Finally, an integrated (sorta) PRS505 reading light! - Page 6

dynamike · 08-15-2008, 04:54 PM

Okay, first couple of tests are completed. While browsing through my toolbox I found two rolls of electrical tape - one white and one black and a carpet knife. Great. For experiment #1 I used the white tape. Problem: the white tape was too stiff so that it would not stick properly to the triangular top and bottom edges of the wedge. Also, it would not block the entire light at the edge. The shading of the e-ink surface with the white tape applied did neither improve nor get worse. So I have to rate test #1 as a failure.

For test #2 I used the black tape which was much softer and more flexible than the white tape. It was possible to wrap the tape around the outer edges so that the outer frame of the lightwedge is entirely covered. I wanted to see what happened when the bright outlinig frame of light is removed. Therefore I taped all three edges, including the longer edge on the right hand side opposite the battery cover.

The result is interesting. The light spill is gone almost entirely, but that was the point for me and expected. But what astonished me was the effect this modification has on the shading. While I cannot claim that the smudges are gone, I do see an improvement. Look at the attached photograph and tell me what you think.

In case you wish to try this yourself: I don't think that electrical tape is the right material. It was quite tricky to make the tape stick to the small available surface. The result is so crude that it cannot be used as a permanent solution. The tape already starts to peel itself off. For a permanent solution the edges need to be painted.

jakewastaken · 08-16-2008, 03:09 AM

You may be on to something with the paint idea, are you going to try it or should one of us try something water soluble and report back.

dynamike · 08-16-2008, 04:07 PM

Yes, I am going to try it. In fact I am already in the process of doing it.

I got some black paint today. Water based color that is normally used to paint coffee cups and the like. The regular process is to paint the object and then burn it in at 170°C. Then the paint is supposed to be dishwasher resistant.

My plan is to just paint the three transparent edges of the wedge and stop short of putting the end result into the oven.

Now, I don't know much about painting. Therefore i hope that the paint can be removed without damaging the wedge. I found the painting process more difficult than expected. The paint did not stick well to the surface even though I meticulously cleaned the wedge with alcohol. The photos show that the light still shines through at some places. Just now I wait for the color to dry. After that I put a second layer of paint on the first and see how that works.

However, I fear that the particular paint I am using is not really suited for the task. If anyone can recommend something else, I'd be glad to hear about it.

DrMoze · 08-16-2008, 08:30 PM

Would coloring the edges with a Sharpie work? That would be pretty simple and neat. (Moreso than painting!)

jakewastaken · 08-17-2008, 12:21 AM

There's a warning about using alcohol or other solvents to clean the screen so you might want to keep an eye on that, but I don't know if that's just a catch-all sort of statement or if it's really damaging.

I think the sharpie is worth trying since we know it generally works on shiny surfaces where other inks/paints fail (cds and the like). I think maybe some kind of craft paint made for glass might work (I know it's not made of glass, but it could work).

dynamike · 08-17-2008, 10:19 AM

I would be really curious to learn if a Sharpie produces a layer that is opaque enough to block all or at least almost all the light. I thought about this too but doubt that it works well. That is why I never even tried.

The paint I used is called "Ceramica - ceramic paint". That is a craft paint made in Germany. I guess that it's probably me using the wrong painting technique or the wrong and/or the wrong paint brush to apply the paint.

Although it is still unfinished I tried the lightwedge last night in bed. With only the triangular edges blackened it only helps to reduce the light spill to a good degree. Maybe it is just that I pay more attention to this at this stage, I think that this state actually increases the shading. At this stage of modification the cones of light from the LEDs become more visible. For a test I put a finger on top of the left edge. In the area where the finger covered the bright edge the shading was much improved. Apparently it is necessary to block the bright frame on top of the glass surface to improve brightness uniformity. I have to test what works best -- black or white color.

Regarding the cleaning: I used 70% isopropyl alcohol to remove all grease and dirt from the surface. This worked well. Normally I would use some dish liquid.

junkml · 08-17-2008, 12:23 PM

I don't have a 505, but I'm considering getting a red one for my wife (trade in her 500). She really wants the light wedge, but I'm wondering if it will work with one of the m-edge covers. I prefer their cover for the 500 because it provides a lot more protection, and it looks like the same situation for the 505.

I'd be curious if anyone knows, or has any thoughts on whether the light will work with an m-edge cover for the 505.

