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Star Ceilings... Painted or Fiber optics? - Page 20

post #571 of 677
11/16/12 at 6:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aviantheater View Post

Jeff, have you set your year-end schedule yet? I haven't heard from you after I sent my particulars a couple weeks ago.

I've been corresponding with Jeff over the last few weeks. He was pretty sick for a few days and is still working on his year-end schedule. I know he is planning a run through Texas after Thanksgiving.
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post #572 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:02am
Thread Starter 
If I haven't answered you yet, I will shortly. I have been running around like crazy and bumping into myself constantly. I will try to get to your email by tomorrow, if I haven't answered it already. Sorry
if I haven't yet.

Jeff

quote name="madspeed" url="/t/1260948/star-ceilings-painted-or-fiber-optics/540#post_22592306"]Jeff, Just sent an email to pickup some of your paint. No hurry, I'm still under construction![/quote]
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post #573 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcascio View Post

I recently showed off my theater to my brother. And he was just astounded by the stars Jeff did. He swore they were moving when we turned off all the lights.
It's remarkable how cool it looks. And it just keeps looking better each time I go in there. smile.gif


Mario.... Very cool. Thanks for sharing that. I love to hear how the murals are doing for people after they've had them a while. I love mine, but I always want everyone else to enjoy them 5 weeks, 5 months, 5 years later too. Thanks for sharing the story about your brother! That made my day.

By the way... something funny happened the week I returned from painting your ceiling (and this happens more often than you would think). When I returned home and started trying to catch up on emails and voice messages, I had an email from someone probably within 5 miles of you. So, it looks like I will be back out there within the next month or two to do another one in your area. Funny! Another time after returning from Texas... I got an email from a guy who had found me on the Internet and asked if I ever got to Texas. I told him I did and asked him where he lived. He sent me his address and it sounded really familiar. So when I looked up addresses of former customers, I realized that I recognized the address because he was the NEXT DOOR neighbor of the customer I had painted for 2 days previous. And, they didn't even know each other. It was a total coincidence.

Thanks again for sharing your experience!!!

Jeff
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post #574 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcascio View Post

I recently showed off my theater to my brother. And he was just astounded by the stars Jeff did. He swore they were moving when we turned off all the lights.
It's remarkable how cool it looks. And it just keeps looking better each time I go in there. smile.gif


One more quick question... Did your brother see any shooting stars? When that happens, you'll know that it's real night sky that you have. :-)

Jeff
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post #575 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by aviantheater View Post

Jeff, have you set your year-end schedule yet? I haven't heard from you after I sent my particulars a couple weeks ago.

Uh oh.... I thought that I was caught up with everyone that I was painting for before Christmas. And, I appreciate Spaceman jumping in and helping to answer your question. It is true... I was very sick for a few days and then it went through the family, so I had to be there to help out, which set me back a little. But, I will go back and try to figure out where I missed your email. If you will send me another email and let me know that it is you (from AVS) that would help me a lot. If you didn't let me know your username when you wrote me a couple of weeks ago, then I won't know which email is from you.

Again, I thought that I was caught up... but will go and look now. If you don't hear from me today, then please email me ASAP and I will get you answered right away. I promise not to get sick again until I answer your email. Deal? :-)

I'll watch for your email. And, as Spaceman mentioned... I will be in Texas right after Christmas, and also California, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, New York and a couple other states that I can't remember right now. But, I am going to be booking my flights one state at a time over the next couple of days, so there is still time to get you added.

Jeff
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post #576 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mfusick View Post

Is there a website to buy this stuff ?

Hi... CanI ask what you are wanting to buy? The murals aren't really something that I sell on my website, but the site is www.NightSkyMurals.com

Are you wanting a mural, paint, info on a DIY project? I wish I knew how to answer you better than this... but you are welcome to email me with any questions and I will be happy to answer them for you.

Jeff
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post #577 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:59am
Thread Starter 
I have been asked a few times the past month about Black Light Rope Lights... and if I know anything more yet. I wish that I did. There are black light rope lights that come from Canada that looked promising, but after having the hardest time getting any information from the owner there (after about 15 attempts at emailing and calling him) I realized that the light spectrum of the rope lights just wouldn't do the job of charging up the glow paint.

