Ever forward neon sign4/29/2023 This is much more elaborate than a typical neon graphics sign, but I used it to test the limits of this construction. The RCA logo with “His Master’s Voice” graphics was scribed with my KNK Zing cutter (there are several brands on the market). In the figures below, you can see examples where I tried to push this approach a bit. Simple Test Fixture for 3 UV LEDs and Sign Holder The actual, measured values for these pictures were: battery 8.1 Volts, resistor 120.5 Ohms, and 13.66 ma per UV LED.įigure 5. My neon sign test stand used for the accompanying pictures used a 9 Volt battery to power 3 UV LEDs wired in parallel through a single 120 Ohm resistor. But I recommend operating them at 10-14ma or less. TheUV LEDs I used are rated to operate with a forward Voltage of 3.5 Volts at 20 ma. The good news is that these do not need to be brightly lit to be effective. It is a good rule never to stare directly into any UV LED. However, most of the energy radiated cannot be seen. Low efficiency UV LEDs will often give off a bluish tint. Do not use very bright UV LEDs! Bright UV LEDs can cause eye damage, and remember you cannot see UV light. As with visible LEDs, very bright, high efficiency UV LEDSs are now commercially available. These LEDSs are cheap and only 4 milli Watts. Three holes were drilled evenly across the bottom to accept three 3mm UV LEDs (#330MUV9C UV LED from: ). My neon window display base was made from a sandwich of 0.20 inch black styrene glued together to leave a trough to hold the sign. Simple Neon Signs Created with KNK Zing XY Cutter (Blue and Orange Fluorescent Paint)įigure 4. Example Fluorescent Acrylic colorsįigure 3. The depth will control the amount of paint collected, and hence the brightness of the “neon.”įigure 2. The cuts need to be consistent for good looks. You can mix colors as long as you apply one at a time and let each color completely dry. Use a lint-free cloth, not a tissue or paper towel. If I didn’t get the coverage I wanted, I repeated the process until I was satisfied that the outlines were complete. Each color was lightly painted into the appropriate, depressed outline, then the excess was quickly wiped off with a damp cloth. Next I used acrylic phosphorescent paint colors from Vallejo and AK. I just repeatedly cut into the plastic with a mild strength cut until I could easily feel the outline consistently around the circumference of the sign. The built in font was used to create the simple outlines and borders. The simple signs below were all made with repeated “cuts” with a KNK Zing XY cutter using the “Sure Cuts a Lot” control program. I have successfully used 0.040 styrene and 1/8 thick acrylic to good effect. If you use plastic that yellows with exposure to light (particularly UV light) realize that your sign will yellow too. I have used both acrylic (plexiglass) and clear styrene. The basic idea here is to cut, scratch, etch, or scribe the extent of your neon sign design into clear plastic.
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