# El Wire



## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Do any of you have experience with EL Wire or other types of Glow Wire? I have a brain jar that wired with 4 x c7 Christmas lights. It works fine, but the bulbs get hot. I want a cooler solution but not with LEDs.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=8223


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Still looking for help, opinions, whatever. Light conversation...how was your day? Geez, it's lonely in here with those other threads lingering on the top of the list.

Surely with all these haunters...someone has tried using luminous wires before. I have an enclosure with a hole in it that's about 9 inches diameter. My glass brain jar fits that hole. I want to light the jar from inside the enclosure by casting some type of green light around the base of the jar.

I may have to resort to a small string of twinkle bulbs...maybe leds...but I'd like to know a little about glow wire first. What does it take to power it? Can it be cut to length? 

What about rope light? It's probably also too hot. But - can rope light sustain being cut to only about 15 inches long? Anything special that needs to be done or simply cut it?

I'm also considering some type of fake water - like the plastic or gel stuff you use to mount plants in a vase.....for inside the bottom of the jar. I'd like something that diffuses the light a bit so it gives a better glow.


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## Meat Tickler (Sep 7, 2009)

*Alternative*

I had trouble getting the proper lighting with glow wire, so I went to hobby town usa and bought a bundle of n-scale layout train lights, (just the bulbs)that are approx. 8mm in length and 3mm in diameter. They are 12v dc or ac lights, and do not require a resistor like led's, and for about 8.00 you can get a 12vdc controller for trains that will run the lights. they are very cool, but are also very bright when on full power, I like them because I can control the brightness for the desired effect I want with the controller. I run almost 120 lights with the controller and have had no problems yet. MT


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Interesting suggestion. In my case, the brightness doesn't need to be adjustable and I'm not using a controller for this prop. It's more of a switchbox that can run power to other props or lights.


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

I don't know of any cool ac lights. My friend used the el wire on his electric chair. I think he said you need a transformer every 22 ft. It might of been less. But you need it to be in a dark place. in his garage during the after noon. You couldn't even tell it was on.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Is there anything special about a transformer or is it simply a wall wart? As for the amount of light...my prop lights up in other ways. For this light...I'm only concerned about the night environment. I'll try to post a thread on the prop later today.


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## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

The transformers aren't normal wall warts - they generate higher voltages I believe.

The problem with EL stuff it that it apparently needs sealing after cutting or the material degrades.

I bought a cheap EL wire kit from Ikea but haven't tried cutting it. Cost about $10 and runs off battery. As The Watcher said, it doesn't generate a lot of light.

Found this link which might be of use. http://www.elec2go.com.au/prod8.htm

Otherwise possibly cut a perspex base for the jar with a couple of micro LED's glued into the perspex side on?


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I thought about an acrylic base with leds...(see discussions on ghostly footprints)...but I don't want the leds to be evident. I figured I'd have to find a way to deal with frosting the top of the acrylic in order to disperse the light to anything but the sides of the acrylic.

I'm not sure what perspex is....but I presume its something similar. A large EL sheet would work but that's a bit pricey and the light wouldn't be very colorful. (Same with n-scale lighting.)

Unfortunately...my daughter nabbed my camera and went to work. No pics tonight. Imagine a covered box, with sides that are 10" long, and the box is about 2" deep with a 9" diameter hole in the top. Now set a large jar in the hole. The lighting goes inside the box, under the cover.


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

could u use fiberoptic strands going to led inside the brain the light up nicely


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

If you use white leds and color gels, that will spread the light and tone them down. I actually have put color gels on my solar garden lights. They give a decent color up close.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I can't light the inside of the brain because it's a solid human sized brain molded in latex around a mounting bolt. Even though the jar is pretty thick, I managed to drill (with glass bit) a hole in the bottom to mount the brain using rubber washers.

I decided to try liquid sanitizing gel as a liquid medium for the inside of the jar. I think that will refract the light nicely. I would have liked to have it use a fish bubbler but I decided that wasn't necessary for the proper affect.



morbid mike said:


> could u use fiberoptic strands going to led inside the brain the light up nicely


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## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

Love the idea of a brain in a jar. 

I'd just wire LEDS under the base of the jar and use a bit of semi opaque plastic or fluorescent diffuser between them and the jar base to even out the light. 

I'm just about to try molding a brain skull cap for my costume out of a brain shaped jello mold. After this I want to try finding a medium (ballistic gel?) that will let me cast a pliable longlife brain for this type of prop.

I was bidding on a Wowwee Live Chimp and had plans to have it sitting on top of a 'life support system' with coloured liquids bubbling through tubes leading to the chimp.

