Grendels & Unreality - Thanks!
Nice idea on the base.
My own bases wind up being last for some reason, and I run into the "okay, what will hold this?" problem
Thanks Quaralane! If there's no lighting, I do the same. :-\
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Fiber optic update - This may seem over the top for a few fiber strands but stick with me. Hopefully my narration will make sense.
I have a small fiber bundle - maybe 10-12 strands. This is just for a few buttons and lights in the cockpit. I tucked the bundle in a small section of brass tubing. This keeps everything together at the end of the LED:
Here's the LED for the fibers. The resistor is soldered in-line with the positive lead and both leads are protected with heat shrink:
Here's where it may seem a little over the top. The fiber bundle must sit on the center of the LED bulb. The center is where the light is brightest and produces the most intense light at the 'point' end of the fiber. So, I will keep the fiber bundle in the dead center by way of a small telescoping package of brass tubes:
The largest tube fits perfectly over the LED and will keep light from escaping:
Marked and ready to cut:
After cutting, the edges need a light sanding. Otherwise, they wont fit cleanly into the next section of tube:
Here's the assembly ready for gluing. Notice the telescoping bulges at the end. This is the tubing conforming to the shape of the LED - and keeping the fiber bundle perfectly centered! I use a 5 minute epoxy to attach and seal everything:
Finally, I add another piece of heat shrink. This will keep any light from escaping except for where I want it to escape. The large brass tube is a temporary protective barrier for the fibers, which are plastic. The heat to shrink the heat shrink would also deform the fibers and ruin all this work. I pull the tube out after the heat shrink is shrunk
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Here's the lighting test. It's ready for installation. Pretty sweet!
