Evergleam Turbo Projector Color Wheel Gel Replacement

Adding professional color gels to an Evergleam turbo color projector wheel. You may want to preserve the originals or just try some new colors on your Aluminum tree this Christmas. This is how I did it using readily available items.

I used Lee brand filters as they are readily available from theatrical lighting stores and online from Amazon and stores like BH Photo. You will also need a sharp craft knife, a straight edge and heat resistant aluminum tape. A paper cutter is preferred for perfectly square corners but you can get excellent results without it, if you are careful and precise. I chose 5 different colors from this sample book. You don't need the sample book, but it is nice to have if you want to color match to the original gels. I wanted some more saturated colors, particularly with green and yellow. I also used an ultra violet filter instead of blue on my first go round. The manufacturers of these types of gels use numbers to designate the color. The colors I chose were Lee 707 (ultimate violet), 120 (deep blue), 736 (twickenham green), 770 (burnt yellow) and 029 (plasa red).

You will get 4 cuts from each sheet of gel so if you make a mistake on your first cut, you get three more tries. I suggest cutting the gel sheets in quarters to make them easier to work with. If you can keep the paper backing in place, that's preferred but not crucial. As shown in the photo, the paper has the number printed on it and that can make future identification easier. One edge of the sheet is 24" and the other is 20" so cut across at 12" on the long side and 10" on the short side. You can do this with scissors as this cut doesn't need to be precise.

The gels included with the color wheel 7 25/32" x 8 5/15" but I found it much easier to use the metric measurements on my cutting pad. I discovered that the ideal size is 202mm x 211mm. Keep the factory corner and cut off the edges that you cut with scissors. Use the straight edge and craft knife (with a fresh blade!) to make precise cuts. Having a cutting mat with a grid and metric measurements was very helpful.

You will also need 4 pieces of aluminum tape per gel. The size I made them was 10mm x 25mm. 16 total.

Place the gels in the wheel and make certain you have them tucked behind the tabs and centered with no gaps between gel and frame. If you have cut one too small, cut a new gel, if too large, trim carefully. Place the frame wheel on it's side and chock the top with something that will help prevent it from rolling while you work. Tape in the gels on all 4 corners. You can use the craft knife to help place the gels close to the top. Do one gel at a time and overlap the tape. Make certain the tape is getting both the gel and the frame.

Once you have all 4 gels taped in, place on the base and enjoy!

I found that my wheel spins slower with these gels, probably because they do not retain heat as well as the vinyl originals. It's not a deal breaker though.