Display Cabinet Lighting

[Guppy]

Firstly, excuse bad pun in topic description.

I bougth myself a second cabinet, and now it's all set up in a semi dark room, the tinting I didn't notice when buying it makes seeing the toys rather difficult when the room loses light as the sun goes down. So rather than go to a glass place and get 4 new doors which would cost more that I paid for the cabinet, I'm thinking about lighting it from inside.

Now my question is, what types of lights emit the least plastic-yellowing UV? I have heard that halogens emit less than fluroescent as they have a narrower spectrum of UV. And if halogens are the best, I guess I should just go for the least wattage available?

And is there any kind of filters you can put over the lights to decrease UV more?

[kensei]

I'm no expert, but I was going to look into this for my cabinet. Polarising filters? Those made by the company 3M? Although I think that they make UV resistant films.

See if you can cannabilise one of those camera ones and stick them on.

[jonwayne]

ever consider using LEDs? there's this super bright type. connecting several together will produce enough lighting. i used LED for my cabinet.

[Mechamaniac]

I was thinking about EL (Electro-Luminescent) wire for mine.

[kanata67]

black light. The white toys look nice

yeah... youv'e seen a valkyrie... but have you seen one on WEED?

actually any fish tank light with proper bulb... IE a fishtank bulb in a flourecent fixture, should do nicely. Just make sure you don't buy a HEAT or FULL-SPECTRUM bulb. Heck... find a full spectrum a few years old and you will still be ok, though your reptiles wouldn't be. COme to think of it... I have a few bulbs that still work but are well past being full spectrum enough for my turtles... pay for shipping and you can have them.

[Guppy]

good ideas there! thanks!

Kanata: thanks for the ncie offer! I'm in Australia so I reckon I can scrounge a few ones here.

Kensei: I'll ask one of my friends who's a cameraman about polarizing filters. If it's good I can grab some off him for free. I'll send you some too!

[Guppy]

Looks like LED lights might be the winner! Safe on your toys, plus they consume a lot less energy.

Polarizing filters/gels won't do anything much I've been told.

Although I do like Kanata's idea.. if any of my valks ever turn into junkies I'll get one of those blue fluro lights you see in public toilets in bad areas so they can't see the veins. :DF

[kanata67]

Looks like LED lights might be the winner! Safe on your toys, plus they consume a lot less energy.

Polarizing filters/gels won't do anything much I've been told.

Although I do like Kanata's idea.. if any of my valks ever turn into junkies I'll get one of those blue fluro lights you see in public toilets in bad areas so they can't see the veins. :DF

352430[/snapback]

I really hope you meant to say stains . Just what bathroom are you hanging out in looking at veins

[jonwayne]

thing good about LED is that u can control how bright u want it to be by controlling the amount of current flowing through it. of coz, making it too bright will burn them out. for their power supply, u may use the power supply module of your old PC. i suggest using the 12V supply, and connecting 3 LEDs in series with a 75 to 100 ohm resistor. just my suggestion, u'll have to try them out to see if it'll work for your configuration. another alternative power source is those mobile phone battery charger. but this thing have little power so u can't connect too many LED. in fact, any DC power source will do the trick. just note that each LED only needs about 2.5V to 3V to work.

LED not just consume little power, they last like almost forever. my choice for lighting system.

[Guppy]

Jonwayne: thanks for the tech info.. I'll probably run 4 along the top, it's about 1 m high, and all glass shelves so that should light the dimensions ok I think.

Kanata: nope I meant 'veins'! haha. I thought you'd have the same thing in the US! Many public toilet cubicles around the city are lit with this purble UV fluro lighting so if a user was trying to have nice quiet little shoot-up, they can't see their veins under these types of lights. So it keeps unwanted elements out of public toilets.

[kensei]

Kensei: I'll ask one of my friends who's a cameraman about polarizing filters. If it's good I can grab some off him for free. I'll send you some too!

352119[/snapback]

Thanks for the offer dude that was nice.

Good to know that they don't work. It was just an idea. I'll make a note for when I do my shelf.

[jonwayne]

oh, forgot to mention. LED really aren't that bright, even with those super bright type. can't compare them with those halogen lights or fluorescent light. but they do looks nice. at least to me.

[MechTech]

Whatever you do, stay away from flourescent lights (all types). They DO put out UV and even break down the very plastic fixtures a lot of them are made with. I say this from personal experience. ABS and Styrene plastics are really susceptable. I'd go with the LED's myself. In fact, I just bought a Christmas wreath with 45 white LED's on it. It cost about 30 bucks for 45 LED's. you can't beat it! I'll take them off their flasher circuit and on straight battery (I'm putting them in my 6 foot Daedalus model). Plus, you can arrange them around the cabinet and arrange them to spot light affect in areas. Really slick! I'll be putting them around the top for overhead lighting and the side for "spotting." Just my two cents from a model builder and a "do it yourselfer."

[jonwayne]

true true. LED rules. you can arrange them in any pattern you like. straight rows, circular, cross, etc etc.

but i really don't recommend batteries, as you can't leave them switched on for a long time. a DC power source is better. if u find the wire ugly, try to find those coated copper wire. the type used as the winding inside a transformers (not the transformer toys, but those use by electrical circuits). they are very very thin. i think it's at most 0.2mm thick. can easily hide them at the side.

just for info, i used 30 LEDs in a row for each shelf of my cabinet. i have 3 cabinet. so in total, i used 360 LEDs.

[Guppy]

if anyone's got any pics of their LED pimped-up cabinets I'd love to see em.

[vlenhoff]

if anyone's got any pics of their LED pimped-up cabinets I'd love to see em.

353304[/snapback]

Yeah, I'm fixing to do my cabinet too! Let's see some pictures.

please....

[zeo-mare]

i have 2 cases and am planning on getting a third, i would also like to see pictures of the leds.

chris

[Phren]

I would also like to see some pics..

also, where exactly would you commonly find the super-bright LEDs? Do they sell the ones used in those LED flashlights? - outside of buying such a flashlight, I mean?

if u find the wire ugly, try to find those coated copper wire. the type used as the  winding inside a transformers (not the transformer toys, but those use by electrical circuits).

353277[/snapback]

-Only here would you have to make such a distinction

Edited December 18, 2005 by Phren

[jonwayne]

here my cabinet:

http://photobucket.com/albums/v75/jonwayne/Cabinet/

ignore the last few pictures. those are my old setup.

now i'm thinking of changing the setup. instead of placing the blue LED behind the cabinet, i'd like to use white LED infront of the cabinet. sort of like 'spot light' them onto my toys.

as to where to buy those wire and LED, there's a place here in my country where they sell all sorts of electronics and electrical stuff. very easy to find the LED and wire. i can't find any stores selling them online though.

I'm from Singapore by the way.

Edited December 18, 2005 by jonwayne

[Skull-1]

If you use fluorescent lighting you are asking to get spanked.

The only way you can get away with that is to use a UV blocking coated glass over it...and even then you will still get some UV through it.

I am told that car window tinting (like LUMAR) blocks 90+ percent of UV light.

Consider that...