I got to thinking about the benefits of reflected light as opposed to stringing extra CFL's and my mirrors, which work very well, seemed like something that could be improved upon. A couple of you guys gave me the idea of using Mylar or other reflective materials attached to a lighter support and I thank you because now I think we're on to something.
A trip to my local hydroponics store led me to the rolls of Mylar but I thought the one mil thick was just too thin. I bought the two mil and glued it to cut pieces of plastic replacement florescent light fixture lenses
I bought the fixture lenses from The Home Depot. They cost about eleven bucks each and you'll need two to surround both A/G's on three sides. I also found out about the same time that A/G has come out with reflective Mylar curtains that sticks to your hood but I think what I put together may be better.
I picked the white grated waffle design of florescent fixture lenses because it was much stiffer than the thinner transparent one. They come in two feet by four feet sizes and I was able to cut them down to size with a sharp pair of dikes. After I cut them to size I glued them to the Mylar with contact cement then cut them away form the Mylar roll with a single edge razor blade. The contact cement sets up in about ten minutes.
The side pieces are ten inches wide by two feet tall and the ones in the back are a foot and a half wide by two feet tall. For both my A/G's I had to make four side panels and two back panels. I'm seriously thinking of making two more of the big ones for the front like I have behind my A/G's. That will surround my babies in reflected light. However I do the front ones, they're going to have to be easy to remove because of the need for daily service. I just haven't thought of a way to keep them at the angle I want.
The left and right center end panels were the easiest to arrange because they just lean against each other and reflect the light back up. I can adjust the reflective angle by simply moving my A/G's closer or further apart. The one on the extreme left side leans against a nearby lamp and the ones behind lean against the wall. So far that gives me the angles I want on the left side and the middle and the back. The right end is still open until I figure out a way to set it up and support it unless I connect it to the A/G on the right. I'll keep you guys informed as I go along but so far it seems to do as good a job as the mirrors I was using and the reflective panels are only a fraction of the weight. What do you think?
A trip to my local hydroponics store led me to the rolls of Mylar but I thought the one mil thick was just too thin. I bought the two mil and glued it to cut pieces of plastic replacement florescent light fixture lenses
I bought the fixture lenses from The Home Depot. They cost about eleven bucks each and you'll need two to surround both A/G's on three sides. I also found out about the same time that A/G has come out with reflective Mylar curtains that sticks to your hood but I think what I put together may be better.
I picked the white grated waffle design of florescent fixture lenses because it was much stiffer than the thinner transparent one. They come in two feet by four feet sizes and I was able to cut them down to size with a sharp pair of dikes. After I cut them to size I glued them to the Mylar with contact cement then cut them away form the Mylar roll with a single edge razor blade. The contact cement sets up in about ten minutes.
The side pieces are ten inches wide by two feet tall and the ones in the back are a foot and a half wide by two feet tall. For both my A/G's I had to make four side panels and two back panels. I'm seriously thinking of making two more of the big ones for the front like I have behind my A/G's. That will surround my babies in reflected light. However I do the front ones, they're going to have to be easy to remove because of the need for daily service. I just haven't thought of a way to keep them at the angle I want.
The left and right center end panels were the easiest to arrange because they just lean against each other and reflect the light back up. I can adjust the reflective angle by simply moving my A/G's closer or further apart. The one on the extreme left side leans against a nearby lamp and the ones behind lean against the wall. So far that gives me the angles I want on the left side and the middle and the back. The right end is still open until I figure out a way to set it up and support it unless I connect it to the A/G on the right. I'll keep you guys informed as I go along but so far it seems to do as good a job as the mirrors I was using and the reflective panels are only a fraction of the weight. What do you think?