeg on my web site so you can actually see what I am
> > > attempting to describe.  That url is:
> > >>
> > >> http://www.enduringibis.com/altphoto/tests/alt_photo_tests.html
> > >>
> > >> The printing frame did its job superbly, though I suspect folks in the
> > > next county heard the hardware snap when I secured the back in
> > > place...Smiles - a comment, not a complaint!  The tiny little numbers (6 
> > > pt
> > > if I remember correctly) are nice and sharp!  On the final print the
> > > cyanotype blues from my strips matched (visual check) the same percentages
> > > on Dan's strip - and they did also via electronic check of the negative in
> > > Photoshop.  I don't have a densitometer.
> > >>
> > >> Now to fine tune "my act" by manipulating some other variables (paper,
> > > amount of sensitizer, exposure time, negative density and color vs
> > > grayscale) and, not the least, more practice, more tests, more interesting
> > > images!
> > >>
> > >> FYI:  For drying the finished print I used a sheet of plastic needlepoint
> > > screen; these are inexpensive, readily available at fabric and craft 
> > > stores,
> > > come in a variety of sizes and are stiff, sturdy, and smooth.  My previous
> > > experience had shown that papers like Arches cover and BFK Rives dry flat 
> > > on
> > > these plastic screens.
> > >>
> > >> Thanks for reading to the end!
> > >>
> > >> JT
> > >> Judy Rowe Taylor
> > >> Mukilteo, WA
> > >> Art is a voice of the heart, a song of the soul.
> > >> www.enduringibis.com
> > >> jude.taylor@comcast.net or judyrowetaylor@enduringibis.com
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _____________________________________________________
> > >> This message scanned for viruses by CoreComm
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > 
> > 
> >