From: Jeffrey D. Mathias (jeffrey.d.mathias@worldnet.att.net)
Date: 06/19/01-11:13:06 AM Z
shannon stoney wrote:
>  Now I'm really confused.  Should you buy black lights, like in head shops,
> or something else called BL?  In  Dick's book he says "BL (Black Light)" as
> if they are synonymous....
That's right.  It is confusing.  But not really. 
There are at least two designations for "Black Light Lamps" according to
GE Lighting (one manufacturer).
A) BL - This is the type of lamp to get.  [Think: "Blue Light"]
B) BLB - This is the type of lamp NOT to get. [Think: "Black Light
Bad"]  Note that this actually is supposed to mean "Black Light Blue",
even more confusing.
I use several U-shaped lamps, GE description: F40BL/U/3
These lamps work excellent for Pt/Pd printing.  I have not tried them
with cyanotype.
Talk to your distributor of lamps.
IMPORTANT: make sure you get the proper ballast for the lamp, different
lamps may require a different ballast.  It is also good to get a rapid
start or the newer high tech versions (check with your distributor). 
Also get the sockets as these may differ as well.
When one tries to take a short cut by skimping on low priced equipment,
they should first check to determine if it can do the job.  Buy the
better lamps.  Build your own fixture.  I have had mine for years and
they work fine.  Use the fixture you bought for the shop area or
basement.
-- Jeffrey D. Mathias http://home.att.net/~jeffrey.d.mathias/
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