June · 08-17-2008, 01:36 PM

These modifications are interesting - and definitely something I will do as soon as I find/buy/receive a lighted cover for my 505...

Are the Sony lighted cover and Light Wedge wedges of similar type material? I am thinking I could sacrifice one of my old and fairly scratched Light Wedges to try paint/markers/whatever... I'm thinking maybe enamel paint for plastic models would be worth a try?

I have teh paper book light wedges that I have used for a long time. I did a similar thing on those, blocked off the edges with black tape. I think I used black duct tape, it's still stuck on the wedges after several years. My main reason to put on the tape was to keep as much light as possible from 'escaping' into the room, essential when trying to get the kid to sleep in a blackeded out room...

dynamike · 08-17-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by June

Are the Sony lighted cover and Light Wedge wedges of similar type material? I am thinking I could sacrifice one of my old and fairly scratched Light Wedges to try paint/markers/whatever... I'm thinking maybe enamel paint for plastic models would be worth a try?

Forgive my ignorance, for I have never used a regular lightwedge. Actually before I saw the Sony "Cover with light PRSA-CL1" I did not even know they existed.

The material of the Sony wedge appears to be some kind of acrylic or plexiglass.

If you get around to experimenting I would love to hear about your findings.

dynamike · 08-17-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkml

I'd be curious if anyone knows, or has any thoughts on whether the light will work with an m-edge cover for the 505.

I don't know the m-edge cover. The PRSA-CL1 has a special double hinge mechanism for the wedge and the reader that aligns both perfectly. Therefore I doubt if the light fits in any other cover. Take a look at the pics. I hope you can see what I mean.

I share your concern concerning transportation. Therefore I would absolutely never transport the reader insight the PRSA-CL1. Why? Because the relatively hard wedge might damage the e-ink display if too much force or pressure is put on the cover which may easily happen when transported in a briefcase, backpack, whatever. Perhaps I am too paranoid. But now I use the stock cover for transportation and the cover with light at home, when reading in bed. When I go on vacation later this year, I will bring both covers and probably a hard case too, if I find one suitable.

junkml · 08-17-2008, 02:56 PM

Thank you dynamike. Those are exactly the pictures I needed to see. I couldn't find any shots that gave me those particular details. The light wedge definitely won't work with current m-edge covers. Perhaps they'll make one that will someday.

June · 08-17-2008, 03:33 PM

Okay, I tried the plastic model paint (Humbrol make, color type Enamel, black) on my regular LightWedge. It seems to block the light almost as well as the black tape I had on before.

I'm enclosing one photo of the lightwedge in a box with one edge blacked out with black tape, and one with the paint. The other picture shows the tape removed, and the same other edge painted.

As you can see the paint works rather well. And this is just one coat, it can't be repainted until after 6 hours, so I will add a second coat tomorrow. There is a tiny bit of the light wedge edge uncovered by the paint, there is a slight (0.2-0.3mm maybe) flash edge of the plastic, soe sort of seam along the edge that isn't completely covered with one coat.

dynamike · 08-17-2008, 03:51 PM

June, thanks for sharing those pics. That was a great idea to put the wedge in a box to show the leaking light.

On the photo with the duct tape: did you ever try to wrap the tape around all edges so that the outer 2 or 3 millimeters are also covered? I mean just as much of the surface so that the bright edge of light is covered. I wonder if that helps with shading also on the regular lightwedge.

I would also like to know how you applied the paint. Did you use a small paintbrush like me?

June · 08-17-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynamike

--- did you ever try to wrap the tape around all edges so that the outer 2 or 3 millimeters are also covered? I mean just as much of the surface so that the bright edge of light is covered. I wonder if that helps with shading also on the regular lightwedge.

I would also like to know how you applied the paint. Did you use a small paintbrush like me?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean with the tape, do you want me to test with tape on the longer outer edge, opposite of the battery/spine?

Or are you thinking about the flat "top and bottom" i.e. the flat bit you read through? On which edge? The tape is folded onto the surfaces of the side (top and bottom) of the ligthwedge, as you can see on teh first photo. The paint is only on the very edge of the lightwedge.

I'd be more than happy trying the tape various ways, if you want me to test something out. Or paint in some other fashion. I'm thinking of painting a small 1mm or so line along the "top and bottom" and not just the very edge to see if there's a difference. I'll do that tomorrow for the other edge.

I used a small soft 'artists' paint brush for the paint, the kind they sell right next to those plastic model paint tins (tiny metal tins, maybe 2cm high or so).

