Need Some Help Making Something...

[Gluecifer]

I'm not sure where to begin with this, every one I've talked to has said it's probably 'easy' but I'd like some ideas from you guys as to how to make it.

What I'm trying to make is a glowing/neon light tube, like the one seen here:

Heres the full video to see it in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMSyumchMWA

These were a mainstay of classic 80s music videos and I want to make one to use in boombox photo shoots, especially in a particular shoot I'm trying to plan with a model.. Of course you could do a made-up effect like it in photoshop, but I want an actual light like this for authenticity.

I don't need it to be a mic stand or do a lot of LED flashing or colour changing. Just a blueish light in a tube with the onle caveat being the lead coming out one end and the other end finished in a plain 'cap'.

Rich found these: http://www.rebelmicstands.com/neon_led_mic_stand.html but I think they're going to be prohibitively expensive, especially with shipping from the uk.

I don't mind spending $100 or so so, but I'm kind of lost at where to begin.

Any suggestions for using fluourescent tubes, LEDS or other ideas would be greatly appreciated.



Rock On.

 

[JustCruisin]

I would do a search on "How to build your own Lightsaber", I'm sure lots of people have already tried something similar..

 

[Fatdog]

Glue, check out these vids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NakN7np0bG0[/youtube]

[youtube]vHvySLtu7bo


Also, check this out:

http://www.clearcanes.com/microphone.html

All you would need to do is shoot some light into one end of the "clear canes".

 

[Gluecifer]

Hahah that's EXACTLY what I don't want to have to do, Bobby! WAY too complex! And those things would be ridiculously expensive.

This horrible Mika video has exactly what I'm after too (skip to 1.52 to get to them),although they have a wire going from both ends. Ideally I'd just want one at the bottom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CGVgAYJyjk

They've got to be available somewhere....



Rock On.

 

[Gluecifer]

The lightsaber idea looks interesting,.. but they seem to be all made using stacks of LEDs..i was thinking a fluourscent tube would be a better idea, but I'm probably wrong.

Maybe fibre optics off an LED source?



Rock On.

 

[TW5]

The mic stand one looks like it was custom made
the other video looks like re-wired floresent tubes
saw wires on them
too delicate and high voltage there too

maybe the under car neon tubes will work
used to add 'bling' to custom cars
theres led and neon versions
uses 12 volts

 

[redbenjoe]

yup --that 12 volt neon is a great idea

 

[blu_fuz]

The mic stand one looks like it was custom made
the other video looks like re-wired floresent tubes
saw wires on them
too delicate and high voltage there too

maybe the under car neon tubes will work
used to add 'bling' to custom cars
theres led and neon versions
uses 12 volts

[ Image ]

Yeah, you can get 4' neon light tubes for under your car. Get the clear acrylic protective tubing that goes over those neon lights and SANDBLAST the inslide of the acrylic tube . It's called "frosting". The sandblasting will frost the clear tubing and dispurse the light more evenly through it and it makes it almost impossible to see through, but light from the neon will shine through just like you want.


You might be able to get away with just a colored light bulb at the base of a frosted acrylic tube and it might light up the frosted tube enough to get the look you want .


Here is some plexi I "frosted" so you couldn't see inside this tombstone box. I couldn't find a small enough black light to fit in this box so we ended up using some purple christmas lights. You can see the spotty lighting but having a big tube of neon like your project would be perfect inside some frosted tubing :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92gyqEi-DpM