Thread: Black lights not working so well with UV webbing

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Hey all,

Hoping one of you lighting pros can help me out... I just webbed my tree with 1/2 a pack of UV glue sticks using my glue gun + compressor setup. The webs look decent.. pretty good actually in most places. I got 3 PAR cans (forget the size but they fit a regular socket or the ones with bigger light heads on them). I bought some black light bulbs, the smaller sized ones and put them in the cans. I know they aren't quite meant for small light bulbs, but I expected to see some "glow" to my cob webs in the dark. One problem I think I have is that the street light is near my lawn and tree that I webbed... so it may hurt it..I don't know.

Even so, is there a better/stronger light I should be using in these PAR cans I got? I got 3 of them, two for the tree, one for my skeletons that are done up. I am not seeing any pretty blue glow at all.

Some help would be appreciated, and if I need to buy more powerful black lights for the cans, where can I get some?

Is it completely dark, or is there other light interfering (streetlight)? What size blacklight? Having any pics of what it looks like?

Okay, there are several potential problems. First, in the best black light, those black light webs don't glow very well. I know, just tested it myself.

Then the next problem... there are all kinds of grades of black lights. Incandescent black lights are the worst. Then you have all the other varieties of black lights (fluorescents, LED etc.). I've tested a few and have settled on what I think are the best. T8 fluorescents. I get the cheap T8 fluorescent fixtures at Lowe's and special order the T8 black light bulbs.

Final problem: Super fluorescent black light reactive items. Some items reflect better than others. For example, I bought Createx fluorescent airbrush paint. It really wasn't reacting very well. Then I splurged and got some top-of-the line Wildfire paint. WOWZER! What a difference.

Basically you have to have the best fluorescent light and you have to have the best black light reflective material. Another example: I bought some hunter's orange fluorescent fleece material and some of that black light webbing. The fabric glows like lightning but the webbing, well, basically it sucks! So, to get that amazing black light display, you have to get the best of both worlds.

Yeah, lose those blacklight bulbs - they put out little to no UV, just a lot of purple light. What's more, they run very hot. Use fluorescent UV tubes.

Thanks for the replies. There was another thread on the webbing with the air compressor/gun setup, the guy posted pics of his front yard with a full bag of the UV glue sticks. His was super lit! I mean it glowed nicely. I probably should find that thread and ask that guy, but I was hoping mine would do that. I am kind of bummed the glue sticks dont do so much. The glow sticks I got don't even glow, at all! I am wondering why I paid a premium for glow glue if it doesnt glow. I thought a full day of sunlight would make it glow nicely. I didn't know I would have to stand over all the areas I webbed with lights for 1/2 hour each to hope for a glow.

So, how do you guys position these black lights in your yard? I saw Spirit Halloween store has some long 4 foot black light setup, they were like $25 each tho. Does any store carry the black light bulbs? It's probably too late to order anything to get here by Saturday.

Originally Posted by andjarnic

Thanks for the replies. There was another thread on the webbing with the air compressor/gun setup, the guy posted pics of his front yard with a full bag of the UV glue sticks. His was super lit! I mean it glowed nicely. I probably should find that thread and ask that guy, but I was hoping mine would do that. I am kind of bummed the glue sticks dont do so much. The glow sticks I got don't even glow, at all! I am wondering why I paid a premium for glow glue if it doesnt glow. I thought a full day of sunlight would make it glow nicely. I didn't know I would have to stand over all the areas I webbed with lights for 1/2 hour each to hope for a glow.

So, how do you guys position these black lights in your yard? I saw Spirit Halloween store has some long 4 foot black light setup, they were like $25 each tho. Does any store carry the black light bulbs? It's probably too late to order anything to get here by Saturday.

Where did you get your UV sticks from, I got mine from Minions. They worked awesome last year. But I used 400 watt UV Canons. and yes its been previously mentioned that standard screw bulbs suck for UV. The next best thing to UV cannons are fluorescent bulbs and after that are led fixtures like the chauvet shadow led panel but they don't go down into the real uv spectrum like the fl and cannons do. They emit visible purple as well. BUT my tests show the UV sticks do glow nicely to them as well.

This is my pic from last year

IBJeepin... you are the one I was referring to. lol. Where did you get your bulbs from? Links? Is there any store, like Party City or such that may have those? How much do they cost? I was trying to figure out how many lights you have in that picture, and where they are at. I finally see one near your jeep in the background. Is that the only one you have... or more? Do they screw in the same socket is normal light bulbs.. I forget the PAR cans I have, but they are big enough for the flood lights that go on those motion sensor lights, except they fit inside the can.

I use 40 watt 48" T12 Medium Bi-Pin Base Black Light Blue Fluorescent GE Light Bulbs that I purchased from Walmart. Located in their lighting department. I believe Lowes and Home Depot also carry them. 2 of them in a $20 shop light fixture work great for me. I think there about $15 each.

I concur with Terra's recommendation. I would head on down to Home Depot/Lowes and pick up a 4' shop light (dual preferred) and two (2) 48" fluorescent black lights. T8's or T12's will be fine (although T8's are the newest and preferred technology). The ballast in the shop light should be designed to accept whichever bulb you pickup, T8 or T12.

Trust me you will not be disappointed in its performance and its cheap to boot.

Oops, I meant the pre-packaged black light webbing sucked. I do not know about the ones you make with glue sticks. My bad, didn't read the post fully. Sorry

The problem with T12 tubes is that the starter for the fluorescent fixture has trouble lighting in under 50 degree weather. That's why I went with the T8 fixtures. They can start down to 0 degrees. Plus, you get better black light because the glass is smaller so the fluorescing material gets excited better (it's coated on the inside of the glass). The T12 glass is a much larger diameter so you don't get as good of an effect. The trick is finding the 48" T8 black light tubes. I only found sources online.

I am using my lights in the garage (doors open) so I don't have info about using them outside in the elements.

Here's the link to what I bought but I had to buy a box: (25) F32T8 / BLB - 32 Watt - T8 Fluorescent - Black Light Blue - Halco Lighting Light Bulb