Studio717 · 08-17-2008, 04:50 PM

After seeing the pics here I was pretty sure this would bother me, but I have found the border of light around the light wedge doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I stayed up almost all night reading, having gotten caught up in the story. The whole set up - PRS-505 + light wedge - was just perfect.

The only mod I'm considering is making a fabric case for the 'leather' cover itself. I'm used to my old green leather cover for the PRS-500 and want something easy to spot. There is leather paint, but I'm not sure how a painted cover would hold up to constantly being used.

I have to say again - the (re)design of the 505 is just splendid! It constantly makes me smile at the nice touches (on/off with matte not slippery shiny chrome plus more prominent bumps for good contact, push-in SD and Memory Stick readers (instead of that wacky, waiting-to-get-pulled-off door hinge thing on the 500), page turning buttons on the right side (biggie!), etc.).

08-15-2008, 04:54 PM	#76
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	Okay, first couple of tests are completed. While browsing through my toolbox I found two rolls of electrical tape - one white and one black and a carpet knife. Great. For experiment #1 I used the white tape. Problem: the white tape was too stiff so that it would not stick properly to the triangular top and bottom edges of the wedge. Also, it would not block the entire light at the edge. The shading of the e-ink surface with the white tape applied did neither improve nor get worse. So I have to rate test #1 as a failure. For test #2 I used the black tape which was much softer and more flexible than the white tape. It was possible to wrap the tape around the outer edges so that the outer frame of the lightwedge is entirely covered. I wanted to see what happened when the bright outlinig frame of light is removed. Therefore I taped all three edges, including the longer edge on the right hand side opposite the battery cover. The result is interesting. The light spill is gone almost entirely, but that was the point for me and expected. But what astonished me was the effect this modification has on the shading. While I cannot claim that the smudges are gone, I do see an improvement. Look at the attached photograph and tell me what you think. In case you wish to try this yourself: I don't think that electrical tape is the right material. It was quite tricky to make the tape stick to the small available surface. The result is so crude that it cannot be used as a permanent solution. The tape already starts to peel itself off. For a permanent solution the edges need to be painted. Attached Thumbnails

08-16-2008, 04:07 PM	#78
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	Yes, I am going to try it. In fact I am already in the process of doing it. I got some black paint today. Water based color that is normally used to paint coffee cups and the like. The regular process is to paint the object and then burn it in at 170°C. Then the paint is supposed to be dishwasher resistant. My plan is to just paint the three transparent edges of the wedge and stop short of putting the end result into the oven. Now, I don't know much about painting. Therefore i hope that the paint can be removed without damaging the wedge. I found the painting process more difficult than expected. The paint did not stick well to the surface even though I meticulously cleaned the wedge with alcohol. The photos show that the light still shines through at some places. Just now I wait for the color to dry. After that I put a second layer of paint on the first and see how that works. However, I fear that the particular paint I am using is not really suited for the task. If anyone can recommend something else, I'd be glad to hear about it. Attached Thumbnails

08-17-2008, 12:21 AM	#80
jakewastaken Media Whore. Posts: 118 Karma: 265 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: IL Device: PRS-505	There's a warning about using alcohol or other solvents to clean the screen so you might want to keep an eye on that, but I don't know if that's just a catch-all sort of statement or if it's really damaging. I think the sharpie is worth trying since we know it generally works on shiny surfaces where other inks/paints fail (cds and the like). I think maybe some kind of craft paint made for glass might work (I know it's not made of glass, but it could work). Last edited by jakewastaken; 08-17-2008 at 12:24 AM.

08-17-2008, 03:33 PM	#87
June Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 4508151 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scandinavia Device: Kobo Libra, Oasis 1&2 and others	Okay, I tried the plastic model paint (Humbrol make, color type Enamel, black) on my regular LightWedge. It seems to block the light almost as well as the black tape I had on before. I'm enclosing one photo of the lightwedge in a box with one edge blacked out with black tape, and one with the paint. The other picture shows the tape removed, and the same other edge painted. As you can see the paint works rather well. And this is just one coat, it can't be repainted until after 6 hours, so I will add a second coat tomorrow. There is a tiny bit of the light wedge edge uncovered by the paint, there is a slight (0.2-0.3mm maybe) flash edge of the plastic, soe sort of seam along the edge that isn't completely covered with one coat. Attached Thumbnails

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08-16-2008, 03:09 AM	#77
jakewastaken Media Whore. Posts: 118 Karma: 265 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: IL Device: PRS-505	You may be on to something with the paint idea, are you going to try it or should one of us try something water soluble and report back.

