Lumina effect from antistatic bag - worth chasing the idea?

I was taking some pictures of a new 400mW white brick laser, to complain about sending TTL modulated instead of Analog. I wanted to show that the damn thing fired up without any other connection than power. To prevent burns on the wall i placed the anti static bag in the beam-line.

WOW :p- on the wall next to my table, a firework of colors and psychedelic patterns like lavaerruptions. I did take som pictures and a small video of it, but i guess most of you have a antistatic bag within reach to try. I guess the white beam did the trick here, togheter with a rather low laser power.

I did not find any other threads about the subject, so i thought i could be shared.

And yes - be careful, as the anti-static bag reflects the beam, it might melt and catch fire if the beam is to powerfull.

Check it out - and be amazed. Cheaper lumina filter is hard to come by.
Can it be used safe - i dont know, but maybe someone around here can figure out a way.

Datsurb

You can get similar by spreading epoxy over a mirror(this could handle power better), i know I'd torch the bag at the power I run lumia. Looks cool though thanks for sharing.

the old "burn through" effect. yup it's lovely. ;)

try it on floppy disks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Datsurb

I was taking some pictures of a new 400mW white brick laser, to complain about sending TTL modulated instead of Analog. I wanted to show that the damn thing fired up without any other connection than power. To prevent burns on the wall i placed the anti static bag in the beam-line.

WOW :p- on the wall next to my table, a firework of colors and psychedelic patterns like lavaerruptions. I did take som pictures and a small video of it, but i guess most of you have a antistatic bag within reach to try. I guess the white beam did the trick here, togheter with a rather low laser power.

I did not find any other threads about the subject, so i thought i could be shared.

And yes - be careful, as the anti-static bag reflects the beam, it might melt and catch fire if the beam is to powerfull.

Check it out - and be amazed. Cheaper lumina filter is hard to come by.
Can it be used safe - i dont know, but maybe someone around here can figure out a way.

Datsurb

---

With 1 watt, the anti-static bag will give you a "burn wheel" effect.

edit: Swami got me by 1 minute!

The burning wheel with smoked plexi is one of my favs


Disclaimer not the safest as the fumes can be very dangerous. Not recommending it.

they don't call me "lightspeed swami" for nothing!

;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by absolom7691

With 1 watt, the anti-static bag will give you a "burn wheel" effect.

edit: Swami got me by 1 minute!

---

I guess so!

To the OP: Expect a troll from Jon about the title of the thread :p

That's pretty wicked Datsurb. I wonder if it's caused by the metallic/crystalline or nano particle coating? That's enough of an excuse for me to start igniting piles of metal under a piece of glass!

I wonder what sort of crazy effects will be possible with the emergence of all the new nano-particles?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by absolom7691

I guess so!

To the OP: Expect a troll from Jon about the title of the thread :p

---

Hey I can be just as pedantic as Jon! That's lumia (sometime you have to ignore the spell check!) - as an Art Form it predates lasers. We called them abstracts or background effects at Laser Images to differentiate from scan glass effects...

The original Laserium Burn effect was a reflection off of aluminized mylar, but antistatic plastic does a pretty good imitation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Galvonaut

That's pretty wicked Datsurb. I wonder if it's caused by the metallic/crystalline or nano particle coating? That's enough of an excuse for me to start igniting piles of metal under a piece of glass!

I wonder what sort of crazy effects will be possible with the emergence of all the new nano-particles?

---

I think you'll find the heart of the effect is melted plastic refracting the beam and the color is because the beams aren't really that well aligned at that scale...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by laserist

I think you'll find the heart of the effect is melted plastic refracting the beam and the color is because the beams aren't really that well aligned at that scale...

---

Curious to know how different the effect is coming from a whitelight ion vs RGB with slightly different beam profiles/divergences. Your St. Louis show, is that powered by ion?

Ahh, ok, thanks Laserist. I might still ignite piles of metal just for hell of it ;)

in my experience, for best lumia results it helps to dealign the beams a little. with ion rigs, this is often done by placing a small prism just before the lumia optic.

Attachment 39796

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by absolom7691

Curious to know how different the effect is coming from a whitelight ion vs RGB with slightly different beam profiles/divergences. Your St. Louis show, is that powered by ion?

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by absolom7691

Curious to know how different the effect is coming from a whitelight ion vs RGB with slightly different beam profiles/divergences. Your St. Louis show, is that powered by ion?

---

Yes I'm using a Coherent Innova Star at the moment. And before anyone asks; No, I don't think the only way you can do a great show is with an Ion. Ions are easy to design with, a pain in the ass to work with at times, and not remotely a guarantee of anything great, but they do feel magical to a small group of ancient laserists who will be getting together November 19th to pay our respects to a very special person in a very special place. Still I've seen plenty of piss poor Ion powered shows. A show either deserves to be called a 'Work of Art' or it doesn't...

