joining tint tubes

[lizardking]

hi all i have been playing with cheap and easy way to join tint tubes no the best way i have found so far is to use 1.125 l soft drink bottles cut the center piece where the label is and place over the tint tubes end to end put the bottle piece over the join and heat with heat gun and it shrinks tight to the tubes now i have not tested the difference the plastic makes to the appearance of the lights

 

[bjpc2716]

8) adam a great idea keep up the good work uncle

 

[AAH]

I have joined a few just by cutting a short sleeve (100mm) out of the tint tube and splitting it and super glueing it over a butt join. Mine are viewed from about 30m away but I can say that I haven't even noticed the joins when I am much closer.

I may have used clear plumbers glue or super glue. It was a few years ago so I can't remember and I use lots of both clear plumbers glue and super glue.

 

[fasteddy]

The issue with the tint tubes is that they will go yellow within 1 season so the amount of work that goes into making something from them may not be worth it if you dont want yellow tubes.

Im not sure what others who used the tint tubes expericenced, but that was my experience.

They still look great though and give a more warm white look when white

 

[mborg10]

I don't know what the tint tubes are made of but you can weld acrylic with acetone. The 2 mating surfaces have to be smooth and flat though. The acetone actually melts the acrylic and welds them together not glues them.

 

[David_AVD]

I tried the plastic sleeve cut from a 1.25L bottle today it it did shrink down quite well.

Are there any other methods not listed above that people have used? If so, how well did it work?

 

[Goliath]

I use the 1.25 l softdrink bottle. Holds it good enough for my purposes, and not noticeable to casual observers. I reckon you should get four years out of a prop at least, if it is only in the sun for one month a year.

 

[QLDKing(Brad)]

Would a couple of holes in the ends with cable ties to pull them together work?

 

[David_AVD]

I'd like the joint to be waterproof and as seamless as possible.

 

[AAH]

Would a couple of holes in the ends with cable ties to pull them together work?

The biggest problem with that method would be that you would have hotspots where some of the light from inside the tube is passing directly out without going through the diffuser (tint tube wall). It also wouldn't have the structural integrity of a glued joint. My own 1st tint tube prop which has been in use since 2012 is being replaced this year as the tint tube is getting pretty brittle and breaking up. 7 Christmases and the glued joints were still holding up. I'll actually be trying out David's method of using a coke bottle shrunk onto the tubes when I rebuild a bit later in the year.