nuarc xeon printer, front shield?

[bobbotron]

I stumbled upon a nuarch pulsed xeon printer (N1500), I want to use for large Cyanotypes and perhaps other processes. It didn't come with any cover on the front, and as such spills out an insane amount of light. I don't want that UV radiation in my space, do people normally put a cover over the front of these things? I have a lot of plywood scraps around, I was thinking of cutting one to shape and painting it black so I could put it over the front while it's on. Are there any reasons not to do so? Heat build up?

Thanks! :)

Not my image but this is the style of unit.
https://d323w7klwy72q3.cloudfront.net/a/2008/20080918/3511.JPG

[Jim Noel]

I use "blackout drape."

[koraks]

Yes, I'd make sure there is ventilation as that unit likely generates a lot of heat. A plywood contraption can work very well, but I'd consider integrating a fan in it so the heat is taken out of the unit. Shouldn't have to be very complicated overall. Don't overthink it.

[bobbotron]

Yes, I'd make sure there is ventilation as that unit likely generates a lot of heat. A plywood contraption can work very well, but I'd consider integrating a fan in it so the heat is taken out of the unit. Shouldn't have to be very complicated overall. Don't overthink it.


Thanks. :) I'm considering using sheet metal, radiates heat well and I can probably mount a PC fan or two to it pretty easily.

[bobbotron]

I use "blackout drape."

I was thinking of trying that to start, as it's easy with a few magnets. How warm does it get?

[Drew Wiley]

Plywood ????????????? !!!!! Around a potentially high heat source like that, or the kind of electrical capacitors which dam up those high burst, and themselves sometimes go bad? I've seen that scenario once. Want your fire insurance canceled? I'd even be fussy about the heat rating of any black paint before using it. I've seen that scenario go bad too, more than once, with buildings burning down because of it. And any blackout fabric should be lighting studio rated and fire resistant - and very well spaced with supports themselves fire resistant.
As far as I'm concerned, an "art space" is synonymous with a bonfire; and cities are tired of being sued whenever someone dies in one of these fires. A trial is still going on over an infamous incident where over 30 people died.
Even around my own halogen enlarger heads, if they're closer than 4 ft from a wall or ceiling, I use FRP fiberglass panels (fire resistant panel). I pay a fee to the city to cover the mandatory annual fire dept inspections - of course they never do come and actually inspect any small business, and just pocket the fee, but they're supposed to. And it's because they don't that careless fires in art spaces are so common.

[Greg]

I'd consider integrating a fan in it so the heat is taken out of the unit.

Years ago was friends with a printer who used PC fans to cool his printer. He went through them on a regular basis till he reversed them to blow cool air into the printer instead of having the heated air blow out through through the fans. He also constructed a baffle made of asbestos? board - the board one puts in back of a wood stove to protect a wall close to the stove.

[Drew Wiley]

I can remember the yard workmen sawing abestos stove board with a panel saw, with dust flying all over the place. Most died early of something else toxic or carcinogenic instead, like chlorinated phenols common in wood products back then too. And the manager died at only 42 of asbestosis due to working in a Certainteed asphalt shingle plant for only two years when he was younger. The asbestos is safely trapped in the shingle goo after manufacture, but during manufacture itself there was a substantial hazard to workers. Likewise, a co-worker whose brother who wore an asbestos fire suit in a powder coating plant, and then his wife, who did the laundry, died from asbestosis. Nasty stuff.
I was always getting in trouble for allegedly dampening business by warning people to wear things like respirators, dust masks, and rubber gloves. Sound familiar? Anyway, modern stoveboard like Minarit is made from compressed mineral dust containing no asbestos fiber, mostly marble dust if my memory is still correct. I've used it for certain really high temp applications in high output colorheads. But for walls, FRP fiberglass panel is fine.
Neither are easy to cut without the right kind of blade. For stoveboard you ideally need a circular saw microcrystalline diamond blade just like when cutting tile backer board. Festool recently came out with one which fits their own nearly dustless rail saw. FRP panel cuts best with certain Fein Multimaster blades, the best one being hard to find in this country. In fact, I don't know anyone who imported the correct blade except me. But there are some lesser options. You also need to lower the speed or the material melts and gums up the blade. Cutting it with a utility knife or scoring knife is a big headache if you need clean edges.
Serious ventilation is always done with a remote pull fan and heat-resistant ducting. Real ones last a lifetime. PC fans are toys for toys.

[Ron McElroy]

On those units the front shield was dark plex or something similar. The internal fans should cool the unit. I think the easiest solution would be a black out curtain. That is what all large plate making units used.

[Keith Pitman]

Take a look at the curtain in this manufacturer's product: https://amergraph.com/products/contact-exposure/

It looks like there is a bracket on both sides that the curtain is attached to and a "curtain rod" in an oval shape around the front for the curtain to ride on.

[Drew Wiley]

You don't want any direct contact of the fabric with the unit; and the fabric itself should be fire-retardant.

[bobbotron]

I can remember the yard workmen sawing abestos stove board with a panel saw, with dust flying all over the place. Most died early of something else toxic or carcinogenic instead, like chlorinated phenols common in wood products back then too. And the manager died at only 42 of asbestosis due to working in a Certainteed asphalt shingle plant for only two years when he was younger. The asbestos is safely trapped in the shingle goo after manufacture, but during manufacture itself there was a substantial hazard to workers. Likewise, a co-worker whose brother who wore an asbestos fire suit in a powder coating plant, and then his wife, who did the laundry, died from asbestosis. Nasty stuff.
I was always getting in trouble for allegedly dampening business by warning people to wear things like respirators, dust masks, and rubber gloves. Sound familiar? Anyway, modern stoveboard like Minarit is made from compressed mineral dust containing no asbestos fiber, mostly marble dust if my memory is still correct. I've used it for certain really high temp applications in high output colorheads. But for walls, FRP fiberglass panel is fine.
Neither are easy to cut without the right kind of blade. For stoveboard you ideally need a circular saw microcrystalline diamond blade just like when cutting tile backer board. Festool recently came out with one which fits their own nearly dustless rail saw. FRP panel cuts best with certain Fein Multimaster blades, the best one being hard to find in this country. In fact, I don't know anyone who imported the correct blade except me. But there are some lesser options. You also need to lower the speed or the material melts and gums up the blade. Cutting it with a utility knife or scoring knife is a big headache if you need clean edges.
Serious ventilation is always done with a remote pull fan and heat-resistant ducting. Real ones last a lifetime. PC fans are toys for toys.

I like working with sheet metal. I'm going to make a panel for it from that. Black wood stove paint on the inside.

Cheers!

[Drew Wiley]

Correct. Real stove paint, or else high-temp engine paint. But sheet metal conducts heat, so be careful to allow space around that too.