Steampunked Detector for Fluorescent Seals and Hallmarks

Hi everybody

Once again I want to present you a new invention of a steampunk object from the „dampfkraftlabor“.


The story is about a vintage styled detector working with an UV light diode to show a hidden fluorescent stamp marking as a hallmark at my objects.

The idea came to my mind when I got such a fluorescent stampmark at the entrance of a discotheque and as a real steampunked artist I started this object.
The following film gives you a short impression how this apparatus is working but I have to say that logo of „JUNOPHOR“ can be seen much more better with your own eyes than in the film, the hallmark glooms sharp brilliant in colour greenwhite.


This UV-Light detector also works very well when shining on a banknote , a poststamp or other stuff lile this, working with fluorescent security marks

And now let us see how I build this new object.
Hope you enjoy the idea ;-))

Yours Aeon Junophor

The pointer is made of some small pieces of copper and brass tubes, the wodden crank comes from an old meat grinder and the top is build together with an edison lamp socket a magnifying glass and a hand made ring of vulcanized fiber.
As the electricity wire I used a vintage original one, each wire bundle covered several times with cotton as you can see at the picture below.

Steampunk art contains a lot of phantastical elements and constructions.
The following explanation is pure fictional:

"Now this "plasma working UV-light generator" is said to leach out the UV-part of the ligth coming out of the plasma beam of flickering electric candlelight.The extracting works with two pulsating blue LED`s and then the UV-light-electrons are tumbled together in the "Resistor Tumbler" between the flickering bulbs. Then the UV-light-electrons run through the wire towards the pointer and there they are changed to visible UV-superlight."

In reality I used two pulsating blue LED´s working with 3,0 Volts (separate circuit)
The two flickering bulbs are driven with the well known modified flash units from disposal cameras (each bulb with its own circuit) as you can see in this instructable. Attention when you are working with high voltages. Take care of your selves and do not wreck your health!
please read the instrutable carefully first!
At the end I used one UV-LED which runs with 9,0 Volts in comparison with the neccessary resistor. In this case I chose a 33 Ohm one but it depends of the UV-LED you want to use. This circuit runs also for it´s own.

The housing panel is taken from a really old ceramic resistor which had been broken. The socked of the generator keeps all the electronic parts in and it is made of plywood with vulcanized fiber on top.

The housing panel from an old resistor gets new brass made screws and at both sides will be the blue LED´s placed in Edison E14 brass sockets. They are additionally hold by modified brass gears. One side gets the connectors for the pointer plug and at the other side you see the to double row switches. One switch starts the LED circuits the other does the same with the HV-circuits (working at the low voltage side 1,5 Volts).

In the center of the genarator you see this  Resistor Tumbler a magnificant invention of victorian steampunk technology
This construction work as the neccessary Resistor for the blue LED´s

Now all components are prepared to work together as you can see

Thank you for following my instructable

Have fun with your own creations

Yours Aeon Junophor