anyone ever build a fiber optic sign/light ?

[ElPool]

several months ago, my friend bought an old fiber optic sign (it had the Ranier Berr logo on it) for a few bucks at value village. after re-wiring some of the stuff inside, we got it to work again, and it looks REALLY cool.

now im thinking of building my own fiber optic sign. seems to me like all I need is a box, a bright light, some optic fiber, and some sort of spinning color wheel.

I figure I can probably buy the light and a motor for the color-wheel at radioshack. and I can probably put together a color wheel using colored plastic from an arts and crafts store. and a black box with a plastic front shouldnt be too hard to build. all i need is a good place to buy the optic-fiber for the light.

has anyone here ever build anything like this?

-pool

oh, and I probably need something interesting to make the sign say.

 

[TallBill]

i wanna see a pic cuz i got NO CLUE wut yer talkin about

 

[RaoulDuke]

you mean like what those people do with those LEDs that spin around fast to display the time? Or you mean actual fiber optic cables displaying pinpoints of light and rotating around?

 

[ElPool]

heres a link to a site that sells some actual signs.

basically, you just see a bunch of pinpoint lights that make a patern. (like a logo or words) and the pinpoints of light are just the ends of optic fiber barely sticking through the sirface of the box. and the lights change colors, because the wheel inside alters the color of the light thats going into the fibers.

yea, first time i ever saw one of these. which makes it even cooler to build your own.


edit: the one my friend had doesnt have nearly as many individual lights as the ones on that site, (and neither will mine) but it still looks very good. sheesh! those ones cost $295. i imagine i might build one for under $35.

 

[RaoulDuke]

ahhhh those, well if you figure out something, lemme know cause it sounds interesting

 

[ElPool]

i swear. it is impossible to find a place on the net that sells optic fiber for these lights.

 

[crypticlogin]

Wasn't there a toy a few years back that did the same thing? I swear my sister had this toy which was a light bulb in a box, and you'd push these colored pegs through a black piece of paper and the light would shine through.

 

[ElPool]

what? litebrite?

not quite the same effect. ]

 

[ElPool]

cat steps on keyboard = double post