Due to time differences, I missed it when someone out bid me - bugger!


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Okay...I gotta share this now that I read your comment about the wowwee chimp. I was in Walmart tonight looking for speciman jar stuff in the fishing section. On my way back to the front I sweeped through the toy section...looking for slime.

They have a baby doll in there that looks very real, almost fetal with squinted blue eyes and it perfectly matches the size of my brain jar. And...I just happen to have a second glass jar which has nothing in it. I'm standing in the aisle with fish tank tubing in my hand (might still go for a bubbling jar) staring at a baby and I couldnt help think what that would look like in the proper light suspended in hand sanitizer fluid. Hmmm. I know...I'm a sick man. But still.....hmmmm. See my recent brain jar thread.....Zombie Mind Control and ponder for a moment.


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## Eryq (Sep 23, 2009)

*EL wire question*

Hi DarkLore,

What would you like to know about EL wire?

I can tell you that the lime green wire made by Lytec, and sold by a number of companies, produces a very nice Halloweeny radioactive green light.

But what specifically would you like to know about EL wire?


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Thanks for responding yall. I know almost nothing about it. Never used it. I've seen what I believe is EL wire trimmed on cars and motorcyles. It looked bright and useful with an even amount of light.

Does it work on 12vdc? Does it use a special transformer? Do you simply cut the end at the length you want like fiber optic or is it somehow hollow inside? Look over at the link to my brain jar. Then consider what it might be light with EL wire mounted just under the rim of the container...around the jar. What's your opinion of how that might look? 

Light bulbs reflect from the glass. A reflection of a wire wouldn't be so distracting. I'd like the jar to glow without the viewer thinking about how its glowing. 

For my witches cabinet...I wired about twenty different colored leds on 12vdc. When I put colored bottles on the shelf...the give off a radiant glow....as if the juice itself is illuminating the jar. For a large jar...I don't expect the same result. But whatever makes it look most radioactive would be best.


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

I don't have any experience working with EL wire but know what it is. Two years ago I got an introduction to it when I bought these great flashing eyes from QVC that used that technology. I did some research back then thinking maybe a project down the road. Haven't pursued it yet. Here's a page to OmniKits.com that also sells the EL wire. Maybe they can help out or point you in a good direction. I think the EL wire would be a great use for what you had in mind. Where would you place the batteries? In the lid or behind the brain? The EL stuff on OmniKits is at the bottom of the page, but maybe there's something else on their site that might be interesting.

http://www.omnikits.com/phpstore/index.php?action=category&id=12&subid=119


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

DarkLore, found a tutuorial involving the use of EL wire that I had kept in my resource file. Hope this helps you out. Glad his site is still up. Page 3 of SpookyBlue's tutuorial starts prepping the EL wire.

http://www.spookyblue.com/projects/el-sign/


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

BTW going in a different and simpler route, in the past when I've wanted to illuminate a heart or brain in a jar, I've used Pumpkin Lights, the Rainbow version where you can select a solid color. Used the PL either from above, concealed in the lid when possible, or at the bottom of the jar by placing it underneath the clear glass container. I would either build a fake base to the jar with a styrofoam ring (light in the middle) or hide it in some other fashion. They work great on batteries or if you need to run it for a long-running haunt like every night for several weeks, they also sells an inexpensive matching wall wort for it on their site. I probably have about a dozen or more of them in the rainbow and yellow versions. I love these lights for pumpkins or using with props.

If you try this route I would suggest using some white tissue wrapping paper on top of the light to help hide the bulbs and disperse the light more uniformly.

As for the sanitizer gel, I'd go really cheap and see what Dollar Tree sells in big jars. Look in the hair care section--I'm thinking more along the lines of hair gel that's clear or even colored.

Don't know how much time or money you want to put into this project this year so hopefully something will work out for you. Good luck and please post what you end up doing.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Thanks for the information Spookie. I'll read through it. As for the battery space...there is quite a bit of room inside the case to the zombie mind control prop. I have it wired up with two electrical outlets in the back. Other than that, most of it is surface mounted. The eye movement is all housed in the space directly behind the eye.

I can't put anything directly under the brain jar without adding a whole level under the prop. The wood is about an inch thick. Under the brain jar is a hole which serves two purposes. 

One...it stabilizes the jar. The brain is molded around a long bolt. I fed the bolt through the bottom of the jar with nuts and rubber washers on both sides...sealing it to hold liquid without leaking. The end of the bolt with the nut, fit into that hole. This prevents it from wiggling or moving.

