A Light and not heavy mirror screw ?

[Harry Dalek]

Hi still working on my other project but can not help my self if something comes in my head ,,,pea brain working over time .

Reading a past post on mirror screws someone had the idea of chrome paint
didn't get any replies but i found it of interest ..

So i am trying ...

I didn't want wood as i am using its ruff and not a good surface for what i want but they were handy and the right line thickness and i was thinking if it reflects poorly and sort of works thats a stepping stone ..

Testing the finish its not mirror finish but i can see my hand reflected off them all stacked together close up so thats a good thing ....

I would of rather used plastic but have not found any thing long and flat enough was thinking of cd or dvd cases and painting them with the chrome...it works rather good on flat plastic from a test .

My main reason for this thinking is i want it to be light cheap to make and easy to make ,not sure if its been done more than likly but i want to give it a go .

I was going to drill and mount them in a stack via a long screw but have not got one long enough so thinking of lining them up at the right angle 12 deg i think and glue them in place one by one and make the stack screw this way....no way to adjust once finished so better get it right.

Had the idea also of gluing foil on the edge of the wood but this is easier.

Thinking of a polish of the paint do it on cars to make them shine ?

BTW have a few spares in that stack if you are counting them

[DrZarkov]

The idea is great, I thought before to buy some wood or plastic bars, form a mirror screw in the same way you suggested, and just glue some metallic tape (like this one: http://www.fancy-tapes.co.uk/store/product/63-0/ ) on it. I found somewhere smaller self adhesive tapes only 1 cm wide. With 32 lines this would make a nice, big picture. Of course 3/4" would make an even bigger picture, but you will need a very strong motor...

(BTW: Why did you start this thread in "off topic"?)

[Harry Dalek]

The idea is great, I thought before to buy some wood or plastic bars, form a mirror screw in the same way you suggested, and just glue some metallic tape (like this one: http://www.fancy-tapes.co.uk/store/product/63-0/ ) on it. I found somewhere smaller self adhesive tapes only 1 cm wide. With 32 lines this would make a nice, big picture. Of course 3/4" would make an even bigger picture, but you will need a very strong motor...

(BTW: Why did you start this thread in "off topic"?)

Hi Doctor

I was not sure how it would be taken so i kept it off topic Once i finish it and do some testing i will move it over.
I think Dom had the same idea when he started hes colour crt project .

Yes the main reason the mirror screw is a problem as its a lot of metal rotating !
I like the idea of it being light as you, i had the ice cream type sticks handy ( Don't tell my 7 year old daughter !) ! i wanted plastic around the same size but nothing handy at the moment ...been thinking if i see some trashed slim line blinds i will grab them if they are flat.

Plastic nice and flat seems to work best painted reflects well ...i might try and polish a stick see it its worth it also perhaps another coat of the chrome might improve it on a wood surface.

Yes also i was looking into metallic reflective tape before this idea only problem was cost it would of been cheaper to buy rods of metal .I am sure its great for the job as well Tin foil the shiny side would be just as good too just a bit harder to cut and glue,unless you wrapped all the stick and painted the unwanted reflective part out .

The sticks are very light the computer fan should be able to handle them
I am still thinking of mounting them on a cd for that old cd drive motor then i just have to clip it on .

Something else i noticed when buying the chrome they sell was phosphorescent paint my test a while back it works great with white luxeon leds if you did a mirror screw with this paint has me wondering if it would work better ?????????????? like rotating CRT !

[Klaas Robers]

Harry, the strips must be flat and polished like a mirror. That is the reason they are first clamped together dorming a flat plate, then that plate is flattened and polished to a mirror. If it is really a flat mirror, then the clamping rod is released and the plates are rotated one by one to form the mirror screw.

If the plates are not really flat you will get ragged lines and an awfull picture. The scanning light spot is the image of the line light source that you see in only one of the mirrors at the time. So they must be perfect mirrors otherwise you see a vague spot, making vague pictures, if you recognise them at all.

This is the part that makes the MIRROR-screw a difficult to make thing.

