BLACK 2.0

Have questions about the equipment used for macro- or micro- photography? Post those questions in this forum.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

abpho
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Post by abpho »

I just ordered a bottle for some artwork that I started.
I'm in Canada! Isn't that weird?

lonepal
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Post by lonepal »

Hope to hear your ideas after using it.
Thanks.
Regards.
Omer

abpho
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Post by abpho »

Sure thing. :)
I'm in Canada! Isn't that weird?

Beatsy
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Post by Beatsy »

rjlittlefield wrote:Any more info on how well this Black 2.0 resists flaking?

--Rik
Since I just referred to this thread from another recent one...

I have a couple of ping-pong ball "light tents" that I've used regularly for nearly a year now. Certain areas were painted inside and out with Black 2.0 (to block transmitted and bounce light from some directions). Despite regular handling and kicking around on the desk next to the rig all this time, no paint chipped off. It was painted directly onto the unpriimed surface of the ball.

Andy Davies
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Post by Andy Davies »

What are your thoughts on the black paint now?

Beatsy
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Post by Beatsy »

Andy Davies wrote:What are your thoughts on the black paint now?
Me?

No change. It's useful "liquid flocking" for hard to reach spots and it certainly does the job plenty well enough, but it doesn't quite live up to the hype of super-blackness claimed by its creator.

In practice, I use it mostly for blacking out portions of ping-pong ball diffusers or mounting pins than I do for reducing reflections in optical tubes and the like. It's certainly useful stuff to have in the arsenal and I remain pleased with it.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

I bought some also, and I also find it useful though not as black as advertised.

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Here's one I prepared...

.Image


Protostar, black card, "black" rubberised screwdriver handle, worn-shiny black keyboard and a scope adapter Black-2 painted a couple of years ago, in window light from an overcast sky.
Inside the adapter, which is not handled and is ridged, it's reasonably "dull".
The blackest thing I've seen is wildly expensive carbon nanotubes, but if you touch it you ruin it.

Semple has brought out a Black-3.0 now. I just got an email about it today.


About £15 for 20ml, with 20ml Black 2.0 inc post.
Chris R

Beatsy
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Post by Beatsy »


ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Don't waste your time on the youtube video in the previous post, it's a hoax!

I now have a sample of Stuart Semple's Black 3.0 . \:D/
https://culturehustle.com/collections/p ... paint-20ml

It's a big improvement over Black 2.0. I think it would be non-reflective enough in most applications we have. Subjectively, it's hard to get any reflection of normal room lights from it, and it looks a lot darker than Black 2.0, which wasn't bad.

I used the same aluminium microscope-adapter sample piece as above. That had been handled a fair bit so inevitably picked up some finger-grease.

I used cotton buds to reapply some Black 2.0, and Black 3.0, then aligned a mobile phone flashlight LED to reflect off the surface into the camera, which is a pretty harsh test.

The numbers are the mean of the RGB(255) values for a representatibe patch. Enlarging shows some variablility, so a couple of thin coats would probably be more reliable. I hadn't been super-careful, and it's thick paint.

My Protostar sticky-backed sheet was pretty clean but had inevitably picked up a little dust; the reflection tome was a lot higher on those spots, well over 100.

I have seen a carbon nanotube derived low reflectance surface at the National Physical Laboratory, which was used inside an orbiting temperature measuring device. Shining a phone-light on it was surreal. It could have just been a deep hole, except for specs of dust and a small fingerprint, which glowed brightly by comparison. That would make that paint very difficult to use, because I was told, it's impossible to clean, you mustn't touch it.
It's also prohibitively expensive for mortals, and you either grow the tubes in place or spray it on, followed by a 600° F /320° C heat treatment. I understand Anish Kapoor's stuff would be similarly problematic, so although his grasp on its use may not apply to non artistic purposes, it's probably irrelevant to us.

Black 2.0 and Black 3.0 are both water soluble: if you rub with a damp cloth they will start to come off, but you can certainly clean them gently, and I believe there's a protective lacquer. If you need as he says, the blackiest paint there is, I'd try it.

Image
Last edited by ChrisR on Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chris R

Beatsy
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Post by Beatsy »

That was quick! My Black 3.0 arrived this morning. Guess I'll change my plans for this evening's activity :)

Thanks for posting.

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