Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) Light Up Wings

[MrRoboto]

Hey All.

I'm about to make a set of light up wings, modeled on the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle, specifically the Young Justice version. They're going to be a bit more feminine, smaller, and less angular/aggressive. I'll try to get some basic designs up later.

The wings will be set up as a a backpack, fully self contained. Any batteries/inverters will be held in the "scarab" portion of the pack. The wings will fold (not completely, just from an "open" to a "closed" position) on hinges.

My main issue/question is the matter of lighting the wings. They need to be nearly transparent when off, but that "electric blue" when on.

I was hoping to use a sheet of clear plastic (PETG or something similar), frost it, and then edge light each wing with some LEDs (I've used the strip LED's to great effect in lighting swords and things in the past). However, some initial testing with scrap acrylic and LED strips over only light up the plastic about 4 inches from the edge.

I've also considered using EL Panel (EL wire wouldn't be nearly bright enough). But finding it in that size (roughly 2 feet to a side, possibly more) is going to be both challenging and expensive. However, it's not off the table.

So, I ask the experts. Ideas?

Photos for reference.

 

[zodiac]

Only thing I can think of to get more light is to keep the wings out and do a strip of EL Wire along the bottom portion as well. Sorry if it's not much help, but I'm no expert lol.

 

[MrRoboto]

I'm planning to make them essentially the same design as the cartoon, but smaller (say head height, not 5 feet tall), which has that rib that runs 3/4 of the way around. So I can easily run lights along 3 out if 4 edges.

I've tried using EL wire for illumination, and it just doesn't have the power to light much past itself in my experience.

 

[Uridium]

If the wings aren't going to fold up (apart from open/closed), maybe you could use the EL wire to make the 'veins/structure' (I don't know what the lines are) that are found in insect wings....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=i...gXqxoHoBg&sqi=2&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1156&bih=552

Maybe this will use too much EL wire? I have not had any experience with it, no do I know how expensive it is.

 

[MrRoboto]

I hat that thought initially, actually. To make the "veins" or whatever out of EL, or to etch them in the plastic (which would theoretically catch the light).

However, you can see from the photos of the cartoon version (our inspiration for this build) that the wings are completely flat... I'd like to keep that style.

If I can't successfully light the whole wing in that way, then I might go back to this very idea, and probably a combo of etching and EL.

 

[MrRoboto]

Got the suggestion today from somebody who used to make lightsabers pre-EL wire.

Line the edges of the wings (the outer ones, opposite the "ribs", where there is no light) with a reflective material like mylar to reflect the light back into the plastic. Should help with making them glow quite a bit. I'm thinking some window tinting might work for that - since gluing something mirror like, shiny side in, could prove challenging.

 

[MrRoboto]

I've decided to build all the framework for the "backpack" out of aluminum. The wing framework will be aluminum U channel, bent (hopefully) to shape. I found some U channel designed for trimming 3/8" plywood that exactly fits LED strip lights. This will be covered over with foam before it get's painted up.

Reading up on how to bend aluminum, and it seems the best advice is to basically just do it. Heat can be kind of ok, or it can be terrible, so I won't be trying that. And I'm only making gradual bends, so I don't think there's much, if any risk, of damaging the aluminum. Plus it's not exactly a "load bearing" piece here. Also purchased a rivet-tool for assembling the pieces. I figure rivets will create a hard joint, then I'll use JB Weld over those to keep anything from spinning/slipping.

I also purchased some 1/8" frosted acrylic for the wings. While a little heavier than comparable PETG or similar, the optic quality of it should transmit light a lot further, and the frosting is light enough to still be essentially transparent but hopefully glow nicely. I'll have to cut plastic spacers to fit between the acrylic and the aluminum U channel so it actually fits into those braces.

 

[MrRoboto]

The last real mental hurdle I have to tackle is how to make the backpack, well, wearable! Fortunately it's designed to LOOK like a backpack already. So I'll bend some aluminum bar to hook over the shoulders to support all the weight. But the "belt" portion is a different challenge.

It doesn't connect in the middle, so it can't be an actual belt. And because the "pack" portion will need to be a rigid box to support the wings and batteries, the "belt" section has to be adjustable so it can be put on and taken off.

In a perfect world, I'd love to use some sort of ratcheting system. Something like these ratcheting spring clamps, but person/waist sized. . That way it could get locked down, and then quickly taken off. I'm sure the technology exists! I just don't really know what I'm looking for, or where to look...

Any ideas for this, or ANY OTHER ideas of how, to make the "belt" thing work, would be much appreciated!