I then found some UV LED light strips out of China that has 365nm light, which is right where the light needs to be to charge up the paint. I got in contact with one of their sales reps and asked if I could buy a sample of their light strip to test my product with it. I was told sure, but that I had to buy 45 feet of it, which came up to right around $500. Now, if I knew the light strip would work, I might be more willing to shell out the money to get the 45 feet, but I had no way of knowing. I asked again for a sample of a few feet (which I was willing to pay for) and was again told that I needed to buy 45 feet. That really made no sense to me that they wouldn't sell me a few feet to test, with the possibility of selling many more feet of their product if I found out it worked and put the word out. But, they said that that was their policy. I then asked if they sell to anyone in the USA or Canada who I might contact to get a sample from. They haven't sold any to anyone yet.

So, I have found some black light strips that may work, but I don't know how powerful the lights are, or how far out the light will reach into a room, so I don't want to recommend it yet. I am looking for another manufacturer who might be more willing to sell me a smaller sample to try out.

I know there are a lot of people wanting black rope lights that will charge the glow paint (as do I)... so I will post another update if I find some. And, if anyone knows of black rope light that gives off light at 365nm... please email me.

Jeff
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post #578 of 677
11/17/12 at 5:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NightSkyMurals View Post

I will be in Texas right after Christmas...

After Christmas or after Thanksgiving??
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post #579 of 677
11/17/12 at 1:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spaceman View Post

After Christmas or after Thanksgiving??

OK... Kick me when I'm down. I need a little break with my mental capacity at 3 AM, after being deathly ill, no sleep for over three months, and suffering from heat stroke (because my wife gets cold when the temp drops below 80 degrees). So... a little break?

After Thanksgiving. Sorry! :-)
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post #580 of 677
12/3/12 at 8:52pm
Thread Starter 
I thought I'd throw this out for anyone interested and needing black light. I was at WalMart the other day and found that they are dumping the left over black lights from Halloween. I grabbed 4 of them for the soffits in my office and they work great. They are 24" long and 17 watts. So, if you could use some, you might want to hit up the stores.

Jeff
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post #581 of 677
12/4/12 at 2:46pm
Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the tip. Though I haven't had a tube fail so far, it's always a good idea to be prepared. smile.gif
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post #582 of 677
12/6/12 at 12:46pm
Thread Starter 
No problem Tom... and maybe that 4 footer in the center, and a 2 foot light on the sides might get more full coverage. But, more hassle too. Got the last update from you guys.... thanks!
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post #583 of 677
12/6/12 at 2:11pm
Jeff, come on down to Atlanta! Didn't think to check walmart, heading over there in a few. Is there a preference with these black lights, T8 vs T12 and certain wattage or does it really matter? HD told me T12 will be hard to come by soon, not sure if that's true or not?
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post #584 of 677
12/8/12 at 8:26pm
Ok,

I am a newbie to this forum, but just so happen to have extensive experience as an airbrush artist (since I was about 15 yrs old) and as a graphic artist, signmaker, t-shirt screenprinter.
I still make my living as such ( www.myLGonline.com)

I have always been into home theatre. I am on my second one now in a second home, but I am really ready to put some 'wow' factor to it. I have been debating fiber optics, but given my background, and by reading this particular thread, I am starting to rethink things. I have a couple questions for the hand painting guys here in the thread, as well as a couple statements regarding the large format printers.

1.) Can you tell me what your source is for the glow in the dark paint? ( I didn't see it anywhere, but my apologies if I missed it.

2.) I currently have two large format printers One prints 48" wide, and the other prints 64" wide. These are the same printers I use to print full sides of box trucks, semi trucks, vans,cars, whatever. All you do is place small seams at the width of the print to cover larger areas in tiles. Only problem is, for the most part these printers don't print WHITE. They use K (black)
Cyan (blue) Magenta and Yellow. Any white in a picture is where there is no ink printed and the printed material shows through. I actually have a glow in the dark additive (powder) I could add to an ink, but it would risk messing up my machinery and it is very expensive to fix, and I would doubt any ink other than the yellow would take it.

BUT... as I read the thread above.. I could do something different. All that talk about back and neck pain.. I was thinking I could PRINT the nice blue sky scene on some available pre-pasted wallpaper material. The star pattern, stipple, or splatters, etc. could be added while the print was horizontal and not installed upside down on the ceiling. Maybe that would make it easier, and also alot better to get a nice star pattern that is still hand painted, but it would be 'fatigue free'. You would just then install it like wallpaper when you were done.

I may actually try that when I determine what glow in the dark paint I should use.

Anyway.. thanks for all the great ideas and info on this thread.

