Posted by Mike Pell on October 26, 1999 at 15:27:00 in 24.226.68.152:
In Reply to: Fiber Optics posted by Lee on October 26, 1999 at 03:37:28:
: After going through the articles and pages on fiber optics...I need a little clarification....
: For the upper decks....one article said
: "I placed fiber optics on every hole on walls and basically anywhere it
: would look good but primarily next to windows and doorways.
: I thought fiber optics only created a "point" or "dot" of light....wouldn't it just look like a point of light in such a large opening as a door or upper deck window??
: That gets me to another question...the light that brightly radiates from the upper deck in many pictures in the FO section...is that ambiant light from the bulbs in the hull or purely the cause of fiberoptic light that disperses far more than I thought??
: OR does the fiberoptics inside the hull and different decks emit enough light from the sides of the fibers that they transfer light that way too?? It all gets back to that "point of light" question
: Next, does one need to route the fiberoptic ALL the way from where it is placed (eg. port hole, upper decks etc) to the lightsource...OR does one only need to have the fiber so long and merely pointed in the direction of the light.
: Really, all my questions have to do with the basic operation and necessities of fiber optics....somehow I am missing a bit of understanding in a real basic area that is overlooked in the FO sections.
: Lastly, what is the best way to trim the ends of fiberoptics flush (on the outside) after gluing in place?
Fiber optics will produce pinpoint lights at their point of termination and are best used on the Titanic model for decklamps, crane lamps, running lamps, etc. The brightness of the cable will depend on its closeness to the light source.
It would be my guess that the ambient light seen is coming from the main light source filtering up through skylight covers, and any reflective light coloured surface both within and out on the hull and superstruture in conjunction with the numerous boat deck and A-deck bulkhead windows.
It is -imperative- that EVERY seam is blocked (with putty or painted KK) to force the light to shine through at only the intended points. The hull and super structure interiors should be painted with an opaque base coat like, flat black, primer grey or silver, then with flat white if a common ambient light source is to be used to light the interior and upper decks.
This negates the need for miles of FO cable and the cables can THEN be added for accent and pinpoint lighting.
If one drills out the port holes alongthe hull keep in mind these will all be illuminated with a common interior light source(s). If you wish to have only randomly lit portholes in different hull sections, one option is to drill out ONLY the portholes you want lit (by FO cable or common light source) leaving the others solid. When the hull is completed with the black and white painting on the exterior then either add KK or GLOSS Black to the solid portholes. This will create the illusion of glassed in but darkened room portholes while the drilled out holes look like lit rooms. Seal these open portholes with KK or acetate with use with a common light source or FO cables when utilizing that route.
Trimming the cables - nail clippers?
Or what about placing the cable so that 4 inches hangs out the porthole and apply a slight heat source to minutely flare the end, THEN pull the FO cable from the interior inward to seat the FO cable flush to the outer hull and then seat it from the inside with CA glue. Once secure THEN cut the cable to the correct length at the light source end. This way you work from the outside -> IN, rather than the inside -> OUT.