Cool reflective paint on toy saber, w/pic

[James Kenobi 1138]

I noticed this while I was uploading christmas photos from my digital camera.

I think if I could find this type of paint, it would be awesome to paint a dowel or hollow clear acrylic tube for my EL Saber to use for Cons and costume events because when photographed with a flash, the saber blade 'glows' like the 3M reflective material on the ANH Saber blades.

This is the Saber from the electronic SW Lightsaber battle game, where you hook up the Training Remote to your tv, and you hold this saber in your hand and swing it around to have saber battles with enemies on-screen. The Training Remore has a sensor that 'reads' the blade position to control your blade on-screen (it's actually really fun).

Here it is photographed in normal light with no flash. The paint is on the inside of the blade which is made of clear plastic.

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/toysaber1.jpg[/image]

When you use a flash, the blade reflects the light and makes a great effect.

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/toysaber2.jpg[/image]

Because the blade is short (so you don't swing it around in your house and knock everything over), my son pretended to 'stab' my daughter.

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/toysaber3.jpg[/image]

I wonder what kind of paint this is and where I might be able to get some?

Ideas?

 

[SurferGeek]

Not sure of the specifics of that paint but most reflective paints contain silica beads that reflect the light. It's the same stuff they use to make painted lines on the streets reflective. They just toss hand fulls of sand size silica beads into the wet paint. This is likely the same thing, just a finer bead that is suspended in the paint.

http://www.ecplaza.net/tradeleads/seller/2...ad_marking.html
http://www.emedco.com/emed2/prodGroupBT1.a...pt_id=7010&CC=N
http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/..._reflective.php

Here's a Krylon reflective paint with said beads:
http://www.allstatesign.com/reflective_paint.htm

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Awesome on the Krylon paint, that would be perfect to spray over a blue blade to reflect a blue color.

Thanks..

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

She's a natural born actress.... The look on her face is priceless.... :thumbsup

Steve

 

[SurferGeek]

Originally posted by James Kenobi 1138@Jan 12 2006, 06:42 PM
Awesome on the Krylon paint, that would be perfect to spray over a blue blade to reflect a blue color.

Thanks..

[snapback]1157515[/snapback]​

Not a problem... Good to see that my time spent in 1st Lt painting lines on base actually proved useful. :lol

 

[Prop Runner]

That's it, James - I'm reporting you to Child Protective Services. :lol

Seriously - precious kids, cool idea.

- Gabe

 

[phase pistol]

The effect looks great.

SurferGeek's mention of silica beads remind me that the ANH working sabers (with rotating rod) were coated with Scotchlite material, "front projection" material, which shoots light back the way it came. Works the same way.

Same as used in "Superman The Movie" for the Kryptonian costumes.

- k

 

[Trallis]

you let those kids play pretty close to the collectibles

 

[Darth Domain]

Originally posted by Prop Runner@Jan 13 2006, 05:52 AM
That's it, James - I'm reporting you to Child Protective Services. :lol

Seriously - precious kids, cool idea.

- Gabe

[snapback]1157709[/snapback]​

I'm a social worker, and allowing your son to run a lighsaber through his sister is not acceptable :lol

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Oh, thats my sons room, not mine. He has like 100X more toys then I ever did growing up. My parents weren't 'into' toys like I am, I usually end up playing with the kids.

I have a huge toy collection all mint in boxes sitting inside mylar bags that I can't touch. I buy the same toys for the kids..... that way I get to play with them too .

 

[Star Wars Man]

hmmm, u say when you do the flash it does that effect? that is nice, although it is to short, and you cant use flash in a movie, cuz if so, a fan film, with no digital editing...

 

[jlee562]

Originally posted by Star Wars Man@Jan 13 2006, 06:29 PM
hmmm, u say when you do the flash it does that effect? that is nice, although it is to short, and you cant use flash in a movie, cuz if so, a fan film, with no digital editing...

[snapback]1158607[/snapback]​

Yeah, but he also wasn't thinking of using said saber in a fan film.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Yeah, I was just thinking for Cons and such, since in costume I usually have my pic taken hundreds of times. It would look really cool for my saber to look ignited in all of the pics.