I am including a couple of pics of my theater now. It's decent, and I definitely didn't spend a huge sum of money. I have a custom HTPC with touchscreen at rear of room on bar for cue-ing up movies, and music. I used fabric remnants on the walls, and I have a set of risers in the rear of the room. I did all the work myself. The seating has been removed in these photos. I have plans for additional lighting, neon tubing, something that more resembles a 'marquis sign' at the rear of the room on the bar header, a 'scooby doo' hidden bookcase doorway to enter the theater, and hopefully this star ceiling with mural.
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post #585 of 677
12/17/12 at 5:37pm
I have a different question to the above post. There's a cost involved in flying to my house and painting upside down. Can I buy a piece of fabric, about 12x14 max, mail it to you, you paint it, and I stretch and attach to my ceiling without you having to fly to jersey?
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post #586 of 677
12/19/12 at 11:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by itljcloud View Post

Ok,
I am a newbie to this forum, but just so happen to have extensive experience as an airbrush artist (since I was about 15 yrs old) and as a graphic artist, signmaker, t-shirt screenprinter.
I still make my living as such ( www.myLGonline.com)
I have always been into home theatre. I am on my second one now in a second home, but I am really ready to put some 'wow' factor to it. I have been debating fiber optics, but given my background, and by reading this particular thread, I am starting to rethink things. I have a couple questions for the hand painting guys here in the thread, as well as a couple statements regarding the large format printers.
1.) Can you tell me what your source is for the glow in the dark paint? ( I didn't see it anywhere, but my apologies if I missed it.
2.) I currently have two large format printers One prints 48" wide, and the other prints 64" wide. These are the same printers I use to print full sides of box trucks, semi trucks, vans,cars, whatever. All you do is place small seams at the width of the print to cover larger areas in tiles. Only problem is, for the most part these printers don't print WHITE. They use K (black)
Cyan (blue) Magenta and Yellow. Any white in a picture is where there is no ink printed and the printed material shows through. I actually have a glow in the dark additive (powder) I could add to an ink, but it would risk messing up my machinery and it is very expensive to fix, and I would doubt any ink other than the yellow would take it.
BUT... as I read the thread above.. I could do something different. All that talk about back and neck pain.. I was thinking I could PRINT the nice blue sky scene on some available pre-pasted wallpaper material. The star pattern, stipple, or splatters, etc. could be added while the print was horizontal and not installed upside down on the ceiling. Maybe that would make it easier, and also alot better to get a nice star pattern that is still hand painted, but it would be 'fatigue free'. You would just then install it like wallpaper when you were done.
I may actually try that when I determine what glow in the dark paint I should use.
Anyway.. thanks for all the great ideas and info on this thread.

I am including a couple of pics of my theater now. It's decent, and I definitely didn't spend a huge sum of money. I have a custom HTPC with touchscreen at rear of room on bar for cue-ing up movies, and music. I used fabric remnants on the walls, and I have a set of risers in the rear of the room. I did all the work myself. The seating has been removed in these photos. I have plans for additional lighting, neon tubing, something that more resembles a 'marquis sign' at the rear of the room on the bar header, a 'scooby doo' hidden bookcase doorway to enter the theater, and hopefully this star ceiling with mural.
Your ceiling does not look all that large.
You could black fabric cover a piece of MDF and paint your star-scape on that and then attach to the ceiling.
I am in Australia, but we can get MDF in 1.8m x 3.6m pieces.
For my first star ceiling, I covered a 1.8 x 2.3m piece of MDF with a king size black cotton sheet (no fabric seams) and painted my art work on that.
Since then I have used black rayon velvet for the base which is much blacker.
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post #587 of 677
12/20/12 at 8:16am
I love this thread; I am still debating between optic and painted, but leaning painted. Jeff are you going to be in the TEXAS area in 2013? I don’t think you can talk cost, but what’s the difference in price from an optic vs. Painted?
Edited by windywhiper - 12/20/12 at 8:29am
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post #588 of 677
1/5/13 at 2:19pm
Anybody?
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post #589 of 677
1/5/13 at 3:08pm
Just wanted to ask again if its possible to paint fabric then ship it to me to install on the ceiling
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post #590 of 677
1/5/13 at 3:25pm
Jeff doesn't check this forum very often. The best way to reach him is via email.

Regarding the painted fabric, I think he might be able to do something like that. He showed me a small sample he had done on fabric. Not sure if it's something he regularly offers or was just experimenting with.
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post #591 of 677
1/8/13 at 12:04pm
I'm going to try this http://glonation.com/mural-kits.php
I'm fairly artistic and from the instructions and video's it doesn't look to hard.
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post #592 of 677
2/5/13 at 10:39am
I'm not sure if this thread is still active, but I just bought my first house which has a dedicated theatre room. Unfortunately it currently is just an empty room. I would love to make a feature out of it with a star ceiling mural and a nice soffit. I found this thread while doing some research, and I was wondering if anyone had some advice on how to get started. I live in Perth, Australia, and I can't seem to find anyone that advertises this kind of work. Do you think I should attempt the mural myself? I've never done this kind of this before.

