Show me your UV sources!

[Ecoleica]

Hey all, im thinking about making a uv source for gumoil printing. I was wondering if you would show me your designs so i can get some design ideas for my future one!

Cheers

[payral]

You can see mine here:
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/payral/l...s/unite-UV.htm

[Trevor Crone]

Hey all, im thinking about making a uv source for gumoil printing. I was wondering if you would show me your designs so i can get some design ideas for my future one!

Cheers

Mine is pictured in this thread. Post #8.

[Peter Spangenberg]

With the printing industry going digital, you might find a plate burner to be a cheaper and better option. I debated making a light source and ultimately decided a Nuarc 26-1k would be better for a few reasons:
Cost: If you look around you can find them in good/excellent condition in the $200-$400 range
Dodging/Burning: Because the light source is well above the image, it is very easy to do dodging and burning. This is far more difficult in the small self contained units.
Vacuum Easel: This provides excellent registration and saved me the expense of buying a contact printing frame. In fact, the cost of a good CPF nearly pays for the machine. The size of the vacuum mat is 22"x26" and there's probably a useable protion of nearly the full size.
Replacement Parts: Still avaliable new and used.
The only downside is it's not really portable.
Just a suggestion-Peter

[JBrunner]

I also use a NuArc 26 1K, similar to, but not as up to date as the units offered by Amergraph:

http://www.amergraph.com/products/pages/ULF-28.aspx

The vacuum easel is the bomb, as is the integrator. Perfect repeatable exposures, every time.

When I get some ahead, I'll update to the Amergraph.

[Peter Spangenberg]

How could I forget the light integrator! With all of the other variables, it's nice to know the amount of light hitting the paper isn't one of them.

[Marv]

My prototype that became the finished product....for now....here

[John Jarosz]

My UV lamp is a watercooled mercury arc (1000 watts) placed about 30 inches from the vacuum print frame. It's a surplus lightsource from a picture tube factory. This pic shows the print frame (made from hardrock maple) for 8x20. I have another frame that's 14x17 out of aluminum. .

[phritz phantom]

i use an old siemens sunlamp i found in my parent's basement. looks like this:


i probably should get an upgrade, but it works. fine for me up to 30x40cm (haven't tried anything larger yet).
exposure for 24x30cm gumprints at 30cm distance is around 6minutes.

[Whiteymorange]

I took a course at a local museum in printmaking and copied the design of the small portable box they use. It's a "facial tanning lamp" available on Ebay for about $25, mounted to so as to have the bulbs about 5 inches away from the surface on which it is placed. A sheet of plate glass, a timer and away you go. The current times for me, using K73 plates for gravure printing is about 40 seconds with the positive and another 40-60 seconds with a stochastic screen. Light, simple and cheap. I'm limited in size - pretty much to the dimensions of the tanning unit at this point (10 by 12?) but that's all I really need. Replacement bulbs are readily available and the unit comes all wired and ready. Plug and play, as they say.