Percy, I think you taught me about deck prisms last time I brought this up.
They're an elegant solution for permanent installs, though pricey to get them in a decent size. I shopped quite a few sites. The small ones are affordable. But to get something the size of a quart or gallon jar, you're going to pay hundreds of dollars, I think. So -- if it's for a a dark room in a dwelling you're planning to live in for 30 years or longer -- well worth the investment. Although you can accomplish pretty much the same thing by reusing a an otherwise discarded or recycled glass jar and some methanol or other antifreeze. In my climate, even a methanol-filled jar is likely to freeze and expand just enough to break on a winter night at least once every five years. A deck prism is not going to freeze and break. Now, tell me more about fuller's pipes. When I Google the term, I come up with plumbers and plumbing supply shops owned by folks named Fuller. And yes, the news report about the South American who this year "invented" water-filled plastic bottle refracting lights does put an antibacterial of some sort in his bottles. I think it WAS bleach. And I'm sure that is to stop the otherwise inevitable algae growth (and other flora). Although anyone who has owned a hot tub knows that chlorine is ineffective in halting algae growth in hot water. And these bottles, catching the sun all day, are certain to hold hot water. It probably does slow down the growth of algae and bacteria for quite awhile though. Do recall that in the You Tube video of the news report they used a candlepower measuring device and found that a 1 litre water-filled bottle refracting sunlight into a darkened room provided the equivalent amount of light as does a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Nice for a simple, free solution. Not sure what time of day and under what weather conditions that measurement was taken. If at noon on a clear day then that's probably about the max a 1-litre bottle can produce. I wouldn't recommend using plastic bottles in permanent installs because: 1. They will discolor in the sun and lose their effectiveness. 2. Many nowadays contain soybean oil and some other chemistry designed into them to help them biodegrade (albeit slowly) in landfill conditions. Don't think you want to install something in your roof that is going to need to replaced regularly. Best, ken winston caine On Jul 6, 3:08 pm, "The Distinguished ..." <[email protected]> wrote: > Greetings, > > > On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:03 AM, Milt Fisher wrote: > > > I'd like some recommendations for hexayurt windows. I'm not > > interested in framed, sliding windows with screens, just some plastic > > of some kind taped over a hole in the panel. Any recommendations on > > what kind of plastic to use? Thin plexiglas maybe? Or perhaps > > flexible vinyl? > > Any other ideas for simple windows? > > > I'm planning to tape the plastic to the outside and hinge the panel > > cutout into the window opening so we can close it when we want > > darkness. > > Have you thought about "Deck Prisms"? They have been used on old > sailing ships for decades. Unlike the plastic bottle solution (the > bleach/copper is to help keep things from growing, antifreeze is good > too) these are solid. The same thing can be done with a reflective > inner surface, catching the light and drawing it down. If you combine > this with fuller's pipe, you have light and ventilation. Throw a > fresnel lens or two in the mix, and your light is that much more > intense. > > Percy -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hexayurt" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en.