Thank you.
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post #593 of 677
2/7/13 at 3:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cntl View Post

I'm going to try this http://glonation.com/mural-kits.php
I'm fairly artistic and from the instructions and video's it doesn't look to hard.

Any luck with this?
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post #594 of 677
2/8/13 at 4:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by swhitmore View Post

I'm not sure if this thread is still active, but I just bought my first house which has a dedicated theatre room. Unfortunately it currently is just an empty room. I would love to make a feature out of it with a star ceiling mural and a nice soffit. I found this thread while doing some research, and I was wondering if anyone had some advice on how to get started. I live in Perth, Australia, and I can't seem to find anyone that advertises this kind of work. Do you think I should attempt the mural myself? I've never done this kind of this before.

Thank you.

I would call Jeff at Night Sky Murals. He is a really nice guy and can probably steer you in the right direction. I know there is a stencil that you can use that he says is decent. It will not be even close to his work but he can at least tell you what the best stencil is.

I wonder if you can just contact a local artist and ask them if they have ever attempted something like this and what the cost would be. If you are not sure about how it would turn out you could first just hire them to do a very small area on the ceiling of your kids bedroom or something to find out what the finished product might be like.
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post #595 of 677
2/9/13 at 11:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArthurVandelay View Post

Jeff, come on down to Atlanta! Didn't think to check walmart, heading over there in a few. Is there a preference with these black lights, T8 vs T12 and certain wattage or does it really matter? HD told me T12 will be hard to come by soon, not sure if that's true or not?


I am Soooooooo sorry for not being able to be on here for... well, forever! I have never been this busy, and I am so far behind that it seems like any minute I have free, I am trying to catch a few minutes sleep. But, I
decided to see if anyone had any questions on here... and about died when I say around 10 questions. Please forgive me... and let me recover my huge fumble.

I pass over Atlanta all the time and could stop in easily any time. Just let me know.

As for lights... just whatever you can find. As long as they are black lights (not the incandescent kind) they will charge up your paint. IF you can find smaller lights, then those seem to work as well, or better. But, really,
any black lights will work.

So, were you able to find any lights at Wal-Mart? I picked up some for my office, but am thinking of trying some longer, smaller lights as a test so I know if I can recommend some to people.

Also, there are a couple of places that I have found low profile black lights that seem good. One of the places said that they would give anyone I referred to them a discount. But, then they said that I would have to
order then ( which means that everyone would have to go through me... which I have no time for) and that they'd drop ship them. And, for all of that trouble, they would reduce the price by 10%. Not good enough. But,
they have good lights 9expensive, but good) and you can check them out at WildFireFX.com

Another place is one that a customer told me about after checking in with WildFire. By the way, I have had other customers try the low profile lights from WildFire and they are really nice. When WildFire wouldn't work with
me and make it easy for my customers to get a discount... he found this other company that also had low profile lights and he ordered some from them. They were about half the price and I was anxious to see how they worked
out for him. I jsut got an email from him last week telling me that the lights worked out great and the ceiling pops after he has them on for a while.

I am going to contact them to see if they will give people that I refer to them a discount. If so... then I will post the info here.
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post #596 of 677
2/9/13 at 11:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by itljcloud View Post

Ok,

I am a newbie to this forum, but just so happen to have extensive experience as an airbrush artist (since I was about 15 yrs old) and as a graphic artist, signmaker, t-shirt screenprinter.
I still make my living as such ( www.myLGonline.com)

I have always been into home theatre. I am on my second one now in a second home, but I am really ready to put some 'wow' factor to it. I have been debating fiber optics, but given my background, and by reading this particular thread, I am starting to rethink things. I have a couple questions for the hand painting guys here in the thread, as well as a couple statements regarding the large format printers.

1.) Can you tell me what your source is for the glow in the dark paint? ( I didn't see it anywhere, but my apologies if I missed it.


I mix my own paint. There are really nice paints on the Internet, but nothing that would work the way I wanted it to work... or that would give me the results that I wanted. So, I decided to come up with my own mixture.