[Harry Dalek]

Harry, the strips must be flat and polished like a mirror. That is the reason they are first clamped together dorming a flat plate, then that plate is flattened and polished to a mirror. If it is really a flat mirror, then the clamping rod is released and the plates are rotated one by one to form the mirror screw.

If the plates are not really flat you will get ragged lines and an awfull picture. The scanning light spot is the image of the line light source that you see in only one of the mirrors at the time. So they must be perfect mirrors otherwise you see a vague spot, making vague pictures, if you recognise them at all.

This is the part that makes the MIRROR-screw a difficult to make thing.

Hi Klaas

Thanks for the advice i have taken it in an i will work on them i will see what i can do .

The chrome idea does work fine on plastic because its flat ...the wood looks a little ruffer i just want to see if they polish flat before i give up .

Thanks again Klass

[DrZarkov]

I like the old idea of TeKaDe to form a mirror-screw of Bakelite, and chrome plate it. Well, of course today we would not use Bakelite, but we would render a mirrorscrew with a software like Blender, and print it with a fabber (which became available for private customers in a decent quality for less than 2000 EUR). The leaves the problem how to chrome plate it in a sufficient manner.

[Harry Dalek]

Hi today i took klaas advise on the bolting of the strips ,i found a bolt long enough for 32 lines ...

So they are stacked and adjustable ....

i took the paint off polished repainted so on ...on the mirror finish i think its the best i will get on a wood surface i can see my finger about an inch or 2 distance from the flat stack ...i notice its about the same where i painted on a flat surface ...

I tried a few other ideas today as well just to see ...painting the stack is the easiest !

I tried wrapping the sticks with tin foil this works looks just a bit better than the chrome paint ..still a little ruff due to the wood surface ...i then tried wrapping the stick with electrical tape then the foil this works much better but a bit more trouble or work ..

Of cause having flat plastic strips is the way to go from tests ....!

i Also tried painting the electrical tape but it curls up when drying ! arararar thinking it was a good idea at the time .

Now i am back to the stack painted with the chrome and i think i will go with this to test .

My last idea i have not tried is to use aluminium baking tray cut up into strips ..its thickable to stack....
I was thinking of a thin screw layered with strips of the aluminium and black paper between the strips saves painting it would look very much like a french idea from the 30s

http://la-radiovision.fr/visiola.htm

Never give up on an idea make it work i say ....

[Harry Dalek]

I like the old idea of TeKaDe to form a mirror-screw of Bakelite, and chrome plate it. Well, of course today we would not use Bakelite, but we would render a mirrorscrew with a software like Blender, and print it with a fabber (which became available for private customers in a decent quality for less than 2000 EUR). The leaves the problem how to chrome plate it in a sufficient manner.

Hi Doctor

I forgot they did do mirror screws in Bakelite ...yes not so heavy bet they made them bigger due to the weight was less .

i am going on with mine in one form or another ......

on a heavier screw using stainless steel only problem is cutting and drilling ! if you have ever tried to cut this stuff you will know what i mean..
Well butter knifes on the non cutting side are flat and would make a nice small screw...nice flat raster line. just cutting and drilling and the weight of cause ...\

Gary has made a machine that made he's lens disk wonder if it could do a screw ?

i will try light of cause first .

[Harry Dalek]

Heres pictures of the paddle pop screw

[gary]

Gary has made a machine that made he's lens disk wonder if it could do a screw ?

well, yes and no - I think DrZarkov was considering making a 3D mirror screw (or at least the shape) that would be like it had been cast in a mould - my machine is only what they call 2.5D, that is, while it has x y and z axis it can't undercut etc and therefore can't make true 3D objects - however it could make all the flat parts no problem, at least in aluminium, I don't think it is sturdy enough for stainless.

BTW have you seen the 3/16" plywood mirror screw that Peter Yanczer made? (see newsletter #16 V1). He glued a strip of glass mirror to the edge - it's a bit of a mystery how he cut the glass strips though, I was thinking it oughtn't to be that hard to use plastic mirror stock.

In any case, except for the fact that the paddle pop sticks are pre-cut in the length dimension are they really any advantage over using aluminium strips?

Looking at your pictures I guess at the very least they give you some experience in the assembly process at a very low cost.

