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Luminous paint |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Posts: 9,299
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Luminous paint
I am trying to find a source of a very small quantity of luminous paint to put onto a torch which we have got for an elderly relative so that he can find it in true darkness. I am struggling to find anything smaller than about 100ml which is probably at least 95ml more than I need.
.I found "Revell Enamels 14ml Luminous Yellow Silk Paint" on Amazon, but I am not sure if it really is luminous or whether that is just their name for "bright yellow". Any advice would be appreciated. |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 208
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i found the powder best, just mixed it with some pvc glue.
i used it for a lamp switch, you can get the powder from ebay, i also have a tin of spray paint which i got from jtf warehouse for 99p, used it to spray the bin lid just for no reason. the spray can was' rapide glow in the dark spray paint' |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Scotland .
Posts: 5,654
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I think possibly that luminous nail polish would suit that type of small job .
You need to be sure it's actually luminous though and not just a luminous-bright colour . Best bet is to open a bottle in the shop and put a tiny drop on a nail (or similar surface), then toddle off somewhere dark to see if it has absorbed the bright shop lights . |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 8,946
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B&Q sell spray lluminous paint. I'm sure I've seen small tins for brush-on too.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Woking, Surrey.
Posts: 3,587
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Maybe consider a tritium keyring as an alternative? They're not cheap and not that bright but they don't need charging.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,765
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Original true luminous paint contained Radium - you certainly can't buy that anymore!
Modern versions just contain chemicals which can absorb ambient light and then release it slowly. But, the trouble is, the time for which these will glow will be fairly limited. The Radium-based paints would glow indefinitely, but they had the distinct disadvantage they would kill everyone who came into contact with them! Radium is radioactive and emits alpha particles, the most dangerous form of radiation there is. |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,686
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Any legally bought luminous paint is likely to be completely ineffective. If you go to a good fishing tackle shop and ask for a beta light, you might get one for around six or seven pounds. Make sure you get the tritium gas tube type and not one of the ones that you snap to activate for about seven or eight hours.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wirral Peninsula
Posts: 4,775
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Quote:
Maybe consider a tritium keyring as an alternative? They're not cheap and not that bright but they don't need charging.
The Nite GlowRing (Green) seems to be fairly acceptable and available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nite-Tritiu...=Nite+GlowRing. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Posts: 9,299
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OK, thanks for the various thoughts on this. I can see now that this quest looks like a non-starter as anything which may work seems rather too complicated. Even the key ring idea would not work as the torch in question has nowhere to attach it. I guess he will just have to know where it is if he needs it at night.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Woking, Surrey.
Posts: 3,587
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You can always buy another torch to fit that keyring. Then you can you use that torch to find your original torch.
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Posts: 9,299
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Quote:
You can always buy another torch to fit that keyring. Then you can you use that torch to find your original torch.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,103
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Quote:
OK, thanks for the various thoughts on this. I can see now that this quest looks like a non-starter as anything which may work seems rather too complicated. Even the key ring idea would not work as the torch in question has nowhere to attach it. I guess he will just have to know where it is if he needs it at night.
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Posts: 9,299
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Quote:
I don't understand why you can't just buy the 100ml of paint you mention in the OP. It's a tiny amount and even if you're just going to use a fraction of it, it's surely not going to bankrupt you.
It wasn't my idea in the first place and I was unsure about it anyway, so I think I will not bother about it any more. I just asked in case there was a simple way of doing it, but it seems not. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 254
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glow key rings best
gaffa tape the keyring to the torch or selotape . the key rings are really brilliant. they don't nead charging and permanantly glow for years.
ive had mine over 10 and i can find things easy. im sure you can find a place to tape the ring on or tie rap it. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Posts: 9,299
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Quote:
gaffa tape the keyring to the torch or selotape . the key rings are really brilliant. they don't nead charging and permanantly glow for years.
ive had mine over 10 and i can find things easy. im sure you can find a place to tape the ring on or tie rap it.
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,686
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I suppose another obvious question is why he has to find it in complete darkness. If he has an illuminated clock next to his bedside it would enable him to place the torch next to it.
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Posts: 9,299
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Quote:
I suppose another obvious question is why he has to find it in complete darkness. If he has an illuminated clock next to his bedside it would enable him to place the torch next to it.
If I was nearer, I would try to set something up for him, but visiting is out of the question, so we are only in contact by landline phone and post, not even by email or anything else modern which most of us find second nature these days. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: London
Posts: 11,145
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Quote:
Original true luminous paint contained Radium - you certainly can't buy that anymore!
Modern versions just contain chemicals which can absorb ambient light and then release it slowly. But, the trouble is, the time for which these will glow will be fairly limited. The Radium-based paints would glow indefinitely, but they had the distinct disadvantage they would kill everyone who came into contact with them! Radium is radioactive and emits alpha particles, the most dangerous form of radiation there is. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: London
Posts: 11,145
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Quote:
Maybe consider a tritium keyring as an alternative? They're not cheap and not that bright but they don't need charging.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wirral Peninsula
Posts: 4,775
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Quote:
The half life of tritium is only about 12 years, so I wouldn't plan on leaving it to your grandchildren. Half as efficient after 12 years, quarter as efficient after 24 years, one thousandth as efficient after 120 years.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wirral Peninsula
Posts: 4,775
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Here's something to try maybe, glow in the dark torch. I found 3 on Amazon. Electromart £2.39 with cheaper versions having fewer reviews also on the page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electromart...NXCFG0HJ4BDJ7M, Am-tech S8002 £5.46: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Am-tech-S80...QRKF7EMZQMZF6V, Unicom £4.50: https://www.amazon.co.uk/GLOW-DARK-T.../dp/B00A3A78N4.
Instead of (or to find) a torch what about a baseball cap with LEDs at the front powered ny AAAs: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clar...th-led-lights/, a different one powered by CR2032 cells: https://www.amazon.co.uk/LED-BLACK-B.../dp/B004K7PV26, or a headlight torch: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clar...ght-headlight/. Pages of them at Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...&rnid=79904031. |
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