Quote:
Originally Posted by itljcloud View Post

2.) I currently have two large format printers One prints 48" wide, and the other prints 64" wide. These are the same printers I use to print full sides of box trucks, semi trucks, vans,cars, whatever. All you do is place small seams at the width of the print to cover larger areas in tiles. Only problem is, for the most part these printers don't print WHITE. They use K (black)
Cyan (blue) Magenta and Yellow. Any white in a picture is where there is no ink printed and the printed material shows through. I actually have a glow in the dark additive (powder) I could add to an ink, but it would risk messing up my machinery and it is very expensive to fix, and I would doubt any ink other than the yellow would take it.

BUT... as I read the thread above.. I could do something different. All that talk about back and neck pain.. I was thinking I could PRINT the nice blue sky scene on some available pre-pasted wallpaper material. The star pattern, stipple, or splatters, etc. could be added while the print was horizontal and not installed upside down on the ceiling. Maybe that would make it easier, and also alot better to get a nice star pattern that is still hand painted, but it would be 'fatigue free'. You would just then install it like wallpaper when you were done.

I may actually try that when I determine what glow in the dark paint I should use.


I have something similar. I have two different prints that I have printed... one is of a blue sky and clouds and the other is of an oak tree with the sun setting behind it. I have the night sky on both of those. But, they are not wallpaper material, but cloth. They are mostly for people who want a smaller, portable fun and different product. I sell a few here and there. As for putting up wall paper on a ceiling to do this... I think that the best way is to get the neck and back pain and do it right. I like the customers to have their ceilings look however they want them to in the light (so they can decorate the way they want it to look) and then the night sky to be there, hidden away,until the room goes dark.


Good luck though...
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post #597 of 677
2/9/13 at 11:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SKINSnCANES View Post

I have a different question to the above post. There's a cost involved in flying to my house and painting upside down. Can I buy a piece of fabric, about 12x14 max, mail it to you, you paint it, and I stretch and attach to my ceiling without you having to fly to jersey?


Sure, but do you want your ceiling to have that particular fabric? I wouldn't send just any fabric. But, I am in NJ, or close, all the time. I've been to NY two times in the past month and a half... so it doesn't matter where you are, I am usually near there a couple of times a year. Some places many times more often.

But, I will try to help you with whatever you'd like.
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post #598 of 677
2/9/13 at 11:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hillsgirl View Post

Your ceiling does not look all that large.
You could black fabric cover a piece of MDF and paint your star-scape on that and then attach to the ceiling.
I am in Australia, but we can get MDF in 1.8m x 3.6m pieces.
For my first star ceiling, I covered a 1.8 x 2.3m piece of MDF with a king size black cotton sheet (no fabric seams) and painted my art work on that.
Since then I have used black rayon velvet for the base which is much blacker.


There you go... a good suggestion from someone who has already done what you are thinking of doing. If you need other advice on doing it yourself... let me know and I will try to help.

Jeff
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post #599 of 677
2/10/13 at 12:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by windywhiper View Post

I love this thread; I am still debating between optic and painted, but leaning painted. Jeff are you going to be in the TEXAS area in 2013? I don’t think you can talk cost, but what’s the difference in price from an optic vs. Painted?


Right, I have been asked to not discuss price. You will need to email me for that. And, I try to watch the answers I give too.

Yes, I will be in Texas soon. :-) Actually, I get to Texas about 5 or 6 times a year and will be there at the end of February 2013 through the first of March. Then again a couple of months later.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this thread, Fiber Optics and Painted murals both have their pros and cons.

Can't talk cost... but what's the difference in price. You're trying to get me in trouble, aren't you? :-) You know, I am not really sure what fiber optics cost these days. I just know from customers, who have looked into them, that they are very costly... but them again, many people think that my murals are costly too. But, I still think that fiber optics are more expensive. But, if you go with a mural, and it doesn't do what you want, then that can be very expensive. I just did a mural for a customer in New York (the decorator found me and suggested a mural to the customer) but the decorator never told the client about having to charge the paint. Well, the customer refused to pay the decorator for the job because it would involve turning on a black light instead of flipping a switch. The client knew that it was glow paint, but I guess that she thought it was radioactive and would glow on it's own... so she refused to pay the decorator. Luckily for me, because I had a lot of expenses for changing flights to get back there on their time schedule, the decorator still paid me... but that was an expensive mural because it wasn't what she was expecting. She loved it, but she wanted to flip a switch. She didn't care that the painted mural was much more realistic.

So, I guess that's a long way of saying fiber optics are more expensive to have installed, but if the painted mural doesn't do what you want... that can be more expensive. It's late and I am rambling.

If you want to email me any other questions, I will be happy to answer them for you. :-)

Jeff
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post #600 of 677
2/10/13 at 12:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by trenter33 View Post

Anybody?


Anybody... what?
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