Captured Lightning Sculptures:
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
(Updated 6/27/10)
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What are Lichtenberg Figures, and how do you make them? They are beautifully detailed branching chains of fractures and microscopic tubes that have been permanently "captured" within crystal clear acrylic. These "lightning fossils" were created by the passage of powerful electrical discharges through the acrylic. Unlike laser art, each sculpture is unique and infinitely detailed. Learn more about them in our one-page (pdf) explanation or the more complete technical explanation. You can also view an 8-minute video showing how our sculptures are created and a shorter 4-minute video showing a batch of 12 x 12 inch sculptures being discharged. Are Captured Lightning sculptures safe? Yes. Our sculptures have been fully discharged and are completely safe. There is absolutely no risk of electrical shock or residual radiation. They make excellent educational gifts for children and adults alike. Can I order online if I don't have a PayPal account? Although we use PayPal to support our shopping cart and secure credit card processing, you do not need a PayPal account to order your sculptures. Our secure checkout system accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express cards, or payment can optionally be provided from your PayPal account. Figures and matching light bases can be ordered online from our Gallery 1 and Gallery 2 web pages. Can I place a phone order instead of ordering online? Since some customers may not feel comfortable ordering online, may want to use a check or money order for payment, or may want to place a custom order, we also accept phone orders at +1 630-964-2699. We can also help you select the best figures and bases for your price range. How quickly can you ship? As long as we have the sculpture in stock, we can typically ship within one business day after payment. However, this may increase by a few days for large orders or during especially busy times such as during the Christmas season. We usually ship via the US Postal System for domestic and international orders, but we may use Fedex or UPS for larger orders. Please contact us if your schedule requires expedited or overnight shipping. Do you ship internationally? Yes. We ship to any country supported by PayPal, and our checkout process supports seamless conversions to US Dollars from 23 currencies. Please note that international customers need to add a USD $7 surcharge to cover additional shipping and processing costs. Customers are responsible for any in-country VAT or postal system customs handling fees. Large orders may require using a bank wire transfer. Do you offer volume discounts or dealer discounts? Yes. Can you make custom sizes, shapes, or custom masked sculptures? Yes. However, since we only make our sculptures once or twice a year, small quantities of custom sizes, shapes, or masking can have a relatively long lead time. Masked specimens have limited resolution, and some shapes work better than others due to the physics of the process. Custom figures must be individually quoted - please contact us directly to discuss your requirements. Can you personalize sculptures? Yes. We can also provide personalized laser engraving for our flat specimens using your graphics and text. A scalable PDF drawing or high resolution black and white graphic works best. Costs are USD $30 setup per pattern plus USD $15-20/sculpture. This will also add about 1 week to the shipping interval. Please contact us directly for more information. Can you personalize bases? Many of our bases can accept silver or gold brushed-finish metal plaques with black lettering. This can convert your sculpture and base into a treasured personalized gift or a unique corporate award. How deep are the figures inside the acrylic? Penetration depth is typically between 1/4" and 1/2" when we irradiate with 2.5 - 5.0 million volt electron beams. Thicker specimens, cubes, cylinders, or spheres are irradiated a number of times using different orientations, or are actively rotated while being irradiated, in order to create complex internal discharge patterns. We are limited by the accelerator to a maximum of 5 MeV. How big a sculpture you can make? Single layer "tree-like" dendritic sculptures are limited to 18 inches on a side. Larger specimens can be made with multiple discharge locations or a combination of randomly rooted dendritic and chaotic patterns. We have created sculptures as large as 24" x 36". Maximum material thickness is 4". With Lichtenberg Figures, larger is not always better... Do you offer any lower priced sculptures? Yes - we offer factory 2nd's for many of our Captured Lightning styles. These are attractively priced at 50% of retail price. Also, from time to time we may also offer one-of-a-kind specimens or experimental specimens that we've decided not to offer as standard products. See our Factory 2nd's page for our current stock. Do you have any other "interesting" products? We also use incredibly powerful magnetic fields to "shrink" coins in the blink of an eye. For example, US quarters are shrunk to less than the diameter of a dime. Check out our shrunken coins and technical explanation. What is your Customer Satisfaction guarantee? If you're not satisfied, you may return any item for a full refund or replacement within 14 days after receipt. Light bases are warranted against defects for 1 year. Have other questions? Please contact us. We're happy to discuss any special needs or answer any question(s) you may have. We love to delight our customers! |
Bert Hickman
Stoneridge Engineering
bert.hickman@aquila.net
+1 630-964-2699
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Eye Candy Page
Technical Explanation
