Coating inside canopy?
- Thread starter JsL
- Start date
As a Woodworker and a with great understanding of materials. You will wan tto pick a finish that will satisfy several things: easy cleaning, protection, and reflectivity.
What you want to look for is something that gives a really great smooth finish. This will help in cleaning and reflectance. So whatever finish you apply, do several thin coats and finely sand with 220 or better sandpaper or 0000 steal wool between each coat. It is extra work but worth the out come!
Next you want to ensure you seal the wood well to prevent it from rotting or molding. Enamal Paints, Bush on Poly. I would suggest staying away from spray can finishes as the typically do not seal as well as a good brushed on finish.
Lastly, if it will double as your reflector for your lights, then pick a high gloss finish to help reflect the light and choose a light, bright color (white) as it will absorb the least amount of light from the lights.
Hopeful this helps
What you want to look for is something that gives a really great smooth finish. This will help in cleaning and reflectance. So whatever finish you apply, do several thin coats and finely sand with 220 or better sandpaper or 0000 steal wool between each coat. It is extra work but worth the out come!
Next you want to ensure you seal the wood well to prevent it from rotting or molding. Enamal Paints, Bush on Poly. I would suggest staying away from spray can finishes as the typically do not seal as well as a good brushed on finish.
Lastly, if it will double as your reflector for your lights, then pick a high gloss finish to help reflect the light and choose a light, bright color (white) as it will absorb the least amount of light from the lights.
Hopeful this helps
Dang Holry!! Even with the sandpaper types too..that's great.
Now you've got me wanting to take the black off the inside of my canopy and redo it!!
I'm gonna get a canopy made for my 10gal jellyfish tank and think I'll go w/your instructions...those lil guys need all the light they can get
Now you've got me wanting to take the black off the inside of my canopy and redo it!!
I'm gonna get a canopy made for my 10gal jellyfish tank and think I'll go w/your instructions...those lil guys need all the light they can get
Yeah HClH2OFish, I do like things that look good. Let me know how your hood turns out. I'm building a custom hood for my 55g. Should be a pretty awesome peice once I'm done, but I'll make sure you guys get to judge it so I'm not just tooting my own horn. It will have a retro kit from Hellolights with 4 VHO T-12 in it. Hopefully it looks nice and clean Like I have planned!
Just out of curiousity...Why flat?
My queston has two reasonings. First, just like water, gloss finishes have a refraction ability that satins and flats do NOT. Yes there is a down side to the minor change in light frquency, but nothing to significant. Secondly, flats tend to finish rougher than glosses, and a lot more sanding and finer finishing has to be completed to get a really smooth surface. This is mostly important for the ease of cleaning.
So why flat?
My queston has two reasonings. First, just like water, gloss finishes have a refraction ability that satins and flats do NOT. Yes there is a down side to the minor change in light frquency, but nothing to significant. Secondly, flats tend to finish rougher than glosses, and a lot more sanding and finer finishing has to be completed to get a really smooth surface. This is mostly important for the ease of cleaning.
So why flat?
Flat white actually reflects more light than gloss....here's some stats:
Material Reflectivity
Black Less than 10%
Aluminium Foil 55-70%
Semi-gloss White Paint 60-70%
White / Black / White Film 70-85%
Flat White Paint 75-80%
Polystyrene Foam Sheeting 75-85%
Mylar Sheeting 90-92%
Material Reflectivity
Black Less than 10%
Aluminium Foil 55-70%
Semi-gloss White Paint 60-70%
White / Black / White Film 70-85%
Flat White Paint 75-80%
Polystyrene Foam Sheeting 75-85%
Mylar Sheeting 90-92%
Not sure about refraction...but with reflection more of the light bounces straight back along the path it took....glossy surfaces *look* shinier, but the light reflects along other paths. Makes it look shinier, but less gets reflected.
At least, that's how I remember high school physics which was too many years ago I'm embarassed to say -- so I could be dismembering the info instead of remembering
The chart is valid though. Got if from a hydroponics site
At least, that's how I remember high school physics which was too many years ago I'm embarassed to say -- so I could be dismembering the info instead of remembering
The chart is valid though. Got if from a hydroponics site
HClH2OFish I questions those stats a little. Where did you find them? I would like to read on they testing techniques.
My biggest component comes from the extra work required to achieve the smooth surface. for effort I find the reflectivity not the pay backs. It would be easier to get the Mylarsheeting.
My biggest component comes from the extra work required to achieve the smooth surface. for effort I find the reflectivity not the pay backs. It would be easier to get the Mylarsheeting.
http://www.hydroponics.co.uk/reflective-materials.htm
http://www.blunt.co.uk/hydroponics-manual/grow-lights/
http://ciee.ucop.edu/Siminovitch1998/ (not really as good but neat info on MH testing)
http://www.thekrib.com/Lights/reflectors.html
http://www.blunt.co.uk/hydroponics-manual/grow-lights/
http://ciee.ucop.edu/Siminovitch1998/ (not really as good but neat info on MH testing)
http://www.thekrib.com/Lights/reflectors.html
Thanks again, HClH2OFish.
After reading all of these articles, I have made some interesting conclusions.
The site seems to be a copy/past of information from some other source. As there was not much additional information or details given as to how those findings were made or even what to make of them. It actually looks like a copy/paste of the information found on the Second site.
This 2nd site makes the most interesting statement about gloss paints, "Glossy paint should not be used as it lends itself to bright spots and glare." This would lead me to belive that flat paints while not as "shinny" as gloss paints, it does mildly disfuse the light a little better.
Looking at the third site seems to say that white paint regardless of the finish, are more or less on the same battle feild. This site also gives the most information as to the tesing techniques used to obtain their conclusions. Which makes it the most believable of the sites. Also the site mentions the fact the the flat white paint they selected had a special reflectance quality with it. This would make me think that not just any old flat white paint will do but, a special selection much be made.
The last site is more of a testimonial site. These seem to views from a more non-scientific standpoint. Which are also valid but it is hard to equate solid information form them.
I would say as a total of all the information given here, that perhaps flats are just a little bit better as to reflectance due to their possible ability to difuse the light more evenly than a gloss. However, overall the difference may not be significant enough to really banter one over the other for it reflectance.
After reading all of these articles, I have made some interesting conclusions.
The site seems to be a copy/past of information from some other source. As there was not much additional information or details given as to how those findings were made or even what to make of them. It actually looks like a copy/paste of the information found on the Second site.
This 2nd site makes the most interesting statement about gloss paints, "Glossy paint should not be used as it lends itself to bright spots and glare." This would lead me to belive that flat paints while not as "shinny" as gloss paints, it does mildly disfuse the light a little better.
Looking at the third site seems to say that white paint regardless of the finish, are more or less on the same battle feild. This site also gives the most information as to the tesing techniques used to obtain their conclusions. Which makes it the most believable of the sites. Also the site mentions the fact the the flat white paint they selected had a special reflectance quality with it. This would make me think that not just any old flat white paint will do but, a special selection much be made.
The last site is more of a testimonial site. These seem to views from a more non-scientific standpoint. Which are also valid but it is hard to equate solid information form them.
I would say as a total of all the information given here, that perhaps flats are just a little bit better as to reflectance due to their possible ability to difuse the light more evenly than a gloss. However, overall the difference may not be significant enough to really banter one over the other for it reflectance.
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