ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I've been buying the warm-white LED strings for a few years now and replacing the old filament style as they burn out. The LED have so far been 100% reliable - nice.
But the 'warm-white' isn't as 'warm' looking as the incandescent. Not bad, but not as good as I'd like. I make a point of not using old and new side by side.
Well, DW bought a string of 'warm white' LED without asking me, and she got some other brand, and they were really not very 'warm' at all. So then she bought (again w/o asking me!) some old filament style (I'm trying to get rid of them!).
So last night I finally tried something I had thought about - since the warm-white LEDS are actually producing a fairly broad spectrum of light, I ought to be able to filter it to look better (the old red, green LEDs could not be filtered - they are a single wavelength). So I experimented, mixed up and thinned some of her acrylic hobby paints, and I quickly found a mix that looked really good ( ~ 4 parts 'Terra Cotta' 1 part Yellow) thinned with water. Only took a minute or two to get the bulbs coated, even while on the little tree.
I had DW look at our main tree (pretty nice 'warm' LEDS), and another decoration with similar warm LEDS, and then the 'too-white' LEDS that she bought, that I had painted. She thought it looked perfect and was very impressed. Success. I looked later, figuring my eyes might have adjusted, but they looked great to me then as well.
So then I 'attacked' the LEDS on the mantel, where DW did mix in some filament style. They were pretty good, but these had a green-ish cast to them. Turns out some thinned 'Tangerine' worked just right. There's still a difference, but it is slight.
I think when I take down the outside LEDS, I'll experiment to find a nice warm glow tint for them, and tint them before I put them away. I think I could get it down to where I could just dip them, and it should go even faster than brushing. The water-thinned paint brushes on very easily.
I wonder why the manufacturers don't use tinted plastic on the 'bulb' part of these? They could get it just right.
-ERD50
But the 'warm-white' isn't as 'warm' looking as the incandescent. Not bad, but not as good as I'd like. I make a point of not using old and new side by side.
Well, DW bought a string of 'warm white' LED without asking me, and she got some other brand, and they were really not very 'warm' at all. So then she bought (again w/o asking me!) some old filament style (I'm trying to get rid of them!).
So last night I finally tried something I had thought about - since the warm-white LEDS are actually producing a fairly broad spectrum of light, I ought to be able to filter it to look better (the old red, green LEDs could not be filtered - they are a single wavelength). So I experimented, mixed up and thinned some of her acrylic hobby paints, and I quickly found a mix that looked really good ( ~ 4 parts 'Terra Cotta' 1 part Yellow) thinned with water. Only took a minute or two to get the bulbs coated, even while on the little tree.
I had DW look at our main tree (pretty nice 'warm' LEDS), and another decoration with similar warm LEDS, and then the 'too-white' LEDS that she bought, that I had painted. She thought it looked perfect and was very impressed. Success. I looked later, figuring my eyes might have adjusted, but they looked great to me then as well.
So then I 'attacked' the LEDS on the mantel, where DW did mix in some filament style. They were pretty good, but these had a green-ish cast to them. Turns out some thinned 'Tangerine' worked just right. There's still a difference, but it is slight.
I think when I take down the outside LEDS, I'll experiment to find a nice warm glow tint for them, and tint them before I put them away. I think I could get it down to where I could just dip them, and it should go even faster than brushing. The water-thinned paint brushes on very easily.
I wonder why the manufacturers don't use tinted plastic on the 'bulb' part of these? They could get it just right.
-ERD50
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