I posted this over in the general modeling section, but since it’s kind of focused on aircraft, I thought I’d post it here too.
How would I add lights to a model? I’ve seen this done before and think that it adds a nice touch. I’m guessing maybe an L.E.D. and fiber optics? If anyone has any idea how this would be done, I’d love to hear about it. [:)]
i have never done it befor but it depends on wut scale you want it to be done in.also were the landing lights are.and what aircraft.but what i would do for an airplane 1/48 is in the process of building take an LED light snake it to the spot you want it and rig the switch and battery and mount it some were in the middle of the craft you might have to cut a place for the switch. glue the wing and fusladge together and get done with the rest of the aircraft.thats how i would do that but hope this give you an idea-regaurds-brad
ok first off your probably gonna want a 3mm led it rund on about 2 volts the long lead is positive and the shor lead is negitive DO NOT USE A 9volt battery without using a 220ohm resitor ( the light will burn out with’n seconds.
Yeah, I forgot to mention that; it’s 1/48. I’d like to do this to my F4F because I have a bunch of AM parts, so might as well top it off with lights too.[:D] I think I’ve seen some pictures of this kind of thing. They put the L.E.D. in the wing and then ran the fiber optic up to the tip of the wing. I just was wondering how any of you do this and where you get the fiber optics.[?]
Always make sure, however, that you use photons that are to scale. Otherwise, it just won’t look right.
Fiber Optics is ur freind[8D]
You can get fiber by the foot from http://www.fiberopticproducts.com. As I recall they have very reasonable shipping charges considering all the fiber you’d need weighs less than an ounce. For 1/48th you probably want 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75mm diameter for wing navigation lights which runs about 10 cents a foot and you can buy in small quantity (some places want you to buy a spool).
As for working with LEDs and fiber optics in general, I suggest the book “Realistic Animation, Lighting & Sound” published by Kalmbach (which publishes FineScale). It’s oriented to model railroads but there’s a chapter on lighting which discusses LED hookup and technique such as finishing fiber tips to form lenses.
I assume you’re talking basic steady-on lights (navigation, headlight, cockpit) which is a wise first step. If you’re trying to animate lights such as for 50 cal flashing or exhaust stack flames, look at http://www.dynamicscalemodeling.com. That site also shows the guts of several 1/48 aircraft using LEDs and fiber optics – there’s no Wildcat but there’s a Corsair and Hellcat.
Thanks for your help. This is just what I needed![:D] Do I just let the fiber optics come out of the model or should I use some kind of clear plastic “cap”?
A clear plastic cap such as polished sprue can increase options on forming a realistic lens shape. Of course a real lens cap from that era is colored (red, green, blue, etc.) with a broad-spectrum filament bulb. Modeling with LEDs is interesting because LEDs are narrow spectrum and emit a single color. So you need to buy different LEDs of the colors you want - rather than a bag of incandescent grain-of-wheat bulbs and different colored lens caps.
I suppose if the plane is always powered up when viewed, you can’t tell that the lens (or finished fiber end tip) is clear or colored. But when unpowered, some might object to an unpainted lens. Or you might decide colored translucent acrylic or plastic is suitable to work with.
A cleanly cut fiber will project out the end with minimal lateral visibility which is unsuitable for navigation lights so add a lens cap or finish the fiber tip to increase lateral projection. Otherwise you are inviting mid-air collisions between your models [V] As with any modeling technique, experimentation is necessary. There is also side-glow fiber which projects along the strand though choices are more limited.
So is it better to have the cap colored and a clear LED, or both the cap and the LED be colored?
Well, it is your model so it’s up to you! IMO use a colored lens if you can no matter what kind of LED you use. When you say ‘clear’ LED - I assume you mean clear vs. diffused. A typical catalog of LEDs will specify lens type of clear or diffused. A clear LED is just that when unpowered, but lights up to the intended color. A diffused lens is translucent with the intended color even when unpowered. If you use fiber to send the light to the tip it doesn’t matter.
If you actually place the LED at the wingtip (no fiber), then I suppose the LED lens can be worked to become the model lens and then a diffused lens LED saves a step. Of course don’t file and polish too aggresively or you’ll run into the light emitting junction itself though this will be obvious from inspection. That said, I don’t think you’ll have space in 1/48 to locate the commonly available 3mm LED diameter at the wingtip. There are smaller diffused lens LEDs but they become progressively harder to find, have more limited colors, and are harder on the wallet.
Where can I buy the LEDs? I’ve checked radioshack, but I remember them being cheaper. Now they are about a buck. Also, where does the clear plastic for the ‘lens cap’ come from; is it from the clear parts spure?
Considering S&H for mail-order, and that you only need a few, I’m not sure you can do much better. Try a hobby shop with model railroad stuff - those guys use LEDs much more so than aircraft modelers. O-gauge is also 1/48th so it will be no coincidence if you run into suitably sized parts. And to peel the onion another layer, you may even find a suitable AM lens.
If you’re not averse to scrounging, recycle a broken consumer gadget where red and green LEDs are common. I found several dozen green LEDs in a discarded fax machine.
Sprue works. But like scratch building anything, it takes experimentation, practice, patience, etc…
Try Digi Key or Parts Express for LED’s
www.partsexpress.com and no that is not pronounced Part Sex Press.
[:D]
Cool topic! I got a 1/32 Bf-109 that I was starting to pick up parts to light it up![:D]
What’s the best way to attach the fiber optic to the L.E.D.? And do I need to cover the L.E.D. to prevent the light from shining through the model (where I don’t want it to) or is that not an issue?[%-)]
It may not be visible as you work at your lighted bench, but in a dark room your friends will notice the glowing wing or leakage out of wing slats, gun waste slots, or whatever. This means masking it at the source. So we’re talking an opaque sleeve or ferrule.
Another post suggested a 3mm diameter (about 1/8") LED. In that case, try 1/8" black heat shrinkable tubing cut to twice the length of the LED. The part beyond the LED will shrink to much less than that and the fiber could be inserted in the sleeve. Avoid heating the fiber unless you are working the tip as described in previously mentioned book. If you applied the heat evenly, the insertion hole will be centered to the LED. If you look at the previously mentioned website and click on their Components page, there was a photo of an F6F light where a black sleeve envelops the LED and fiber inserts into it.
Since size matters in this case, I suppose the thinnest sleeve would be to glue the fiber tip directly to the LED surface. Then paint the unused part of the LED. LEDs warm up but nothing like incandescent bulbs so I figure it should be stable.
I have tried the former but not the latter. In either case, there will be some lateral leakage from the fiber - especially around bends. This is usually very dim but you may need to mask, paint, or tape. Please report your results.
What happened to your attempt to motorize the Wildcat?
Yeah, I was thinking that the 3mm would be the best. I thought I heard somewhere that you should use a special kind of glue (I forget the name of it) for attaching the fiber optic to the LED. But if I use the heat shrink tubing, I guess that should hold it?
Sorry, forgot to mention the Wildcat. I bought an AM engine for it, and then I decided not to motorize it. I figured that it may not be a good idea with the AM engine; may not be enough room(?)
Copying from the G-S Hypo Cement website: Ideal for jewelry, watch, and ceramic repairs; beading; model building; and optical applications. Last 2 look like hitting nail on head. IMO if you tack down the fiber and the LED (which you’d want to do anyway) then no need to glue the fiber to the LED itself. Please guard against situation where someone comes along and pulls out the fiber from the sealed wing! Obviously you would never re-mate it to the LED.