Thread: What material to use for a glowing staff?

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Alright kids, let me get your thoughts on something. I need a prop, a shepherd's staff. I'll wire it so that touching a contact causes it to glow from within. I've got that part handled now, with no small thanks due to Otaku and this forum.

I was thinking of pvc, heated and bent into a staff form, light drywall putty on that for texture, and light stain for color. However, the pvc won't let the light through effectively I don't think. (using rope light inside it.)

The other option I've seen at Lowe's is just clear hose that is more oval than round, and obviously, not rigid enough.

What do you suggest?

If there's room for a rope light to fit inside that kind of tubing, is there perhaps enough room to add in a piece of metal rod as well?

I'm thinking a piece of 1/4 inch rod (some sort of metal) would give you the ability to bend it where you want, but still retain enough rigidity to give the effect of a solid staff.

At a quarter inch, the rod should be narrow enough to not interfere with the rope lights adding their glow to the prop.

I did consider that, albeit with a wooden dowel instead. It's just that the tubing would still give where you touched it locally, despite the whole piece being more rigid. I had thought there would be a better approximation of a clear version of pvc. I'm going to look at a home depot today and see if they have anything like that.

If you mean putty as in drywall compound (also called joint compound) it will not stay on pvc and will crumble clean off. I suggest roughing it up with 60 grit paper and using Bondo which sticks to darn near anything. Also you can get clear plastic "sleeves" that protect fourecent tube lights. They are not that rigid but you may be able to double them up with some coaxing.

Thanks for the Bondo suggestion. I actually saw those sleeves, though they were flimsy indeed, and worse, just too large in diameter.

I was thinking maybe you could deform them to also give some texture by creasing, heat, etc; kind of in the way a straw looks when you chew it crazy as that sounds. Got a large dog? LOL

Drill a bunch of holes in the PVC.
It should still be solid and allow light shine through.
I would use latex or mache to detail the staff.
JMOs hope that helps.

What material to use for a glowing staff?

A simple way would to use acrylic tubing, bend it to shape via heated water or heated air (like heat gun - but be carefull not to overheat it)
There's dozens out there but here's one place.
Acrylic Tubing - Plastic Rods, Tubes, Shapes: TAP Plastics

Then run neon wire through the center for the glow effect.
Here's one place.
Neon Wire - Cool Neon

If you want to add some texture to the outside of the tubing acrylic will hold several spray on textures, you can get them at most hardware stores.

Cheers

Corpse Heads - Skull props
Blood and Torture props

Check the web for a Bo Staff that will do that. I know they sell them because I seen them in Demonstrations.

That Cool Neon would work great in a Vortex tunnel.