[Harry Dalek]

Gary has made a machine that made he's lens disk wonder if it could do a screw ?

well, yes and no - I think DrZarkov was considering making a 3D mirror screw (or at least the shape) that would be like it had been cast in a mould - my machine is only what they call 2.5D, that is, while it has x y and z axis it can't undercut etc and therefore can't make true 3D objects - however it could make all the flat parts no problem, at least in aluminium, I don't think it is sturdy enough for stainless.

BTW have you seen the 3/16" plywood mirror screw that Peter Yanczer made? (see newsletter #16 V1). He glued a strip of glass mirror to the edge - it's a bit of a mystery how he cut the glass strips though, I was thinking it oughtn't to be that hard to use plastic mirror stock.

In any case, except for the fact that the paddle pop sticks are pre-cut in the length dimension are they really any advantage over using aluminium strips?

Looking at your pictures I guess at the very least they give you some experience in the assembly process at a very low cost.

Hi Gary

NO i have not read that one Peters wood and glass screw i will have a look after typing ,he's pretty good at mirror screws but that one is new to me !

Gary its just what i have handy and i was wondering if it would work no other reason apart from Curiosity !

Curiosity killed the cat as they say so more than likly fail but i like trying .

The chrome has some mirror like properties so i sort of expect some result....Yes good for learning either way .

Ok i was wondering if your machine could do this could do it in slices ? by the sounds of it .

Well i would say the Ice cream sticks were free thats an advantage as you say and bit lighter ,,,,,,,but plastic would be much better for a chrome finish.



But really i have not been able to find long strips of aluminium ! Bunnings had something for doors or windows but looked a bit thick to me .

Had a look at peters wood screw the mirrors look a bit like what you get out of laser printers i have one looks around that size .

DO they sell plastic mirrors in Australia i have not heard of them here ..i know Bigscreen used them in he's projects.

[gary]

Oh well any $2 shop will have plastic mirrors but I suppose for a mirror screw you might need front surface (and maybe it's not that important anyway) - if so you can get it through the club shop.

Bunnings have the strip here (Sydney), but I found Mitre 10 were a little cheaper - don't forget that the thickness determines the size of the picture and so the thicker the better really unless you are trying to make a mini version - I would say the 2mm strip is just about right for a small screw (2 1/2")

[Harry Dalek]

Oh well any $2 shop will have plastic mirrors but I suppose for a mirror screw you might need front surface (and maybe it's not that important anyway) - if so you can get it through the club shop.

Bunnings have the strip here (Sydney), but I found Mitre 10 were a little cheaper - don't forget that the thickness determines the size of the picture and so the thicker the better really unless you are trying to make a mini version - I would say the 2mm strip is just about right for a small screw (2 1/2")

Thanks gary i will have a look again i didn't check Mitre 10 .

I do have a lot of little mirrors on 2 large mirror balls bit big to mount up right...flat yes not sure if i could tilt a screw if it could still see the edge of the mirror mmmm perhaps .

But yes a lot of ways to try matter of which way to go ..

On the one i have made no great amount of work really but heres it rotating under a light .

I am keen to see if it does any thing under a modulating light but either way i am sure i will try different ways to make others.....

[Harry Dalek]

Had a look at my local dump shed and they had some aluminium not sure what it was used for but its in a T shape so will need some cutting ...i got 2 lengths of a ruff guess 3m each only cost 4 dollars so not big outlay .

What i do like about it is the top T bit thin and the l is thicker about 2 or 3 mm only thing on the thicker bit it sort of tappers in to a roundish curve so that would have gaps between the lines i think ..

The thiner would be better for a smaller monitor and its flat so can go either way once i cut them .

[cuteorkill]

Though I already mentioned it in my intro a few days ago, it's probably worth adding to this thread (which I missed when searching) the idea of using adhesive mylar on the edges of black styrene strips.

So long as it's applied carefully (no wrinkles or bubbles), mylar should be almost as good as a mirror at this scale, and the styrene will be relatively strong and rigid.

I'm not at a point of constructive experimentation just yet, but it would be great if someone else would create a prototype.