If a Craftsman doesn't blame his tools - it's ridiculous to think an Artist would.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by swamidog

in my experience, for best lumia results it helps to dealign the beams a little. with ion rigs, this is often done by placing a small prism just before the lumia optic.

Attachment 39796

---

Laser Images used two prisms - one to disperse the colors and another to make the beams parallel again. The burn and 5 position "rock turret" were the only raw beam effects. There was a mirror between the prisms that allowed the beams to be moved (beam torquer) so the laserist could play the optical effects and/or tweak the alignment of the beams at the scanner bank.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by laserist

Yes I'm using a Coherent Innova Star at the moment. And before anyone asks; No, I don't think the only way you can do a great show is with an Ion. Ions are easy to design with, a pain in the ass to work with at times, and not remotely a guarantee of anything great, but they do feel magical to a small group of ancient laserists who will be getting together November 19th to pay our respects to a very special person in a very special place. Still I've seen plenty of piss poor Ion powered shows. A show either deserves to be called a 'Work of Art' or it doesn't...
.

---

Ions seem like the way to go for a uniform beam profle across the whole palette. I would absolutely love to run a 500mW ArKr but I don't want to have to deal with AO mods, dichro chopper colorbox, beamsplitters, prisms and all the kinematics to go with them not to mention the power requirements and worse, the cooling requirements....

there's a lot to be said for many lines, but you can do some beautiful lumia with solid state rgb.

http://youtu.be/oRy3X7Q2xBg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by absolom7691

Ions seem like the way to go for a uniform beam profle across the whole palette. I would absolutely love to run a 500mW ArKr but I don't want to have to deal with AO mods, dichro chopper colorbox, beamsplitters, prisms and all the kinematics to go with them not to mention the power requirements and worse, the cooling requirements....

---

Love these lumia threads.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by laserist

Laser Images used two prisms - one to disperse the colors and another to make the beams parallel again.

---

Also a very interesting way to modulate color:

Attachment 39797

Quote:

---

and worse, the cooling requirements....

---

Yeah, that part is a bit of a hassle. In the past I've ducted my 60X right up into the attic. I can't bring myself to doing it again since someday the ceiling will need to be fixed! I really need to dump the air cooled and get a water cooled again... But I wont give up my ion's again!>:)

i hear that.. i am having *so* much fun with that reliant i bought at selem.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DZ

But I wont give up my ion's again!>:)

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DZ

Yeah, that part is a bit of a hassle. In the past I've ducted my 60X right up into the attic. I can't bring myself to doing it again since someday the ceiling will need to be fixed! I really need to dump the air cooled and get a water cooled again... But I wont give up my ion's again!>:)

---

My first serious laser was a ALC60X and I loved it! Even with the squirrel cage blower it was still way too loud (living room show). That and it was hot. I was contemplating a lexel75 because they are water cooled. The problem is, they are water cooled. Hoses and running water or heat exchanger.... too much to deal with at the time. I would love to have one now! Even a 60X or an Omni532 would be fun to play with again, if only for the nastalgic value.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by laserist

Hey I can be just as pedantic as Jon! That's lumia (sometime you have to ignore the spell check!) - as an Art Form it predates lasers.

---

Thomas Wilfred was making lumia in 1919 when he completed the Clavilux Model A:

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

If you think the old Laserium analog control boards looked complicated...

Attachment 39798

Imagine going back in time and giving Mr. Wilfred a Coherent Purelight...

He also made a tabletop mini-clavilux:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz6nqwwQp9k

...and while we're on the subject of lumia, there's a guy here in Seattle who does neat stuff with it. Here's some footage from the last meeting of the Lumia Nerds from The Basement Industrial Complex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r5l39rRfS8

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by absolom7691

I guess so!

To the OP: Expect a troll from Jon about the title of the thread :p

---

Lumia - Lumia - Lumia - Got it now. :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DZ

Also a very interesting way to modulate color:

Attachment 39797

---

Yeah - A beautiful way to modulate color - and very efficient too - since we were dealing with 4 scan pairs and didn't want to throw 3/4 of the light away almost all the time.

The sound-to-light effect is interesting - I have a few ideas, but have yet to build it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Robin

...and while we're on the subject of lumia, there's a guy here in Seattle who does neat stuff with it. Here's some footage from the last meeting of the Lumia Nerds from The Basement Industrial Complex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r5l39rRfS8

---

Nice pics -- inspiring for sure-- more eyecandy please...