Two...if it does leak, the water will flow out that bottom hole, or out the lowest point of the case, which is still lower than any of the ac wiring.

I do have one of the remote control color changing lights. I have considered mounting a socket above the brain, at the top of the jar. That is similar to my other prop (not shown). In this case, I chose not to do that because I intend to fill it with liquid.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Looking at the link you posted...I might still have a cold cathode kit that I had in an old computer. That would could possibly work (two of them - one on each side) if it doesn't get hot. I'll have to dig around my computer parts.


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

I didn't think about it before, must have lost my brain? Any way at Ironstock they had some. They built a box out of wood, I think the top might have of had holes cut like a electric stove heat element. They put the light in that, then set the jar filled with water and parts on top. I don't remember any glare on theirs. You could just cut some card board and try it first.


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## Eryq (Sep 23, 2009)

DarkLore said:


> Thanks for responding yall. I know almost nothing about it. Never used it. I've seen what I believe is EL wire trimmed on cars and motorcyles. It looked bright and useful with an even amount of light.
> 
> Does it work on 12vdc? Does it use a special transformer? Do you simply cut the end at the length you want like fiber optic or is it somehow hollow inside? Look over at the link to my brain jar. Then consider what it might be light with EL wire mounted just under the rim of the container...around the jar. What's your opinion of how that might look?
> 
> ...


Darklore,

In answer to your questions:

Yes, it does worth with 12 volts. In fact, you can power EL wire with everything from watch batteries on up to household current.

EL wire does require a driver, which simply takes the electricity you are providing (usually DC) and converts it to a high frequency alternating current. The electricity coming from electrical outlets in your house are alternating current, changing directions about 60 times per second. (60 Hz)
You can actually power EL wire with that, but because of the low 60Hz frequency, it will not be bright at all. Most of the drivers you buy run at 2,000 - 4,000 Hz.

El wire is basically a copper wire, with a bunch of phosphorous sprayed onto it, two hairthin radial wires spiralling around that, and then some colored plastic, or shielding, to give the different colors.

I have put answers to some FAQ here.

EL wire certainly has its advantages, but I should think that trying to light up the jars themselves would be better accomplished using LED's or cold cathode. LED's are so intense and directional that none of the light would be wasted, all the energy would go into lighting the glass, whereas with EL wire, which radiate light in a 360 degree radius around the wire, a lot of light would probably be wasted.

On the other hand, EL wire would be a lot easier. If you go the EL wire route, here are the steps:

Decide how much EL wire you need, total.
Decide how you want to power it.

For example, if you wanted to light up 5 feet of lime green EL wire, and power it with batteries, then you could use the driver that takes 2 AA batteries, which can light up to 15' of wire. It might sound like overkill, but the more powerful the driver, the more brightly it will light your wire.

If there are three jars, and you can get by with 2 or 3 feet on each one, you could use the same driver, and use Y splitters to branch the power out to the different jars.

If each jar needs 5 or 6 feet, then you would want to move up to a more powerful driver.

:jol:


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

DarkLore, any chance you can post a picture of what you have done so far? Love to see it and it might help others see exactly what you have planned.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Spookie said:


> DarkLore, any chance you can post a picture of what you have done so far? Love to see it and it might help others see exactly what you have planned.


The reason for wanting to know about El Wire, is for the prop I posted in the Zombie Mind Control thread....

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=18156

Based on the conversations and opinions, I removed the green lights that were wired inside the container. Instead, I've built a new lid for the jar (wood, foam, and a light socket). It looks like a gold lid with a black cork. Mounted inside the lid is a light socket that plugs into the wall sockets on the back of the prop (controlled by a front switch). I created a vent at the top that allows heat to dissipate. I can use a candelabra bulb if I use an adapter. Right now the jar is sitting with a green c7 in the lid.

My intend for now, is to use a UV spotlight inside the lid with the jar filled with tonic water (quinine). Unfortunately....one 2 liter bottle didn't even come close....I tried it. It barely reached the bottom of the brain. It's going to take 3 or 4 two liter bottles to fill the jar to the correct level. Without a proper liquid level, it barely glows because it is so far from the spotlight.


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## Eryq (Sep 23, 2009)

WOW. I saw the pictures. NICE!!

That brain looks very realistic, so I am not going to ask who- I mean where it is from.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Eryq said:


> WOW. I saw the pictures. NICE!!
> 
> That brain looks very realistic, so I am not going to ask who- I mean where it is from.


When looking for me brain, I just couldn't settle for inferior quality. It never would have worked between us.


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