Hi All,
I may be bidding on a job where the customer wants an onyx (cream color) bar top illuminated from the under side. The top is 3/8 thick and I only have 1-2″ of space to work with on the underside therefore the current plan is to use LED’s to for the light source due to the low heat and small size. The issue I’m possibly facing with using LED’s is that from the top side I will see a bunch of little hot spots instead of a uniform glow. I have been looking for a material in sheet form that I could apply to the underside of the top that would disperse the LED light uniformly. I also considering point the LED’s at an angle and have reflective material bounce the light around. I get to test these ideas on mock-up this weekend. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Chris
Replies
What about flourscents?
Another option is electrolunescent panels.
Those two are what are used behind LCD montors.
I think that there are also leds that are setup for panel lighting.
I found a bunch of hits on this a while back. Some one had a similar problem with a stainglass window.
Try googling on 'panel lights' or panel lighting'.
The easiest way I can think of to diperse the hot spots is to make sure the underside of the onyx is uniformly matte or coarsened. Other than that, you may want to point the LED's down to a white glossy surface or a wrinkeld silver foil to help disperse the light more before it reaches your radiating medium.
Have you considered T38 bulbs instead? They are the right size for your space and have great light dispersal built in.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I just got started on a bath/mbrm remodel job doing the same thing two dbl vanity bowls in a 3/4" onyx top. I was pushing for fiberoptic lighting (like runway stuff) and the HO went with the wac light rope...I think it is not the best look. The slab is sage green and translucent at best but does show some spot lighting with the xmass tree type bulbs. Further it can only be cut at set intervals it think it is 16". But its cheap and easy to replace. FWIW...onyx is real brittle at 3/8" thickness I wouldn't even lean on it!!
I will try to get some photos...but by the time I post em you may be done already. Time. If you get some photos with alt. lighting please post.
~Will~
I once made a table with the surface an Xray view box. It was for a doctor's consultation room. Went to a plastic supply house for the milky colored plexiglass and mounted a florescent box underneath. It came out great. The plastic place recommended the proper color for best rendering of detail on the x-ray films.
It would help disperse the light from point sources below, particularly if you left a little space between the sheet of plexiglass and the underside of the top surface.
Also you might try out the effect just using some cheap white mini Christmas lights rather than more expensive L.E.D.s
this place has some narrow fixtures
http://www.pegasusassociates.com/MicrofluorescentT4.jsp
maddog
All,
Thanks, I have some new ideas to try, I plan on getting some of the materials mentioned and try them out.
Maddog, I order 2 of those mini fluorescents, it can't hurt to give them a try.
If I do the job, I will definitely post some pics.
Chris
hey ..... great. pics would be nice, I am curious about those fixtures maddog
Maddog,
Sorry for the long wait, I attached some pics of those mini flourescent fixtures. In the pics is a 9" fixtue and they run about $25 in small qty. Unfortunately they will not work for my bar top application as they produce to many "hot spots" I will be going with a high powered LED (and a lot of them) with a 120 degree output. We did a mock up and have proven the idea, I will post pics when the job is done!
Chris
ChrisV,
Thank you for the follow -up. It is very much appreciated.
It was worth the try anyway, those lights are teeny huh ?
I am glad you have a solution though.
$$ on the LED set-up , if you don't mind.Thanks again , maddog"
Maddog
Yep, they are very small! will work in other applications for sure...
As far as the LED job, we are looking at ~800 LED's @$6.25 ea....$5000
I am shopping for a cheaper price but no luck yet.
Chris
http://www.luciferlighting.com/fo_fiberops.htm maybe a custom side emitting fiber harness(es) would do the trick The illuminators can do all sorts of silly tricks, but it would be just light without the heat under the onyx ! I installed some of the side emitting fiber at a new Ethan Allen store last Fall , The illuminators were the HID type and the stuff was around the front of the store in the soffitt. each cable was fed at both ends (double pumped) because of the length of each cable
Tom"Edited 7/17/2005 9:46 pm ET by maddog
Edited 7/17/2005 9:47 pm ET by maddog
Tom,
We thought about taking that route, the problem is that there bar has about 60' of 3/4" onyx top and they want the light to be intense and low heat. Also they don't want the service issues of incandescent or fluorescent lights. The high powered LED's we will be using given them the intensity and a uniform lighting pattern (no hot or cold sots). I will be sure to post pics on this one!
Chris
Good luck Chris, I just edited my post to include the app I used those fibers in,those HID units had slightly different colors that were noticable when theyfirst fired at night but , blended better when they warmed up total length was about 400' I can't wiat to see the pics! Tom"
Maddog, (and All)
Well the LED job has been completed for a few months now and the customers are very satisfied. I have attached a few pics. The top is a honey colored Onyx, with a layer of 3/4" Plexiglass underneath for additional support (we did not do the onyx work, only the LED system).
The light is evenly distributed so you do not see the intensity of any single LED, the characteristics of the Onyx create the strong and weak areas of brightness.
Chris
very cool.
did U find a cheaper price on the materials?
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
hey Chris, WOW.....and thanks for the update......glad to hear it turned out OKhow difficulttt were the LEDs to work with, how did you attach them, did you drill 100s of holes ???
the best price I could get on the LED's was $5.85ea. and that was at a Qty of 700. A thermal conducting adhesive (Loctite industrial product) was used to attach the LED's to aluminum strips. This was a must because the LED's generated a lot of heat. They have 1W output capabilities (high power for an LED). Also with the controls we developed we can talk to each aluminum strip and create a "light show" ...different on/off sequences.
Chris
....interesting solution, thanks again Chris,