08-16-2008, 08:30 PM	#79
DrMoze Booknut Posts: 858 Karma: 2852 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida! Device: Sony Reader 500/505/300/350, Nook Glowlight Plus (6")	Would coloring the edges with a Sharpie work? That would be pretty simple and neat. (Moreso than painting!)

08-17-2008, 10:19 AM	#81
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	I would be really curious to learn if a Sharpie produces a layer that is opaque enough to block all or at least almost all the light. I thought about this too but doubt that it works well. That is why I never even tried. The paint I used is called "Ceramica - ceramic paint". That is a craft paint made in Germany. I guess that it's probably me using the wrong painting technique or the wrong and/or the wrong paint brush to apply the paint. Although it is still unfinished I tried the lightwedge last night in bed. With only the triangular edges blackened it only helps to reduce the light spill to a good degree. Maybe it is just that I pay more attention to this at this stage, I think that this state actually increases the shading. At this stage of modification the cones of light from the LEDs become more visible. For a test I put a finger on top of the left edge. In the area where the finger covered the bright edge the shading was much improved. Apparently it is necessary to block the bright frame on top of the glass surface to improve brightness uniformity. I have to test what works best -- black or white color. Regarding the cleaning: I used 70% isopropyl alcohol to remove all grease and dirt from the surface. This worked well. Normally I would use some dish liquid.

08-17-2008, 12:23 PM	#82
junkml Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1004969 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: Sony Reader	I don't have a 505, but I'm considering getting a red one for my wife (trade in her 500). She really wants the light wedge, but I'm wondering if it will work with one of the m-edge covers. I prefer their cover for the 500 because it provides a lot more protection, and it looks like the same situation for the 505. I'd be curious if anyone knows, or has any thoughts on whether the light will work with an m-edge cover for the 505.

08-17-2008, 01:36 PM	#83
June Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 4508151 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scandinavia Device: Kobo Libra, Oasis 1&2 and others	These modifications are interesting - and definitely something I will do as soon as I find/buy/receive a lighted cover for my 505... Are the Sony lighted cover and Light Wedge wedges of similar type material? I am thinking I could sacrifice one of my old and fairly scratched Light Wedges to try paint/markers/whatever... I'm thinking maybe enamel paint for plastic models would be worth a try? I have teh paper book light wedges that I have used for a long time. I did a similar thing on those, blocked off the edges with black tape. I think I used black duct tape, it's still stuck on the wedges after several years. My main reason to put on the tape was to keep as much light as possible from 'escaping' into the room, essential when trying to get the kid to sleep in a blackeded out room...

08-17-2008, 02:56 PM	#86
junkml Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1004969 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: Sony Reader	Thank you dynamike. Those are exactly the pictures I needed to see. I couldn't find any shots that gave me those particular details. The light wedge definitely won't work with current m-edge covers. Perhaps they'll make one that will someday.

08-17-2008, 03:51 PM	#88
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	June, thanks for sharing those pics. That was a great idea to put the wedge in a box to show the leaking light. On the photo with the duct tape: did you ever try to wrap the tape around all edges so that the outer 2 or 3 millimeters are also covered? I mean just as much of the surface so that the bright edge of light is covered. I wonder if that helps with shading also on the regular lightwedge. I would also like to know how you applied the paint. Did you use a small paintbrush like me?

08-17-2008, 04:50 PM	#90
Studio717 Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 575 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: California Device: Various Kindles, iPhone, iPad, Galaxy 10.1	After seeing the pics here I was pretty sure this would bother me, but I have found the border of light around the light wedge doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I stayed up almost all night reading, having gotten caught up in the story. The whole set up - PRS-505 + light wedge - was just perfect. The only mod I'm considering is making a fabric case for the 'leather' cover itself. I'm used to my old green leather cover for the PRS-500 and want something easy to spot. There is leather paint, but I'm not sure how a painted cover would hold up to constantly being used. I have to say again - the (re)design of the 505 is just splendid! It constantly makes me smile at the nice touches (on/off with matte not slippery shiny chrome plus more prominent bumps for good contact, push-in SD and Memory Stick readers (instead of that wacky, waiting-to-get-pulled-off door hinge thing on the 500), page turning buttons on the right side (biggie!), etc.).

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