Photo-etching..

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Since the exposure box is light sealed, I suppose any tube that gave out UV should be fine, provided you adjusted the exposure time.

[Adam Aglionby]

Dental blue iss high power 400-415nm blue, as against 475nm normal blue, stilll high for etch resists.

Sub 400nm blue exists but getting to 2 or 3 quid an LED for 480nm.

Cheers Adam

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But don't they use a narrow beam of concentrated UV? Rather useless for this application.

[Adam Aglionby]

Tan tubes would work, its the UVA output that matters, tanning and some fishtank lamps e blacklight lamps, lot of invisible UVA, Blacklight Blue has a dark blue nickel coating called Woods Glass that filters out the visible above 400nm.

BLB CFL easisest solution nowadays.

Cheers Adam

[Andy Dingley]

No, moderately small emitting lens on a nozzle and nothing to speak of as any sort of concentrated beam. Back off the distance a bit, let the spot illuminate the inch or two width I needed, and run a test strip to get the exposure right. For etching a logo into hard steel, it worked fine. I actually bought it for sticking glass, for which the narrow probe is just right.

For anything bigger, I'd be looking at fluorescent tube catalogues and dusting off the old EPROM eraser lightbox.

[Steve Firth]

I knew you had no balls.

There's no "was" about it, you still are.

Perhaps next time you feel inclined to mouth off you'll remember your humilliation this time around. I certainly will, and I'll remind you of it. I'm sure the other people you turned on will remember your petty "know-it-all" behaviour as well.

[Mike Harrison]

You want insect killer tubes - white appearance when off, light purple when on

[Man at B&Q]

The right tubes are obviously best, but you can use almost any UV source. The results do vary a lot and you need to calibrate your process.

MBQ

[Man at B&Q]

EEPROM are not the "correct" tubes.

You can buy the correct ones from RS or Mega as replacements for the ones in commercial exposure boxes. Add a suitable ballast, etc., and the jobs a good un.

MBQ

[Adam Aglionby]

BLB CFL

to use a pile of books and an old picture frame, thin glass is best, picture frame glass ideal, horticultural tends to have striations in it.

As MBQ says run small test strips, put a pile under and develop them at different exposures.

Cheers Adam

[Adam Aglionby]

Could always use one of these, seen them in independent stores with a CE mark

a good idea, instant sunburn and unplesant on your eyeballs.

Cheers Adam