Coroplast, back, and through illumination?

[chrisatpsu]

I've seen some people poke holes through their coroplast to put minis, or LED's.
I've seen people place plastic rectangles, or metal squares behind the coroplast to illuminate it.


Has anyone done both? they didn't have to be on at the same time, just wondering if anyone's tried it?
I was thinking a star, or candy cane, then if some instances, you could outline the object for one kind of look, and then at some other time, you could just illuminate from behind to get a different kind of look.

thoughts?

[kgustafson]

Chris,

I have done both.  I have a singing Santa that I poked holes through (I recommend painting one side so you get no bleed thru (or use a black coroplast). 

I built four light columns out of white coroplast and had a hamster at the bottom of the column connected to a theaters' DMX mixer.  These were single sheets of coroplast (8'x 4') scored and folded into a 1'x1' box of 8' tall columns.  The light blends and diffuses nicely through the coro making it glow with the color of the light at the bottom. (Google Coroplastic light columns if you want pics of folks who have done this.)

Kurt

[chrisatpsu]

i meant using both of the same object though.


and...   hamster?

[Steve Gase]

I've seen some people poke holes through their coroplast to put minis, or LED's.
I've seen people place plastic rectangles, or metal squares behind the coroplast to illuminate it.


Has anyone done both? they didn't have to be on at the same time, just wondering if anyone's tried it?
I was thinking a star, or candy cane, then if some instances, you could outline the object for one kind of look, and then at some other time, you could just illuminate from behind to get a different kind of look.

thoughts?

it should work well, but you should tape/fasten the wire for the string out of the way so that its shadow does not play on the diffused surface generated by the back-lighting.

[kgustafson]

Sorry.  Theater-speak.  Hampster light is what they call the small RGB lights in the theater (because they are small and cute?)  I use a PAR-38 hamster to light mine.  I built one tonight for a show I am the light designer for (Legally Blonde - the Musical).  I am going to construct 3 more tomorrow.  They are easy and quick to build.  I will take some photos and share them if you like.

Oh and I agree with Mr. Gase.  This should work.  Just make sure you don't have gaps in the holes either -  these will 'leak' light.  Shadow may be a problem for you (as Steve was mentioning)

Kurt

[chrisatpsu]

I was thinking with the poke through leds, they would be an outline on the edge. I'm hoping that shouldn't be much of a problem.

[kgustafson]

Chris,

That should work well actually.  Mind the cords to the string of lights and try to keep it as close to the axis of the joining sides of the 'box'.  Realize to make the 'glow' work with  coroplast, you are going to have create a 3D box of what ever you are representing.  For example, if you are creating a candy cane (which you mentioned), you would create two sheets of the shape of a candy cane (one for the front and one for the back).  You will mount your lights on the back to illuminate forward.  You will have to finish the 3D construction by using strips of coroplast to make the 'walls' of the shape.  Use glue, zip ties, and/or packing tape to secure the walls to the front and back of the model.

Kurt

[chrisatpsu]

the candy canes, i was thinking more of like fasteddy's design, where there is a hold the plastic recatngles piece, and a "this part gets illumiinated" piece  his worksed well without having to place sides on it.

[chrisatpsu]

i like the idea of the tall boxes too though.

[Mike Hill]

Nine responses and five belong to Chris.  Hmmm!  Interesting....lol.

[chrisatpsu]

True, but i will point out that my responses contribute to my thread. And since I was asking for help/ people's opinions, that it would be reasonable that I would take an interest.  Also, except for the past day or two, I've been relatively quiet on here with not even a single post for days at a time.

I know everyone likes to tease me about my active participation on here, but at least catch me while I'm goofing off.

[tbone321]

The thing is that you were not goofing off, you were away with family.  As for both thru hole and back lighting the same piece, I'm really not sure how that is going to work.  I would create a mockup piece setting up the lights how you want then done in the real piece and see how it looks.  If you are putting two pieces together with one being backlit and the other thru-hole, that should look pretty cool but doing both to the same piece may look funny.  That would be like stringing mini's on a blowmold.  I am curious to see what you come up with.

[chrisatpsu]

Crude Drawing in MSPaint.  not to scale

[chrisatpsu]

the pieces i have so far cut out, are from 18" x 24" pieces of 4mm Coroplast.

[kgustafson]

Would love to see pics when you finish.  Are you using natural or white coroplast?