Thread: Flying crank ghost help!!

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Hey everyone, I know there are threads on this already but I need help with a specific part of the build. I can't seem to get my cloth to glow AT ALL!! I know some people soak the cloth in detergent. My question is, which detergent? I need brand and all other info if possible. Also, how long do you soak it for and do you rinse it after? Also, do you put it in the dryer after? See, I told you I need help with this.
Also, where would be the best place to buy a large very good black light? I have tried the ones from Walmart and they don't seem to make anything glow. When I was in my teens, I'm 47 now, the black lights were so much better. If anyone can point me to a place to get a good strong black that would be fantastic.
I tried to make one of these last year and it was a miserable failure.

Thanks folks and have a great one, audible

Everyone will have a different take on the cheesecloth issue - but here's what I do. I wash the cheesecloth with whatever detergent I have PLUS I add the Rit Whitener and Brightener (Amazon.com: Rit Dye Liquid 8 Ounces - Whitener & Brightener: Kitchen & Dining) to the detergent as well. Your grocery store or Walmart should have the Rit (look for it with the dyes). I used to dry the cheesecloth but some years I'd spend forever untangling it. Now I airdry it on hangers and it's good for at least two weeks if not more. If it starts looking a bit dim (especially due to bugs and dust), I just take everything off and wash it again.

I can't give advice on blacklights. I agree with you that the new ones suck. I use two on mine - one mounted high and one on the ground. It seems to give a nice even glow. Check my 2009 pics for a sample. My best blacklight is an old yard sale find and it's my best one still.

Try diluting Liquid Tide with just enough water to allow you to spray a misting spray and then cover your entire ghost. Be sure not to get any on the strings. As for black lights, I buy full size flourscent tube style bulbs and a cheap garage/shop fixtures at Walmart.

I just bought a spray can of black light paint last night for mine.

I keep a container of RIT and water with cheese cloth soaking in it handy all year round. Any detergent with 'whitner' in it seems to work, but I prefer RIT. Soak it for a while, then hang it out to dry. Using a drier just tangles it up.

I have been using the 4 foot black lights from Spencers/Spirit Halloween last couple of years with good results. They are definitely better than the 13" and 18" black lights you can typically find. In fact I just bought 2 more from Spirit this year.

On another note, you might check the material. if you arent using a cotton-based fabric, the detergent comes off when you give it a rinse. I used the cheesecloth in the painting section at Meijer, and soaked it overnight in the RIT whitener brightener. I use 3-4 Blacklights to make him glow well!

Black Light Hints for Creating the Best Effect:

If you wish to use a black light display, here are some tips. The best kind of black light illumination source is the type that comes in tube form (fluorescent bulbs). This is a true ultra-violet black light.

Incandescent light bulbs (filament bulbs), like those you put in a lamp, do not work as well. In tube form, the ultra-violet light is produced from the gas inside and this emits the ultra-violet light rays. For incandescent bulbs, the ultra-violet light is produced by a paint applied to the bulb itself. It will not work as well as the fluorescent tube bulb.

Note that fluorescent bulbs flicker rapidly because they operate directly from the alternating current in the power line. Since the ultra-violet discharge only functions while current is passing through the tube, it stops each time the current in the power line reverses. Alternating current in the United States reverses 120 times a second in order to complete 60 full cycles each second - a single fluorescent bulb is only on half the time!

Therefore; to achieve the best black light effects, use a standard twin bulb fluorescent fixture available at any hardware store. These fixtures are designed to alternate the flickering between the two bulbs so you have a continuous light stream which also reduces eye strain.

I use two 4’ twin bulb fluorescent fixtures with Phillips Brand black light bulbs to create the black light effect below. I simple dust spider webbing with fluorescent paints and toss is some glow-in-the-dark bugs and skeletons to create a vivid 3D black light effect.


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...7_442719_n.jpg

@harmonicaman - Good point. I never bought the 2 tube fixtures, and instead use only 18" lights, which is why I guess I have to use 3-4 to get a good glow. I will def. look into getting the longer t8 style fixtures and bulbs. Thanks for the tip!

Yeah; those single bulb fluorescent fixtures are only "on" half the time! With alternating current, you need a twin-bulb fluorescent fixture to provide continuous illumination.

Look into a 24" double fluorescent fixture; this is a common and widely available size and the black light bulbs shouldn't be two pricey. Shop early as these bulbs do get scarce around Halloween...

Mount the black light as close as you can to the art, eliminate as much “other” light as possible, and I think you will be very pleased with the effect. Best wishes.

Do the Phillips black lights work as well as the Black Light brand?