Good starting point for Lumia? Also tubes vs. discs?

[GoolGaul]

I was thinking about this too. If I didn't have a glass shop around the corner, who I just paid $750 to repair my neighbor's sliding glass door and 2 windows +++ yes, wifey unilaterally decides to not only buy for my 11 year-old, but give him -unattended- and multi-pump B.B.Gun +++ who I spoke to when I went in to pay the balance, and he'd love to have me come down with a few lasers and see what's good. When I explained what I wanted to make, he remember a Pink Floyd Laser show he went to, and got all fired up...

Free glass for me (I hope!)

Maybe I can get him to make a bunch of discs and arrange a group buy...

P.S. Wifey didn't even call me when the cops showed up to inform her that my son shot up the neighbors house.

This is what you need if you want samples of glass for a good price.

Check this page to see what comes in the sample box.

[GoolGaul]

how about motors? any cost-effective options? Or should I just go for something higher speed and gear (or pulley) it down?

[swamidog]

glass is not necessary and requires specialized tools. acrylic works very well...



here's a write up of my machine. maybe it will be helpful.

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...804#post173804

[GoolGaul]

my machine.

complex and absolutely masterful!

I am shooting for simple and cheap. I'm building it mainly for my Halloween bash (120+ ppl) to shoot onto the 30' high ceiling of my stairwell. ( usually introduce 3-4 new "things" at each bash... last year was my first laser project, a nice simple 50mw 532nm laser vortex in the corner shining down in the corner, and the kids thought it was the coolest thing. I used pointer guts and the usual motor/mirror, a 3V AC adaptor, and hot-glued it all to a wooden paint stirrer and screwed it to the wall. done.


I am probably doing some pulley reduction for a 4 rpm? gear-motor that I bought a pair of, from a Flying Crank Ghost build:
What's a Flying Crank Ghost? :



Another add this year - using a water pump from a dead Keurig, I am going to hang a pair of head shaped burlap bags from the tree in the front of my house, place a paint tray underneath the burlap bags to catch and pump red water up the tree, down tubes to the burlap bags, which will be dripping "blood" all month long.

Halloween... yeah, I'm one of those guys.

Back to lumia...

[hakzaw1]

This is what you need if you want samples of glass for a good price.

Check this page to see what comes in the sample box.

Great link Doug-Thanks for it- @ less than 1$ each thats a super price and free ship too.

You and the wife(say hi for me) were sorely missed at SELEM-it was a big year for Lumia- I think we will see even more for SELEM VI and hope to see you two as well..cheers

hak

[mixedgas]

One, steppers make for a "jumpy" lumia, find the gear motors.

Two,If you own a propane torch you do not need to pay a glassblower to do anything. Flint glass at 7-10 mm is like 4$ for a 12" piece. You cut it by notching it with a file and pulling on it lengthwise. Dont try to "bend" it, you pull it gently along its axis. Hold it with pliars and then poke with a iron nail, bend it, twist it, etc. I then oven anneal it, but that is not always needed. The downside with flint is it cracks easily.

Mine are pyrex, so you need something MUCH hotter then propane torches. Upside is you can nearly hammer on it once annealed.

I usually charge 20$ a piece + shipping for tubes premade.

Steve

[Displaser]

glass is not necessary and requires specialized tools. acrylic works very well...

Swamidog,

While I would agree that acrylic is easier to work with, I have yet to find any pattern in plastic that can match the lumia effect from granite-type glass. Way more patterns in glass out there as well.

I'd say use it ALL - whatever results in the desired effect

[Jem]

How much do you reckon it would cost for shipping one of those glass sample sets to the UK. If it's not too expensive would anyone be prepared to ship one over to me?

Cheers

Jem

Following conversations with Greg i've now scrapped this idea

[GoolGaul]

Just sharing my finds in my quest for lumia...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280660932775

1 rpm 120v motors. $10.16 w/ free US shipping...

I bought 1...

[Displaser]

Just sharing my finds in my quest for lumia...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280660932775

1 rpm 120v motors. $10.16 w/ free US shipping...

I bought 1...

1 RPM will likely be too fast for a lumia wheel. These work well if you prefer using an AC motor. Surplus Shed is a great source for lots of good stuff.