Exposure Unit bulb question

2553 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by tpitman, Sep 5, 2010

kansasrockchalk

Discussion Starter · Aug 30, 2010

Well I feel somewhat dumb asking this question, but I'm a noob at this so I'll chalk it up to that.

My wife and I are opening a screen printing business in our garage, and I hope going forward to contribute here as often as possible and become a regular.

Anyhow to my question, I built a exposure unit this weekend and it is just dawning on me after looking at hundreds online that everyones florescent bulbs are white in color and mine are black. Obviously I have read you need black lights, but I think I have something off here. Please see my pics below, mine are actual black lights like you would use at a party. They were made by Philips, do I have the wrong ones? Why are everyone else's white in color?

Like I said, total noob question. Bare with me, I learn quickly.

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PositiveDave

· #2 · Aug 30, 2010

What counts is the output. Most fluorescent bulbs are treated to reduce uv, coz you don't want to get a sun tan in your kitchen. Yours are designed to give out uv light, probably very near uv, they will also have some output at 365nm, the critical wavelength for exposure but not much. Try them and see if they work.
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-articles/t106506.html

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MotoskinGraphix

· #3 · Aug 30, 2010

You want black light bulbs. You have black light blue bulbs in your unit. Go to lightingsupply.com and you can find the proper bulbs.

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kansasrockchalk

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 30, 2010

That's what I thought, thanks motoskin!

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BOOSH!

· #5 · Sep 2, 2010

Here are the type of bulbs you need...

20W T9 FLUORESCENT BLACKLIGHT MEDIUM BIPIN BASE
$7.78 F20T12BL 20W T12 24" BLACK LIGHT F20T12/BL INDUSTRIAL

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Jsaladin

· #6 · Sep 3, 2010

On a side note your box looks very good. You should think about a vacume hold down though to help reduce the posibility of undercutting the image. Since you built your own exposure unit it wouldnt be hard to add.

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kansasrockchalk

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 3, 2010

How would you do this? Any pics of one? Don't think I have seen anywhere where it was done.

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Jsaladin

· #8 · Sep 3, 2010

PM me, so I rememeber to send you some pictures of mine. It quite simple process that you can make hard if you want. But its basically a wood frame (2x2) the fits on the glass with a rubber seal around the edges that meat with your glass, on top of the wood frame you lay the rubber or I use pond liner and then you secure the pond liner to the wood frame by putting (1x2) on top. You basically sandwich the rubber in wood. I just use a shop vacume. I drilled a whole in the side of the 2x2 and used some pvc fittings to make the frame hook up to a shop vacuume.

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juanftm

· #9 · Sep 3, 2010

hey kansas, not sure if this would be a big deal or not, but your "safe lights", even though they're yellow, are still fluorescent and will (at least somewhat) affect your emulsion if on for a while. I use these bug lights and they've worked really well so far.

Philips 60 Watt Bug-A-Way Light Bulb - 225730 at The Home Depot

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kansasrockchalk

Discussion Starter · #10 · Sep 3, 2010

Good to know, I thought a standard bulb was safe...sounds like that may not always be the case. Read somewhere any bulbs should suffice in there. End of the day, those should only be on when we need to trace something, but thanks for the heads up.

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