Electro lumenscent wire..

[mrpackethead]

Has anyone used electroluminescent wire for display work? I accidently came across this stuff via sparkfun last night.. It looks pretty interesting.. Couple of links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroluminescent_wire

http://www.lytec-asia.com/LyTecAsia/application.html

[ErnieHorning]

There’s a guy (Jerry Plak) on Planet Christmas that uses this in his display.

[oldcqr]

EL is going to be AWESOME.... when it finally comes down in price.

[mrpackethead]

anyone got a source on it at a resonable price?

[toodle_pipsky]

I toyed with the idea of using it for signs - it looks like neon. But I think I might have to move it to a "next year project". :)
This is an AU site I was going to get stuff from, expensive, but compared to the cost of our lights I didn't think it was that bad. http://www.elec2go.com.au/
I have a wreath that I've covered in some el wire that I just controlled on/off with a DC ssr - and it looks pretty cool. My understanding of the stuff is that it hasn't got a very long life (it's only a few 1000 hours) and it gets dull towards the end of it's life, so it's a slow deterioration. Also it doesn't dim, just on and off. However that being said - I still think it's awesome stuff with great potential.

[scottmcm]

I have not used EL in a Christmas display (yet!) but I used it last year to embellish a Buzz Lightyear custume I wore to DisneyWorld at Halloween. It worked really well and even castmembers in the parade were pointing and clapping. I imagine a glowing and blinking 6ft tall Buzz standing on the parade route would draw some attention. ;) I found a 7 foot length with inverter for $6 on eBay. Hooking that to a 8 pack of AA's in my pocket provided the power. This was the 1.3mm wire so while it was bright it did not put off so much light that I would see using it in a display. The thicker wires would be much better suited. I just hope the pricing comes down soon.

[djulien]

anyone got a source on it at a resonable price?

If you wanted thicker lines (1/4" to 1" diameter) and you do not need a very long length, glue sticks with an LED inserted into 1 end can approximate this effect at a fairly low cost. You would need to use an LED every 6" - 12", depending on the translucency of the glue sticks.

If used with RGB LEDs, you can even make them change color dynamically (I'm not sure if the EL wire can do that).

don

[budude]

"2009: TBD; lots of cool ideas floating around!"
Well - this is one of them! What a simple/effective idea! Drill a hole in one end, plunk in your LED w/leads, seal it back up with hot glue - done! Cool and cheap - that's always good! I was playing around with ping-pong balls to use up some LEDs I have but this is a better (and more durable) way...

[djulien]

What a simple/effective idea! Drill a hole in one end, plunk in your LED w/leads, seal it back up with hot glue - done! Cool and cheap - that's always good!

I forget where I read about it; I think I came across several videos on YouTube.


I was playing around with ping-pong balls to use up some LEDs I have but this is a better (and more durable) way...

I also like the ping pong balls. They give a different effect, more like discrete "pixels" (depending on how close you put them), whereas the glue sticks are more like neon or EL.

Regarding durability, the glue sticks might get a little soft during the day in down-south places with Australia (but probably still safely within range). I think for cold climates they are probably safe if not flexed when cold, since they are basically a type of wax.

don

[Matt_Edwards]

If you wanted thicker lines (1/4" to 1" diameter) and you do not need a very long length, glue sticks with an LED inserted into 1 end can approximate this effect at a fairly low cost. You would need to use an LED every 6" - 12", depending on the translucency of the glue sticks.

If used with RGB LEDs, you can even make them change color dynamically (I'm not sure if the EL wire can do that).

don

My Kids have a similar toy. that cost a couple of dollars from the local Asian Junk shop and consist of an Red and blue LED mounted on the bottom of a Polycarbonate rod and small holder for batteries. The whole lot is about 30cm long. The polycarbonate is quite light and more durable then the glue stick.

The the problem with glue stick idea has already been high lighted by others - Australia's summer heat. They wont fail, but if you want them pointing in any direction other than down, they will be OK for a while, but gravity and heat will eventually win.

I have also use white plastic pop straws placed over an LED for light tubes. the hassle with these is the face they are hollow so they are not as effective.

That's my two bobs worth.
Matt

[budude]

Yeah you folks have the whole season things backwards - you need to fix that! :wink:;-)

This would probably work pretty good for me - even in 'sunny' Northern California it stays pretty chilly during the winter so don't have to worry about melting glue sticks. I think they make different temperature sticks so perhaps the higher temp ones would last longer. They'd be so cheap it wouldn't matter all that much I guess. Only reason I like the glue stick idea is that I have a bunch of LEDs around and want to use them up for something (and I have a couple boxes of glue sticks somewhere too...).

[Matt_Edwards]

I have been toying with the idea of filling pop straws with RTV ( natural cure clear Silicon). might work ok.

Cheers
Matthew