LED lighting in paper models - How To?

[lancer525]

This is very interesting... I may want to light up my 1/200 Montana-class BB when I get to the superstructure. I have zero knowledge of electronics, so knowing people who know things might be handy!

File this one away for future reference.....

[akremedy]

Originally Posted by scarmig

Good sites... and better selection and prices than the Radio Shack

I'm working on a paper Star Destroyer and was thinking of adding some the lights in the windows at each level.

What I'm considering is making the entire rear engine panel hinged, and building a slot for a battery pack. I like the idea of a manifold for fiber optics, though I'm not sure yet how I would run them through the model. I'm thinking the layered structure of the model may be conducive to layering the lighting system as well. Battery pack to LED array to fiber optic manifold.

This is what I needed to get the ideas going.... thanks guys!

This sounds like a fun project - hope you post pictures for this arm-chair paper collector ("modeler" would imply that I've actually built something in the last 12 months).

I was thinking about where I'd source the fiber from - probably the easiest and cheapest place is a novelty shop (i.e.: those kids' flashlights with the tassel of fiber sticking out, though the individual fibers may not be long enough for the Star Destroyer). This stuff can be tricky to work with - the ends should be ground flat, etc, but should be achievable for a project like this. After all, you're not trying to build and fly a real Star Destroyer...

Mouser does sell singles of most of its inventory, but the paired down inventory at Futurlec is a lot more manageable - they certainly have all the bits you would need for a project like this.

[scarmig]

Originally Posted by lancer525

This is very interesting... I may want to light up my 1/200 Montana-class BB when I get to the superstructure. I have zero knowledge of electronics, so knowing people who know things might be handy!

File this one away for future reference.....

The extent of my electronics comes from last year's halloween costume, where I very painfully figured out how to run a battery pack to resistors to LEDs.

It functioned, but I didn't win any awards for neatness, ingenuity, stability, soldering, complexity, durability, or fire safety.



Fortunately, LEDs are pretty easy, from what I can tell. Not quite as easy as a regular light bulb, but worth the extra step.


Now what would be really cool is to figure out not only how to run the LEDs and switch, but to have them come on with a motion or light sensor. It would awesome to walk by the display shelf and have models light up as you go by....

Someone, somewhere, probably has a simple diagram of how to wire something like that.

[scarmig]

Originally Posted by akremedy

This sounds like a fun project - hope you post pictures for this arm-chair paper collector ("modeler" would imply that I've actually built something in the last 12 months).

I was thinking about where I'd source the fiber from - probably the easiest and cheapest place is a novelty shop (i.e.: those kids' flashlights with the tassel of fiber sticking out, though the individual fibers may not be long enough for the Star Destroyer). This stuff can be tricky to work with - the ends should be ground flat, etc, but should be achievable for a project like this. After all, you're not trying to build and fly a real Star Destroyer...

Mouser does sell singles of most of its inventory, but the paired down inventory at Futurlec is a lot more manageable - they certainly have all the bits you would need for a project like this.

I was thinking along the same line. The dollar store usually has cheap fiber optic toys.

As far as size, I think this thing will measure in at a scant 8 inches or so. The spacing will be tight, so I'll have to be careful with my supports.

[bagpiper]

Originally Posted by akremedy

One LED, a manifold (maybe fashioned from clay or silicone) and careful use of fiber optics will get light into all manner of tight spaces as long as you don't kink the fiber. Push it through a hole for pinpoint light, or affix it behind some velum or light card for a diffused look.

Check out mouser.com for 10's of thousands of LED, battery mounting, and switching options.

<edit>Oh, and your manifold and single LED would support many fiber leads, so you could mount the battery, switch and LED on a single board and make it very self contained...that's where I was going with that idea :-) </edit>

Beat me to it mate. :D I was going to tell Scarmig the same thing. lol. Also don't worry about LED's being harder to use than normal bulbs Scarmig, once you get the hang of them having a polarity they are very easy to use and last a long time and use very little current. Using fiber optic strands is a great idea. If you plan on doing more than one model it would make sense to get a small reel of the stuff - but it is not cheap. Rather than me just blethering away, let us know what your looking to do specifically and I, as many others, will be happy to help. If you need a circuit designed or just need some help with the ohms law drop it in the forum.

Cheers
Jim

[peter taft]

Hello. L.E.D's are easy to use. Most of them have a FLAT part on the CATHODE side ( connection goes NEGATIVE ) The other connection is the ANODE. You need to use a RESISTOR in SERIES connected to the anode { Goes POSITIVE } Most small L.E.D's are around 20mA or 0.02 amps. For a quick volt/res reference:

INPUT { Volts } RESISTOR { Ohms Value }
3v...................68
6v...................220
9v...................390

The calculation is: R = (V-1.7) X 1000
.............................. --------------
.......................................I

Where R is the resistance in ohms, V is the DC supply voltage, and I is the LED current in milliamps. At least that's if my memory is still working on these things... tis many moons since i designed anything electronic , but i think the above is O.K. I hope it helps you out :D

[bagpiper]

Originally Posted by peter taft

Hello. L.E.D's are easy to use. Most of them have a FLAT part on the CATHODE side ( connection goes NEGATIVE ) The other connection is the ANODE. You need to use a RESISTOR in SERIES connected to the anode { Goes POSITIVE } Most small L.E.D's are around 20mA or 0.02 amps. For a quick volt/res reference:

INPUT { Volts } RESISTOR { Ohms Value }
3v...................68
6v...................220
9v...................390

The calculation is: R = (V-1.7) X 1000
.............................. --------------
.......................................I

Where R is the resistance in ohms, V is the DC supply voltage, and I is the LED current in milliamps. At least that's if my memory is still working on these things... tis many moons since i designed anything electronic , but i think the above is O.K. I hope it helps you out :D

And the 1.7 is the voltage required to light the LED. i.e (Source voltage - LED voltage) in case anyone was going to ask. Sorry Peter just putting my two pennies worth in mate. But your memory serves you well. :D

Jim

[lancer525]

[peter taft]

Originally Posted by bagpiper

And the 1.7 is the voltage required to light the LED. i.e (Source voltage - LED voltage) in case anyone was going to ask. Sorry Peter just putting my two pennies worth in mate. But your memory serves you well. :D

Jim

Thanks friend - tis a miracle that i got some memory modules still working Now what was we talking about again...urm.. no, it's gone

[scarmig]

LOL.... yeah, I figured out the easiest way was just get a matching resistor for each LED and wire them 1 to 1. I'll probably take some time this weekend and get a bulk pack of LED's.

Hmmm..... wait a minute. I wonder if I could repurpose one of those cheap solar garden LED's. Just have to wire in a hard switch, and then it already has the circuit for the light sensor, the resistors and a hard board with a battery pack in place.